UEH Zero Waste Campus Project – Together with UEH look back on the journey of joining hands to spread and practice “green lifestyle” at UEH in 2022

In 2021, the UEH Zero Waste Campus Project started and received positive effects in creating platforms and implementing many knowledge communication activities, spreading green living values and the message “Rethink & Be”. Green” to UEHers, communities and society. Those good premises have created the impetus for the past 2022 University of Economics of Ho Chi Minh City. Ho Chi Minh City (UEH) continues to implement many practical activities to spread and practice a green lifestyle, change habits and behaviors of the UEHer community, towards a Multidisciplinary and Sustainable University.

With the goal of a Multidisciplinary and Sustainable University in the period of 2021-2030, UEH has cooperated with partners to implement the UEH Zero Waste Campus Project. In 2021, the Project created platforms and carried out many activities to impart knowledge, spread green living values and the message “Rethink & Be Green” to UEHers, the community and society. The project has excellently won the first prize of the international competition “Zero Waste City Challenge” organized by the NGO Waste Aid and many international sponsors. In 2022, UEH will continue to deploy 03 groups of activities, pioneering solutions in the university community in Vietnam, including: UEH Living Lab, UEH Zero Waste Station Model – Separation of waste at source and implementation two-way communication, empowering young people to join hands to actively spread and practice “green lifestyle” not only within schools.

The journey to spread green and sustainable lifestyle in 2022

Workshop on UEH Zero Waste Station model:  Successfully held on the afternoon of April 20, 2022 with practical contributions from nearly 30 experts in the field of environment, waste classification and management and teachers. in charge from other universities in the city revolves around the model of the university’s waste classification, treatment and management model, the project’s orientation with the goal of reducing 65% of the volume of landfilled waste. fill at UEH.

Development of sustainable waste management regulations/processes: UEH has continued to step by step approach to the current Regulations on Waste Classification and Management of Vietnam & the City and discussed and drafted the Draft Regulations. zero waste university.

Step by step equipping the UEH Zero Waste Station system:  reviewing the trash can system in the school, proposing the location of the trash can and changing the identifier of the trash bin system according to the UEH Zero Waste Station model.

Implement empowering activities for students to actively organize and call for UEHers’ participation in forming a green lifestyle, such as:

Campaign “Zero Waste, Hero You” – Save Mother Nature with Zeen:  The campaign is carried out by S Communications Student Communication Team – under UEH Student Union, is an opportunity for students to express and share own opinions on issues related to the environment. The campaign has attracted more than 1300 times to participate in the challenge, reach more than 100,000 students, spread to the community a lot of green living knowledge, raise awareness, and change students’ actions.

Tiktok Dance Cover Contest “UEH Green Evolution” – When the message is realized by action:  organized by UEH Student Union with the desire to spread the message “Rethink & Be Green” closer to students . The student’s contest combining choreography full of positive energy choreographed by male artist Trong Hieu combined with the music “Green Citizen UEHer” attracted a large number of UEH students to participate. In addition, the contest is also honored to have the companion of Miss Earth 2018 – Nguyen Phuong Khanh, who always pursues sustainable values of the environment.

Challenge series “Green Footprint” – The result of the journey to change thinking, “green” life:  the contest revolves around students’ knowledge of waste and 3R practices, creating conditions for students to self-check Review your understanding of waste and share ways to reduce waste together.

Green Citizen Day – Where “Green UEHer Citizens” act for a sustainable future:  As part of the series of activities to welcome new students, Green Citizen Day is a valuable opportunity to spread the word, Forming positive habits about sustainable lifestyle, saying no to waste, raising awareness about environmental protection right from the first days of entering school. With the theme “Living new with old”, Green Citizen Day organizes many interesting and meaningful activities that are enthusiastically supported by new students such as: Eco Booth – Exchange garbage for gifts; Refill Booth – Booth to refill products from Unilever (with 20% discount compared to the market); Information Booth – Zero Waste Campus: where students can learn more useful knowledge related to the project “Zero Waste Campus” and experience playing games on the website “Zero Waste Campus”; Visit the exhibition on Sustainable University: where the works of UEH act sustainably as an educator; UEH Station: exhibition area of simulation models so that students can practice classifying garbage according to regulations; Theme music interactive booth – Green UEHer Citizen: Students watched the MV “Green UEHer Citizen” and participated in the challenges of the program; Can to Can: students bring cleaned cans to exchange for gifts; and finally the 3R themed oriented booth: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

In addition to the above activities, students are also immersed in the art fashion space leading a green lifestyle with extremely unique works created from recycled materials through the “Greenlife Artistry” Exhibitions. ; Fashion show “Green Fashion for life”; “Sustainability Initiatives” and gain more knowledge about the impact of fashion waste on the environment through “Workshop Sustainable Fashion”. Green Citizen Day is one of the school’s orientations for new students to become Green UEHer Citizens.

In particular, connecting the community, UEH collaborated with the Vietnam Zero Waste Alliance to organize the 2nd Zero Waste School Festival UEH – VZWA discussion sessions at the International Conference “Sustainable university development: Opportunities and Challenge” (Sustainable University Development: Opportunity and Challenge – SUDOC 2022), gathering the participation of researchers, scientists, educational institutions, state agencies, domestic and foreign business units . Here, the author groups present models of building and operating a sustainable university campus, the practice of operating a zero-waste university campus, a green university (Green Campus): experience in implementation. and solutions for universities. Within the framework of the Workshop, UEH also organized  Inspiring Sustainability Initiatives Exhibition  showcasing multi-field sustainable products/models/programs from December 7 to 9, 2022 at lobby space B1, the Department B – UEH. This is considered the first seminar, contributing knowledge to sustainable development in many fields, especially in the field of higher education in Vietnam.

 Dr. Bui Quang Hung – Vice President of UEH shared: “This is the opening project for the roadmap to build and develop UEH Multidisciplinary and Sustainable, demonstrating UEH’s responsibility in changing awareness, thinking and behaviour. movements of the young generation. From the very beginning, the project has received special attention from the University, being “real people, real things”, not only as a movement or communication activity but as practical activities for sustainable development. . Therefore, the School is very eager to connect the community, spread and share experiences with other schools in Ho Chi Minh City in particular and Vietnam in general, positively impacting the economy, the environment and the environment. society. Especially giving opportunities to UEH students to actively show their voice and bravery – a pioneer generation, enthusiastically spreading useful knowledge and positive messages about the environment, always ready to act for the green of the Earth”.