The project “Campus as a Living Lab” has been received with great enthusiasm, and we have received 382 inputs from employees and students at the University of Copenhagen on how to make their campus more sustainable.
The ideas below are grouped into broader categories:
Canteens
- Reducing food waste (canteen meals, catering, etc.), reducing prices before closing time
- Disposable tableware and cutlery
- UCPH as 100% plant-based, or vegan/vegetarian options as the default
- Organic and local ingredients in the canteens
- More water dispensers on campus with reusable glasses
- Composting of food waste
- Better kitchen facilities with refrigerators and microwaves, allowing individuals to bring their own packed meals and reduce packaging
Waste Sorting
- Waste sorting
- Deposit system
- Electronics
- Furniture and office supplies
- Improved communication about waste sorting and new/upcoming initiatives
Transportation
- Better facilities for cyclists, including bicycle repair workshops, more bike parking, discount schemes for bike and e-bike rentals, and shower/changing facilities
- Parking spaces with charging stations for electric vehicles
- Improved opportunities for train travel in connection with research
- More online meetings for researchers to reduce air travel
Facilities
- More green areas, including rooftop gardens
- Solar panels
- Focus on biodiversity in campus areas
- Reduced frequency of grass mowing
- Better insulation of buildings, particularly windows, to conserve heat
- Green communities, student-driven gardens, vegetable patches
- Insect hotels and birdhouses
- Better heat control by installation of digital thermostats
IT
- Guidelines on capacity-saving measures such as power usage, etc.
- Improved opportunities for repair and reuse
- Transition to renewable energy sources
- Transition to CO2-neutral web services
- Automatic shutdown of lights and projectors in classrooms
- Evening checks of lights/computers to ensure everything is turned off
Other
- Many documents are currently being physically signed – can we introduce digital signatures throughout UCPH?
- Replacement of study books with e-books
- More sustainable toilet facilities
- Repair cafés at all faculties
Additionally, we have outlined specific issues that can serve as inspiration for larger projects such as bachelor’s theses, master’s thesis, or other written assignments.
Biodiversity
- How can biodiversity be effectively increased and conditions for insects improved by expanding and enhancing the green areas at the University of Copenhagen?
- What impact would it have if the University of Copenhagen replaced parts of their lawns with wild nature areas?
- How can community kitchen gardens be implemented at the University of Copenhagen for the use of both students and staff?
- What would be the potential impact on biodiversity if the University of Copenhagen acquired birdhouses and insect hotels for their entire campus?
Transportation
- Bikes: How can motivation among students and staff at the University of Copenhagen be increased to choose the bicycle as a mode of transportation by implementing incentives such as discounts on bicycle repairs, improved bicycle parking facilities, the option to rent electric bicycles, and enhanced shower and changing facilities?
Canteens
- What impact would the implementation of 100% plant-based canteens have on CO2 emissions compared to the canteens’ current emissions?
- How can food waste be effectively reduced in the canteens?
- How can the use of disposable products (such as food packaging, plastic bottles, disposable cutlery, disposable tableware) be minimized in the canteens, and what impact would it have?
- How can future procurement materials for the canteens prioritize sustainability, local ingredients, and plant-based diets?
IT
- How can we ensure that employees’ computers have a longer lifespan? Could alternative operating systems and improved repair services extend the computers’ usability?
- How can the University of Copenhagen handle the disposal of old electronics in the most sustainable manner?
