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SDG 12 is to: "Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns". By 2019, 79 countries and the European Union have reported on at least one national policy instrument to promote sustainable consumption and production patterns. This was done to work towards the implementation of the "10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns". Global fossil fuel subsidies in 2018 were $400 billion. This was double the estimated subsidies for renewables and is detrimental to the task of reducing global carbon dioxide emissions.
To ensure that plastic products are more sustainable, thus reducing plastic waste, changes such as decreasing usage and increasing the circularity of the plastic economy are expected to be required. An increase in domestic recycling and a reduced reliance on the global plastic waste trade are other actions that might help meet the goal.
Sustainable Development Goal 12 has 11 targets. The first 8 are "outcome targets", which are: implement the 10‑Year Framework of Programs on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns; achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources; reducing by half the per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and the reduction of food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses; achieving the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle; reducing waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse; encourage companies to adopt sustainable practices; promote public procurement practices that are sustainable; and ensure that people everywhere have the relevant information and awareness for sustainable development. The three "means of achievement" targets are: support developing countries to strengthen their scientific and technological capacity; develop and implement tools to monitor sustainable development impacts; and remove market distortions, like fossil fuel subsidies, that encourage wasteful consumption.
Ain Shams University
Policy on ethical sourcing of food and supplies
Introduction
Ain Shams University vision
Sustainability is a basic value at Ain Shams University. One key driver of Ain Shams University’s Supplier Code of Conduct is to ensure that our suppliers understand and are aligned with our sustainability values. We encourage our suppliers to continuously work to implement sustainable development principles like the ones in our Supplier Code in their own operations and in their supply chain.
At Ain Shams University, environmental commitment is a fundamental part of our business philosophy. The University recognizes that the protection of human health and the environment is a sound business
The Sustainable Food Policy has been developed by the University catering team. The policy reflects the principles of the University’s Purchasing strategy, sustainability goals, Providing healthy, seasonal, local and responsibly sourced food for staff, students and visitors is critical to the University’s drive to maintain its status The University’s supplying services and products need to reflect its core values and provide opportunities into the wider institutional culture and practice, supporting positive experiences of living, working and learning at the University for students, staff, partners and visitors.
Sourcing
- Promote a procurement attitude of buying locally to support producers.
- Ensure that sustainability standards are included in specifications to providers and used in the award of all contracts.
- Priorities to products and services that can be manufactured, used and disposed of in an environmental and socially responsible way.
Environment
- Use only fresh, locally sourced eggs, meat, milk in all food preparation meals.
- provide free access to drinking water inside the university to students and visitors, use water bottles can be refilled.
- Provide a broad range of produce from sustainable resources for students and on hospitality menus.
- food packaging for items prepared on site is biodegradable, compostable or recyclable.
- work closely with suppliers to further our sustainable food agenda.
- food waste is collected for anaerobic digestion by waste treatment units belongs to the university
practice that conserves resources and safeguards employees, customers, the general public and the environment.
Ain Shams University
Policy on a policy, process or practice on waste disposal - Covering hazardous materials.
Introduction
Hazardous waste is waste that is dangerous or potentially harmful to our health or the environment. Under the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), waste can be a listed hazardous waste, or characteristically hazardous. Listed hazardous wastes, by definition, have been determined by USEPA as being hazardous.
Waste that has not been specifically listed can still be characteristically hazardous if it exhibits any one of the following characteristics:
OBJECTIVES
The university has a guide to procedures for planning and monitoring the environmental impact elements, including solid and non-solid waste, and these procedures include the following:
• Procedures for inventorying and evaluating the components of the environmental impact
• Procedures for listing laws and sources of environmental compliance
• Procedures for planning the objectives and programs of the environmental management system
• Procedures for monitoring communications related to the environment
• Procedures for monitoring processes affecting the environment
• Preparation and response procedures for environmental emergencies
• Environmental monitoring, measurement and evaluation procedures
Procedures Manual for Planning and Monitoring Elements of Environmental Impact)
- Hazardous waste from the university is transported through the Health Affairs Directorate in Cairo
University hospitals and Faculty of Medicine:
•Waste separation at source
• A supreme committee has been formed for the safe and final disposal of waste and has measures to combat infection during the sorting, handling and storage of waste of all kinds (radioactive - chemical - organic and inorganic - dissection and surgery waste - sharp tools and others)
Authority and Responsibility
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- Environmental Health and Safety is responsible for:
- Developing a Hazardous Waste Management Program;
- Coordinating compliance with this policy for all University properties;
- Taking annual Hazardous Waste Management and Generator training;
- Signing hazardous waste manifests;
- Tracking hazardous waste documentation.
