AUT recognised at 2024 Green Gown Awards
AUT’s ambitious commitment to reduce general waste to landfill by 50% by 2025 has been recognised with a Highly Commended award at the prestigious 2024 Green Gown Awards Australasia in Launceston, Australia.
The Awards celebrate sustainability excellence in the tertiary education sector and is recognised as the most significant recognition of best practice within the sector.
The initiative, ‘No Time to Waste at AUT!’, encompasses two key components: on-site sorting of general waste, recycling, and organic waste at the university’s campuses to minimise waste sent to landfill, and a target to divert 90% of construction and demolition (C&D) waste from landfill during the refurbishment and construction of Tukutuku at the North campus.
To date, approximately 40% of AUT’s general waste is diverted from landfill, through on-site sorting of the contents of the bins in partnership with cleaning services provider, OCS. A partnership between Estates and Naylor Love Construction, meant that over 90% of C&D waste was diverted from landfill (nearly 300 tonnes) during the construction of Tukutuku.
Director of Facilities Services, Craig Skelton, says that “No Time to Waste at AUT! demonstrates a transformative approach to waste management, combining innovative practices, strategic procurement, and strong leadership from Estates to help AUT achieve significant environmental benefits across all areas.
“We are one of only a small number of organisations in New Zealand implementing on-site waste sorting, which puts us at the forefront of waste management innovation.”
Head of Sustainability, Lucy McKenzie, says “the initiative not only aligns with AUT’s sustainability goals but also serves as a model for the sector, showcasing the potential for positive change through targeted waste reduction efforts.”
AUT was also part of a coalition of New Zealand tertiary education institutions that won the Powerful Partnerships category in the Green Gown awards. The climate scenarios project, ‘From Sweet As to Oh Bugger’ created a flexible framework for tertiary providers to ensure their climate change planning follows a consistent approach, while being adaptable to their own needs.