Sustainability

SUSTAINABILITY AT THE HEART OF WHAT WE DO

UOW Pulse is committed to our environmental and community responsibilities and are recognised as campus leaders for implementing sustainable practices across our food, beverage and retail outlets.

PULSE GREEN TEAM

UOW Pulse takes a proactive approach to sustainability. We have a dedicated committee, ‘Pulse Green Team’ focused on Sustainability with members from key business units across the organisation. The Pulse Green Team oversees new sustainable initiatives and represents Pulse on this front to its stakeholders including:

Consults with key stakeholders including students to influence and improve Pulse’s sustainability initiatives.
Attends UOW Environmental Advisory committee meetings to keep UOW stakeholders up to date with Pulse’s sustainability plans and campaigns.
Presents feedback and provides a point of information exchange between internal Pulse business units and UOW stakeholders regarding strategic planning to ensure both directions are aligned.

CURRENT INITIATIVES

UOW Pulse encourages customers to say “no” to single use plastics:
Eliminating one-use disposable coffee cups – keep cups are for sale across campus outlets including the UniShop, Rush cafes and more!
‘Do you really need a lid’ campaign – a campaign designed to raise awareness and encourage customers to think before they used a plastic lid for their takeaway coffee.
Sustainable Packaging – UOW Pulse outlets have implemented the use of sustainable packaging at all their managed operations including bamboo cutlery.
BYO cup and save – Bring your own cup or mug to any Rush Coffee outlet and we will give you 30 cents off your coffee!
Mug Wall at RUSH Coffee – customers have the choice to use a reusable cup instead of a one-use cup.
Plastic straws have been replaced across all outlets.
Dine in at the RUSH Coffee Cart – Enjoy some sunshine and fresh air in the beautiful White Cedar Court Yard (behind Building 14). Dine in with a mug or cup from our ‘mug tree’. (BYO discount does not apply when using cups provided for ‘dine in’).

HELP MAKE IT ONE LESS CUP

We ditched our bag habit – From 24 July 2017, all UOW Pulse owned campus outlets went plastic bag free at the register. Instead of a plastic bag, customers can bring their own bag; grab a cardboard box free of charge (at IGA) or opt for one of the low-cost sustainable bag options. Plastic bag free outlets include IGA, UniShop, UniBar, UniActive, Post Office, Rush, Fuel and Boost. Pulse is currently working to reducing the use of single use plastics across other campus outlets.

SUSTAINABILITY AWARDS & ACHIEVEMENTS

Green Gown Awards Australasia

UOW Pulse was awarded Winner of the 2018 Green Gown Awards Australasia in the Campus Health, Food & Drink category. The Green Gown Awards is the first and only Award Scheme dedicated to recognising excellence in sustainability within the tertiary education sector in Australasia. The Campus Health, Food & Drink category recognises achievements beyond good practice in the delivery of campus food, drink and hospitality. It celebrates innovation, creativity and consideration for procurement, delivery, communication which has resulted in behaviour changes across staff, students and community.

First Australian university bar to receive ‘Ocean Friendly’ accreditation

The UniBar at the University of Wollongong is officially recognised as an ‘Ocean Friendly’ venue by the Surfrider Foundation Australia. The Ocean Friendly Program, recognises businesses who are taking action on plastic pollution by implementing measures to reduce single-use plastic items at their source and demonstrating a commitment to reducing negative environmental impacts.

ENVIRO WARRIORS – UNILIFE VOLUNTEERING PROGRAM

Enviro Warriors encourages students to volunteer and engage in campaigns across campus to raise awareness and educate others about sustainable practices. Student volunteers can participate in workshops and events across campus with an environmental focus.

UNILIFE CAMPUS GARDEN

Our UniLife Enviro Warrior Volunteers have been busy planting beautiful plants, delicious herbs and even some bush tucker in a new Campus Garden at The White Cedar Courtyard.
The goal of the garden is to generate discussion surrounding local food production and hopefully to encourage others to start their own gardens at home. Students and staff are encouraged to tend to the garden if they wish. If you see a critter, please try to find it a new home and feel free to take some leaves, but only what you need.

BECOME AN ENVIRO WARRIOR

UNIBAR FOOD WASTE TO BIOFUEL
^$ 100 Per Month
UniBar has installed a Pulpmaster Waste to Energy System to pulp food waste and compostable food packaging. This system recycles organic solid and liquid food waste, eliminating approximately 2700kg of waste going into landfill each week! The food waste is macerated and turned into a pulp inside the machine before being pumped into a holding tank. The Pulpmaster can process up to 1,000 litres of organic waste in just 20 minutes. When the holding tank is nearing full it is collected and used to generate biogas for renewable energy generation.

RECYCLING
^$ 100 Per Month
SOFT PLASTIC RECYCLING

Plastic bags, soft plastic food wrapper and soft packaging plastic cannot be recycled via the normal recycling processes and should not be placed in the co-mingled recycling bins. Soft Plastics can be recycled but require a separate collection service.

Soft plastics recycling stations are located at:
- UniBar
- IGA
- UniShop
MOBILE PHONE RECYCLING

UOW has a mobile phone recycling program with Mobile Muster. Over 90% of a mobile phone can be recovered, and materials including plastics, gold, silver, copper and nickel can be recycled from them.

Collection points:
- Mac1 store within UniShop
- Post Office within UniShop
- Facilities Management Division, Building 31
- IMTS, Building 39c
PRINT CARTRIDGE RECYCLING

Print cartridges can be recycled at UOW via the Cartridges 4 Planet Ark program.
Find out about UOW Print Cartridge Recycling.

Collection points:
- Building 31 foyer
- Print area within the library
- UniShop

UNISHOP RECOVER TEXTILE SYSTEM
^$ 100 Per Month
In 2018 UniShop introduced an environmentally friendly merchandise line – the Recover Upcycled Textile System. This system reduces landfill, saves textile waste, plastic bottles, water, hazardous chemicals, CO2 emissions and energy!

Recover clothing is available in store NOW at Unishop!

We are proud to help create a more sustainable future for generations to come.

Check out the video below to find out all the great things that Recovertex is doing to make a positive change to our planet.