Circularity and waste

We cannot build our future on a linear ‘take-make-dispose’ model. Evidence to support this statement is overwhelming and ever-growing. The concept of ‘planetary boundaries’ effectively underscores this notion by identifying nine thematic boundaries within which, if respected, humanity could continue to develop and thrive for generations to come. Most of these boundaries have already crossed critical thresholds, leading to an increased risk of system collapse, notably regarding: Biosphere Integrity (Genetic Diversity); Novel Entities; Biochemical Flows; Land-System Change; and Climate Change. These phenomena are strongly interconnected within linear economic models based on infinite growth, exploiting natural resources, and disregarding the ecological integrity of our support systems. Despite theories and efforts of the last decades to decouple economic growth from natural resource use and its negative environmental impact, no such decoupling has occurred in any meaningful way. Quite the opposite: in an absolute sense, the global demand for natural resources is ever-growing. It is thus high time to implement regenerative and circular ‘mechanisms’, aimed at minimising material use, avoiding waste, and prioritising low-carbon materials, whilst supporting climate action. When zooming in on the scope of our university, there are many levers of intervention, such as: dematerialisation; circular procurement; product-service models; advanced waste separation; and zero-waste. The task is not to approach these levers separately but as part of an integrated vision, including narrowing material cycles (use less); slowing material cycles (use longer); closing material cycles (use again); and regenerating material systems (make clean). Associated assignments cut across UAntwerp departments, touching upon purchasing protocols, facility management, waste collection, and financial administration, amongst many others.

Milestones reached

• All individual bins in all offices of the university have been removed and replaced by a waste-sorting island at several spots on each building floor. Each employee may keep their own bin, but it will no longer be emptied by cleaning staff.
  
• The Green Guide for Labs and the Green Guide for Offices each contain a chapter with recommendations on how to reduce waste. There also has been a switch from single-use cups to reusable cups at all student association-related events.

Goals

The final goal is to make the university waste-free. Therefore, all the activities of the university will need to be organised in a circular way. In order to achieve this, the entire product and services flow path associated with these activities should be taken into consideration.

More specifically, it is the university’s ambition to:

• Develop central purchasing guidelines and integrate sustainability criteria in all tenders. This includes criteria that facilitate circular material and product use (this then connects back to various indicators, i.e. detachability; material passports; recyclable content, etc.) and criteria on waste reduction and enhanced waste collection/logistics.
• Make use of a step-by-step guide and checklist mandatory for all departments and associated research groups, leaving room for personalised purchases according to different needs, but with a clear structure on how purchases and disposal can be sustainably managed.
• Reduce non-hazardous and packaging waste across all campuses and replace single-use materials with reusable materials.
• Raise awareness among staff and students regarding circular purchasing and waste avoidance, and the impact of choices (e.g. no purchase versus cheapest purchase versus sustainable purchase).
• Communicate about waste flows at UAntwerp (with an annual update).
• Reuse or recycle all waste to its highest value by 2030 (tender requirements).
• Create smoking-free areas on campus and drastically reduce the number of cigarette butts that are thrown into the environment.
• Apply the total costs (and benefits) of ownership models.

Actions

Purchasing:

• Circularity criteria: ensure the inclusion of conditions that relate to circular material use and the avoidance of packaging waste with every offer;
• Sustainability criteria: include sustainability criteria in the evaluation of tenders (cleaning, green management, office materials, chemicals, printing, window cleaning, etc.);
• Create purchase reports for all purchases not made through the UAntwerp purchasing platform. This could be achieved by enforcing order placement through framework contracts.
• Forbid the purchase of single-use material in the long term and avoid purchasing non-recyclable packaging and materials that are already present at the university and could be shared.

Reuse:

• Optimise the use and reuse of existing equipment (e.g. furniture, office supplies etc.) of staff and students (internal or external), i.e. through the launch of a UAntwerp sharing platform;
• Develop a deposit system for using/borrowing cutlery and cambio boxes at UAntwerp food restaurants;
• Replace recycled packages and biodegradable packages with reusable packaging in the university’s food restaurants;
• Replace plastics in the university’s goodie bags, e.g. pencils instead of pens;
• Remove plastic bottles with still water from the university’s vending machines and give information about where water taps and drinking fountains are instead;
• Organise a Green Office ‘Erasmus furniture return service’ action.

