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How you can contribute to our sustainability work
By working together as a University community, we can make our campuses more sustainable. Join a program or group today and help us reach our sustainability targets. Stay informed on new opportunities to get involved by joining our staff and student mailing list and following our social media.
Staff and student opportunities
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Green Impact
The Green Impact Program encourages staff and students to take practical action in progressing sustainability on our campuses.
Running from March - August each year, teams can join at any time and start completing sustainable actions from an online toolkit designed specifically for the University of Sydney.
Contact the sustainability team for more information or register your team at any time via the Toolkit.
Green Impact is now open to all Univeristy staff and students. The program runs from Thursday 21st March 2024 to Wednesday 21st August 2024.
Why join?
Take practical action, be a changemaker, learn sustainability skills and join a growing community of sustainability champions. Receive support from the Sustainability Team and be recognised for your actions.
Who can join?
The program is open to both staff and students. You will need to join the program as a team, and can do so at any time by registering via the Toolkit.
Teams
Teams can be any size and are typically from the same department, workspace or social/student group. There is no limit to the size of the team.
Time commitment
This is totally determined by you and your team. There is no expectation on the number of actions that need to completed during the program.
Carbon Literacy Training
Develop your knowledge of the climate crisis by taking Carbon Literacy Training (CLT) at the University of Sydney. The course is accredited by the Carbon Literacy Project. An award-winning charitable organisation, recognised by the UN as one of 100 worldwide Transformative Action Programs.
Open to both staff and students, completion of the course will include a verified digital credential, develop in-demand green skills and knowledge, and may result in future employment opportunities to act as a student facilitator.
- 2 hours of self-study on Canvas.
- 6 hours of live training, to be delivered across a full-day session.
- An assessment & pledge, due one week after the completion of the final live session.
- Total time commitment of approximately 10 hours.
Delivered across a full-day session, this short course will be offered monthly between August - December, with alternating sessions available either in-person at Camperdown Campus or online via Zoom.
This opportunity is open to all current students and staff at the University of Sydney. Spaces are limited, so register now.
- Friday 9 August: 9am - 4pm, Online (Zoom)
- Friday 13 September: 9am - 4pm, In-person, RD Watt Building, Camperdown Campus
- Friday 11 October: 9am – 4pm, Online (Zoom)
- Friday 8 November: 9am – 4pm, Michael Spence Building (F23), Camperdown Campus
- Friday 13 December: 9am – 4pm, Online (Zoom)
Deadline to register is 2 weeks prior to each session. If the session is full, you will be placed on a waitlist. Should a spot become available, you will be informed via email.
Student Opportunities
Sustainability Action Student Life Grants
Student Life Grants provide funding and support for students to create innovative co-curricular projects that build a sense of community.
We are offering up to $2,500 to fund projects that focus on enabling and embedding sustainability across campus life and within our community.
Projects can be submitted by an individual current student, a current student group or a student led staff supported group.
Projects funded need to align to our Sustainability Strategy and could be:
- ‘Fix it’ workshops to encourage our community to reduce waste
- Native pollinator projects such as green walls and rooftops and native bee gardens
- Activating circular economy practices
- Zero waste cooking classes or guides
- Information and networking events such as career fairs or career nights
- Renewable energy demonstrations
- Workplace visits
- Student-led volunteering initiatives that benefit the wider community e.g. charity drives organised by students
- Sustainable research projects
- Student-led public talks
There are 2 rounds of applications each year, opening in March and November. Check the Student Life Grants page for updates.
Reduce, reuse, recycle
Green Caffeen
Did you know that on average 30,000 takeaway coffee cups are used on our Camperdown/Darlington campus each week? And that disposable coffee cups cannot be recycled or composted, ending up in landfill? So, ditch the disposables and make sure you ask for your hot drink in a Green Caffeen Cup. Available at Camperdown/Darlington, Camden, Sydney Conservatorium of Music, or Northern Clinical School campuses, and nation-wide.
You have 30 days to return your Green Caffeen cup to any participating café (on or off campus) and can have two cups checked out at a time. The cups are made from recycled materials and manufactured in Brisbane. The program will be expanded to more campuses later in the year. Download the Green Caffeen app on your phone.
Refilled
Located in the food court of the Wentworth Building, Refilled is a sustainable beverage ecosystem that eliminates single-use plastic bottles. 891 billion plastic bottles are produced every single year and less than 20% are ever recycled, with the other 80% ending up in oceans or landfill.
- Bring your reusable water bottle and enjoy free chilled and filtered water.
- For a small cost, you can add delicious flavours that are all natural, Australian made, low in sugar and have no artificial colours or sweeteners.
- Boost your drink with a shot of caffeine, some essential vitamins or BCAAs.
- Using the Refilled app you can keep track of how many plastic bottles you’ve saved and your reduction in CO2 emissions.
- Join the Refilled Community and compete with individuals and organisations to track sustainability achievements on the Global Leaderboard.
Visit Refilled for more.
Wentworth Building Recycling Wall
Do you have items that can’t be recycled easily at home? Tricky items such as pens, beauty products, face masks, batteries and e-waste can be dropped off at the Enabler Recycling Wall in the Wentworth Building. Look out for the baskets on the bright yellow wall just opposite the food court.
- Located in the Wentworth Building, opposite the food court. Look out for the baskets and a bright yellow wall.
- Open to all staff and students, use the wall to recycle tricky items for free.
- You can recycle: pens, face masks, razors, oral health products, batteries, printing toner and e-waste.
- Simply bring your waste in to campus and leave it in the correct basket at the Enabler Wall.
Travel sustainably
End-of-trip facilities on campus
Want to ditch the car and run or cycle to University? With over 27 end-of-trip facilities across our Camperdown/Darlington campus, you can place your gear in a locker and freshen up in the shower while feeling good about taking a more sustainable route to campus. Search for end-of-trip facilities on Campus Maps.
Select 'bike parking' on the campus map to find secure bicycle parking stations.
There are three bike repair stations on campus. One located outside the Chemistry Building on Eastern Avenue, another in front of the Sydney Uni Sports & Aquatic Centre car park on Darlington Campus and one on Western Avenue, on the Grose Farm Lane walkway, between the ovals. These are self-service bicycle repair station with an air pump, allen wrenches, screw drivers and tyre levers.
Visit the Getting to Campus page for information on Public Transport, Campus Bus
USU and sustainability
The University of Sydney Union is committed to a sustainable future for our campus community. They have made commitments ensuring sustainability is embedded into all that they do – from their events and cafés to their student programs and facilities.
USU run a range of events and programs throughout the year with a sustainability focus.
If you have an idea or would like to help USU with its mission to make USYD the most sustainable campus in Australia, contact sustainability@usu.edu.au
Join a student club or society committed to the environment:
- Sustainable Ocean Alliance
- Greens on Campus
- USYD Food Co-op
- USYD Waste Fighters
- Fashion Revolution
- Bike Society
- Gardening Society
Visit the USU Clubs and Societies page to view the full list of sustainability-driven groups.