Minimisation of Plastic Use
Heliopolis University | SDG 12 – 2025
Purpose and scope
Reduce unnecessary plastic use across university activities and promote practical reusable alternatives. This policy applies to relevant university operations and participants.
Policy measures
- Reduce single-use plastic bags, straws, cutlery, bottles and food containers where feasible.
- Consider reusable and lower-impact alternatives in purchasing, events and catering arrangements.
- Provide suitable sorting facilities and communicate correct disposal practices to the campus community.
- Engage suppliers and service providers on reduced plastic packaging and relevant contractual requirements.
- Monitor progress using available procurement, activity and waste records; review measures periodically.
Responsibilities and review
Relevant university teams coordinate implementation, procurement, campus communications and monitoring.
Prevention and substitution: Assess avoidable plastic use in purchasing, offices, events and food services. Give preference to durable, reusable or refillable alternatives where feasible and safe, considering actual lifecycle impacts and the availability of recovery services. Avoid replacing one disposable product with another without assessing the trade-offs.
Procurement and services: Include packaging reduction and reuse requirements in relevant specifications, tender evaluations and contracts. Engage catering and service providers on alternatives to disposable cutlery, cups, bottles, bags and containers. Where alternatives are unsuitable for safety, hygiene or accessibility, document the reason and select the lowest practical impact option.
Events and campus operations: Event organisers should plan to minimise plastic use, communicate requirements to vendors and participants, and provide suitable collection arrangements. Refill options may be promoted where a safe drinking-water supply and maintenance arrangements are available.
Collection and communications: Place clear sorting instructions at appropriate collection points and support staff and student awareness. Recyclability depends on material type, contamination and the services available; avoid presenting all plastic products as recyclable.
Monitoring and review: Use purchasing records, supplier information, event records and waste tracking to identify high-use products and assess progress. Review the measures periodically and document improvements, exceptions and relevant supplier engagement.