Sorting waste:

• Complete the removal of individual waste bins and placement of sorting islands;
• Place sorting bins outside campus buildings;
• Place bins and compost bins for organic waste inside and outside each building on CDE and CGB.
• Expand the number of paper bins on all campuses;
• Print and apply new waste sorting stickers to sorting bins on all campuses;
• In student areas sorting possibilities can be extended: place separate bins for paper and cardboard and organic waste. Currently, the only sorting options are PMD and residual waste.
• Offer sorting options at student-related events;
• Provide guidelines on waste management of non-contaminated and non-sorted lab waste.

Recycling:

• Make paper removal a circular story. Cardboard and paper are currently not separated which will lead to less qualitative recycled content.
• Focus on non-contaminated waste from labs which are currently not being sorted and recycled.  

Student-oriented actions:

• Refine the reusable cup system at student events;
• Incorporate a clear policy on single-use materials and waste from student events;
• Avoid littering on campus by organising activities such as plogging to raise awareness.

Communication and awareness:

• Send out annual communication on waste flows;
• Organise waste-free campuses (two-week trial) and/or participate in Plastic-free May (Mei Plasticvrij);
• Thinking about the materials used and the waste produced when designing research activities or student projects;
• Encourage lecturers to offer their coursebooks in double-sided printing and raise awareness among students regarding coursebook printing;
• Communicate about recycled paper;
• Distribute green guides.

Indicators

According to the zero measurement analysis, most of the university’s footprint regarding direct waste was generated by the incineration of non-hazardous and dangerous waste (medical or chemical). In weight, this accounts for roughly half of the total waste collected on campus.

According to the carbon footprint, the treatment of direct waste was responsible for the emission of 96 tonnes of CO₂-eq, which represents less than 1% of UAntwerp’s total carbon footprint.

• Recycled content (in %)
• Recyclable content (in %) split into:​​
  •  Directly reused or remanufactured (in %)
  • Repurposed (in %)
  • Recycled or recovered (in %)

• Components that are easily detachable (in %)
• Residual value (in Euro)
• Environmental-impact score (dependent on applied assessment/standard)
• Materials and products free from harmful substances (in %)
• Materials and products with circularity IDs/material passports (in %)
• Amount of residual waste (in kg)
• Amount of fractions selectively collectable (in kg)
• Amount of PMD waste (in kg)
• Amount of paper waste (in kg)
• Amount of biodegradable waste (in kg)
• Amount of chemical waste (in kg)
• Amount of medical waste (in kg)
• Amount of radioactive waste (in kg)

Challenges

UAntwerp’s transition to a climate-neutral and minimal-waste university will encounter several obstacles. When developing novel short or long-term action points and targets, we have to keep these obstacles in mind. We listed some of the potential challenges we may face along the way.

• Technical obstacles: for certain actions, it is unclear whether they can be technically implemented. The technical feasibility should be assessed first.
• Legal obstacles: UAntwerp has ongoing fixed contracts with cleaning staff and waste collection companies. Only when these contracts end or need to be negotiated, can major changes in waste management be implemented.
• For some types of waste – such as medical, chemical and sterile products – it is difficult to reduce or replace them with alternatives, since they are required for qualitative scientific research and/or fall under strict health regulations.
• To reduce waste and improve sorting, reusing, and recycling on campus, changes will be required. Resistance to change is expected and proper change management strategies need to be considered.
• Cost-effectiveness: the implementation of some changes will require certain budgets. For these actions, budget estimations must be made.
• Decentralised authorities at UAntwerp: each research group can decide by itself what, where and when they purchase equipment, paper, etc. This high degree of autonomy makes it very difficult to set limits on purchasing decisions.
• Infrastructural limitations: little to no space is available for storing unused furniture.