Review: Campus Clean Up

As part of a garbage collection campaign on campus, the Green Office, in cooperation with University Sports, the Resource Management and Waste Technology Department of Faculty 14 and the Captain Paul Watson Foundation and wirmachendasjetztinfach initiatives, cleaned up the campus on 30 June - with great success and horror at the same time: 51 kilograms of garbage were collected on campus in just under an hour and a half.

On June 30, around 25 participants gathered at the Green Office and equipped themselves with garbage bags, gloves and tongs provided by the city cleaners and wirmachendasjetztinfach. In small groups, they scoured the various areas of the campus and came back with a variety of garbage finds.

After a brief refreshment of ice cream and drinks sponsored by the Friends of the Institute of Water, Waste and Environment, the filled garbage bags were taken to the technical center of the Resource Management and Waste Technology department. Following the joint collection, 29 kilograms were sorted and evaluated by hand.

Around a third of the sorted waste was bulky waste - including old furniture parts, electronic waste and larger plastic parts. Packaging materials accounted for just under a quarter. The high proportion of to-gopackaging was particularly striking, accounting for around two thirds of the packaging waste. The rest consisted of other packaging such as chip bags, bottles or foil and cigarette butts.

The campaign clearly shows how much hidden waste accumulates in everyday life on campus and how important a joint commitment to a clean and sustainable learning environment is. The Green Office and its partners will continue to promote environmental awareness and waste avoidance at the University of Kassel - stay tuned for the next campaign!