- Conducting periodic audits of hazardous waste, waste streams; and
- Acting as the liaison during regulatory inspections.
Departments disposing of hazardous waste are responsible for:
- Properly identifying and labeling all waste containers;
- Scheduling periodic waste pick-ups;
- Managing their waste and inventory to avoid stock-piling;
- Properly segregating incompatible wastes; and
- Disposing of hazardous waste in a safe and legal manner.
Does your university as a body have a policy on waste disposal - To measure the amount of waste sent to landfill and recycled?
A policy aims to protect the environment and human health and help the green transition and application of a circular economy.
- improve waste management through establishment of waste recycle units in the university main campus 1,2
- Encourage innovation in recycling process to environmentally methods
- limit landfilling
- Disseminates science and knowledge for waste recycling inside and outside the university
- Supporting partnerships with governmental and external organizations
- Establishing joint professional programs in cooperation at the international level
• Providing suitable packages (bags, boxes or bottles according to the nature of the materials) for their safe collection and disposal in accordance with the agreed upon mechanisms.
• Provides baskets to collect any files resulting from the work rations or suitable containers for liquid chemicals, and if there are hazardous wastes (biological or chemical), suitable packages (bags, boxes or bottles according to the nature of the materials) must be provided for their safe collection and disposal according to the agreed mechanisms
Holding workshops that train students to recycle, such as: (a workshop for recycling edible oil and turning it into soap, and a workshop for recycling jeans and bags making).
- Campaign for electronics recycling during the environmental week: Students are instructed, motivated and encouraged to get rid of any unwanted electronics. The E-waste collected will be transferred for recycling.
• full use of the wastes resulting from some development works such as wood, Alumental and old furniture, and works to rehabilitate it, raise its efficiency and reuse it again.
Does your university as a body have policies around use minimization - Of disposable items?
Developing a Single-Use Items Waste Reduction Strategy. Single-use items include plastic and paper shopping bags, take-out food and beverage containers, plastic cups; paper coffee and fountain drink cups; plastic drink lids, coffee stirrers, coffee stoppers; and polystyrene foam cups and containers.
The Application of these policies will help in:
Reducing waste from single-use items would:
Reduce the amount of material sent to landfill
Reduce contamination of our recycled and composted materials
Reduce the amount of these items managed through our public waste collection and litter programs
Reduce litter from these items in our environment
Support the university vision to lead the community towards zero waste
Introduction
The plastics industry has developed considerably since the invention of various routes for the production of polymers from petrochemical sources. Plastics have substantial benefits in terms of their low weight, durability and lower cost relative to many other material types (Andrady & Neal 2009; Thompson et al. 2009a). Worldwide polymer production was estimated to be 260 million metric tonnes per annum in the year 2007 for all polymers including thermoplastics, thermoset plastics, adhesives and coatings, but not synthetic fibres (PlasticsEurope 2008b). This indicates a historical growth rate of about 9 per cent p.a. Thermoplastic resins constitute around two-thirds of this production and their usage is growing at about 5 per cent p.a. globally (Andrady 2003).
The policies focus on:
- provide adequate incentives to manufacturers to design green products
- improve supply chain profitability and environmental product design
- customer aspects affect incentives for product design and supply chain coordination
- introduce remanufactured products in the market along with new products, attempting to reuse components which can be salvaged from the products and recycle other components for profit.
Proportion of recycled waste: 2019
12.3.1 - Does your university as a body measure the amount of waste generated and recycled across the university?
Yes, the total amount of wastes for all university are collected and sent to the faculty of agriculture where all quantity are weighted and daily
Single-use plastic products (SUPs) are used once, or for a short period of time, before being thrown away. The impacts of this plastic waste on the environment and our health are global and can be drastic. Single-use plastic products are more likely to end up in our seas than reusable options. The 10 most commonly found single-use plastic items on European beaches, alongside fishing gear, represent 60% of all marine litter in the EU.
The university aims to become a forerunner in the global fight against marine litter and plastic pollution. EU rules aims to reduce the volume and impact of certain plastic products on the environment.