2020 kicks off with some new initiatives—UzhNU begins sorting waste
The eco-friendly trend in Ukraine is gaining momentum. More and more people are realizing that being eco-conscious isn’t difficult: sorting trash is easy; using a reusable bag instead of a plastic one is not only environmentally friendly but also practical and stylish; and drinks are just as tasty without a plastic straw. Starting in the new semester of 2020, UzhNU is implementing waste sorting. The Media Center found out how this will work. The need to launch waste sorting his existed for a long time; many people were aware of it, but never got around to actually implementing it. Moreover, UzhNU volunteers have participated in several large-scale eco-campaigns in the city.
“Waste sorting is an urgent need not only for UzhNU, but also for the city, the region, the country, and the world as a whole,” says Hanna Meleganych, head of the Resource Center for Sustainable Development and associate professor in the Department of International Studies and Public Communications. “Throughout 2019, we tried to apply for various grants to secure funding for waste sorting at UzhNU, as it is quite resource-intensive.”
One might ask: why would implementing waste sorting be expensive, and what is the problem? Because, in the context of the university, it involves a large scale. The rector’s assistant, Kristina Tovt, explains: “The cost of a single cardboard container is 100 hryvnias; a set of three, accordingly, is 300. To implement the initial project, we need over 20 such sets to place them in several locations on every floor. Of course, we won’t be able to make a profit from this, as the value of recyclable materials, especially paper, has dropped. But the main thing for us is to teach young people to sort waste and reduce the volume of plastic waste. We want young people who learn and get used to sorting at the university to bring this culture home—primarily to different districts of the region.”
“We will try to reduce the number of regular trash bins and install separate containers for collecting recyclables: paper, plastic, and glass—each container will have detailed instructions on what can be placed inside. Of course, in dorms we expect more paper, but students eat sweets, drink water and juice, and so on. As for collecting paper cups, Mamai’s cups will come in handy here; the student space “Aura Academica” began introducing them last year, and staff at the building on Narodna Street have already gotten used to them,” adds Hanna Meleganych.
They are not implementing the project on their own: the NGO “Green City,” whose activist is Ivan Zub, a student of the Faculty of Engineering and Technology, has been brought in to collaborate with the Resource Center for Sustainable Development and the UzhNU Rector’s Office. As part of the Uzhhorod City Council’s startup competition, the young man wrote a project on an environmental theme, which was refined and began to be implemented at the university. Thus, it turned out that this initiative does not come “from above”—it is proposed and supported by the students themselves.
Ivan Zub himself explains: “Right now, most students don’t sort their trash—of course, because this is something you have to learn and get used to from childhood. My friends support me; I see that most of them understand the need to sort trash, but not everyone is ready to just jump in and start sorting. But we’ll set a precedent that will encourage Uzhhorod students to do this. We’re already working with schoolchildren and see that they find it interesting. Plus, they bring this knowledge home and teach their parents. And the university is our larger-scale attempt to make our city cleaner.”
Waste sorting will begin in the new semester at the main building on BAM and the rector’s office. In the future, they plan to expand the placement of sorting bins to other buildings.Over time, they plan to replace paper bins with wooden ones, install plastic bins on the streets, and even create compost pits near the dormitories. What’s more, the Rector’s Office is also considering an incentive program for those who sort their waste.
To help the sorting process take root more easily and make it simpler to get started, informational sessions will be organized for university staff and students.
For now, students, faculty, and concerned members of the community are invited to help promote waste sorting. Students who are willing to help with this effort in their departments are asked to contact the Sustainable Development Resource Center at [email protected]
Ksenia Shokina