SDG 12.2Less waste, fewer resources on campus
UPES separates, composts and recycles its waste, and has cut water use sharply.
30 millionlitres of water saved a year by removing RO purifiers
550 KLPDwater recycling capacity on a zero water discharge campus
- Plastic-free campus. The sustainability policy commits UPES to a plastic-free, clean campus, with signs at entrances reminding visitors.
- Sort at source. Following the principles of reduce, reuse and recycle, biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste are segregated on campus.
- Safe disposal. Wastewater is treated before disposal, and care is taken to keep contamination out of natural water sources.
- Compost. Composting and sustainable disposal are promoted for biodegradable waste.
- Safe e-waste disposal. An e-waste collection and disposal system works with certified recyclers.
- Paper reborn. The Waste-Paper Recycling Laboratory turns discarded campus paper into pencils, jewellery and stationery, and trains rural women to make them.
- Saving water. After testing showed the water supply was safe to drink, UPES removed its reverse-osmosis purifiers, saving about 30 million litres of water a year. As a zero water discharge campus, it reuses treated water, including 250 kilolitres used in horticulture.
- Students lead the way. The GreenUp club runs clean-ups, tree planting and awareness campaigns on segregation and responsible consumption.
Waste policy
The UPES Energy, Environment & Sustainability Policy (2025) sets out how the university handles waste:
- Reduce, reuse, recycle. The 3Rs, segregation of biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste, and composting and sustainable disposal (§5.3.1).
- Hazardous and electronic waste. An e-waste collection and disposal system with certified recyclers and responsible disposal of electronic equipment (§5.3.3).
- Plastics and disposables. A plastic-free, clean campus (§5.4), with paperless administration and digital documentation to cut paper use (§5.5).
- Monitoring. The policy provides for regular monitoring of resource consumption and environmental performance, with periodic reporting of progress (§6, §7).
