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Elimination of single-use plastics at Cyprus University of Technology KAREKLAS CONSTANTINOS, THEODOROU DEMETRA, CONSTANTINOU NEKTARIA, CHARALAMBOUS ZOE, HADJIMICHAEL MARIA, NAPOLEONTOS ZINA, CHRISTODOULOU MICHALIS

EMPATHIZE

Our target audience are the students of the university, ages 18 to 25 years old, irrespective of gender. They buy food, beverages, drinks almost every day within and around the university. They are busy, they are in a rush, they have little time to reflect on the environmental issues of everyday life. They study in different disciplines and they are scattered around the university that covers a big area. They often congregate at the main student cafeteria. Sometimes they have short breaks between classes or they have to walk some distance to the study venues. Occasionally, they will snack quickly during their breaks. Most of them buy their lunches locally. They rarely think about the recycling potential of the material they use and this has negative implications for their studying environment. Often they reflect on how they can do something to change this situation, and feel hopeless about it.

DEFINE

The food and beverages that students are consuming from the university’s area are mainly served in single-use plastic. Unfortunately, most of this plastic material ends up on the grounds of the university because no one’s bothered to throw them in the garbage bin. There are lots of symptoms to this problem. This it not only affecting the environment, but is also affecting the cleanliness around the study areas. Single-use plastics can be found all over the floors, or even left on the tables of the student cafeteria. There is a lack of recycling bins all over the university area leaving the waste unrecycled. In addition, many students don’t really care about the results of their actions and the environmental pollution they cause,or even if they do they don’t have the time to act. More specifically, the student cafeteria provides only single-use cups for coffee, fresh juices and other beverages. Order a sandwich and you get three layers of paper wrap plus a handful of tissues. Plastic straws are offered freely to the students or any other customers. When ordering lunch plastic cutlery comes with it. Often students must buy their beverages from the coffee shop and consume it elsewhere and discard one-use plastics wherever they are. There are no facilities to clean the few reusable utensils that some students have.

Ideate

+ all the ideas

  • Elimination of single-use plastic at the University’s Cafeteria
  • Recycle bins all over the university area
  • Offer eco-friendly packages at the cafeteria
  • Find a sponsor who will give to the students of our university reusable bottles, for free
  • Create awareness stickers to put on every plastic you buy from the cafeteria
  • Awareness posters

+ final idea

We decided to organize a one-off awareness event / campaign at the University’s cafeteria, where students will be informed about single-use plastic and how to eliminate them.

+ timetable

PROTOTYPE

PRODUCTS

Final posters
Final leaflets
Mugs, Stickers, Keyrings
Instagram Interface

Evaluation

+Eliminate Single-Use Plastics event

STATISTICS - Facebook Page

_Likes on Facebook: 270 / _Page reach: 3.439 / _ Followers on Facebook: 253 / _Posts on Facebook: 23/ _Followers on Instagram: 201_Posts on Instagram :18 / _Event attendants: 300+

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