Green Gown Awards Australasia 2015 – Facilities and Services - Highly Commended

Tags: sustainability | International | Green Gown Awards Australasia | 2015 | water | facilities and services | refill | University of the Sunshine Coast

Green Gown Awards Australasia 2015 – Facilities and Services - Highly Commended image #1 Green Gown Awards Australasia 2015 – Facilities and Services - Highly Commended image #2

University of the Sunshine Coast

Refill not Landfill – Leading the way with a water refill campus!

USC is a Water Refill Campus that provides bottle refill stations, fountains and water refill vending machines that dispense chilled and filtered water in place of selling bottled water. This initiative aligns with the University’s goal to reduce waste and foster an environmentally responsible campus. In one year USC has saved 29,711 single use plastic water bottles from being sold on campus which equates to 767 kg of carbon emissions.

Top 3 learnings

1. Gain support from all levels of the organisation and involve all stakeholders in the
change management process.
2. Take adequate time to plan your project well and include a water refill transition period before removing the sale of bottled water.
3. A communication plan based on social marketing and thematic communications is an essential part of the process.