This increase serves as the basis for UNS to continue strengthening its waste management strategy by reducing the use of single-use plastics, sorting waste at the source, reusing materials that still have value, and increasing recycling efforts. Management is carried out in an integrated manner to reduce waste that ends up in landfill while raising the academic community’s awareness of applying circular economy principles. The recorded increase in plastic waste also serves as material for UNS to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of its plastic waste reduction program, strengthen waste monitoring, and develop more sustainable waste management practices. Through this approach, UNS is committed to building a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable campus.

The commitment of UNS leadership is realized through Circular Letter Number 29/UN27/SE/2020 on the Prohibition of Single-Use Plastic Drinking Water Packaging and/or Plastic Bags at UNS, and Rector’s Instruction Number 28 of 2023 on the Paper and Plastic Use Reduction Program at UNS. Both policies serve as the basis for work units to reduce the use of single-use items and to promote more responsible consumption patterns.

Efforts to reduce the volume of plastic waste are also reinforced through Circular Letter Number 29/UN27/SE/2020 on the Prohibition of Single-Use Plastic Drinking Water Packaging and/or Plastic Bags at UNS, which stipulates that all work units at UNS:

• Avoid the use of plastic and similar materials for eating and drinking utensils that generate waste.
• Increase the use of environmentally friendly materials (such as glass, ceramic, bamboo, and stainless steel) for eating and drinking utensils, and make it a habit to bring personal tumblers and cutlery.
• Do not use plastic bags for buying and selling activities in the canteen area, and encourage the use of reusable shopping bags instead.
• Provide water dispensers or drinking water containers and cups made of environmentally friendly materials in every office, meeting room, conference room, and hall;
• Heads of work units socialize the prohibition on single-use plastic eating and drinking utensils and/or plastic bags to support a zero-waste lifestyle.

The circular letter directs all work units to avoid single-use plastic eating and drinking utensils, reduce the use of plastic bags in canteens, and increase the use of reusable equipment, such as glass cups, ceramic utensils, bamboo, and stainless steel. UNS also encourages the provision of water dispensers or drinking water containers in offices, meeting rooms, conference rooms, and halls. Heads of work units play a role in socializing the policy so that its implementation becomes part of everyday habits on campus.

File: https://cdna.uns.ac.id/wp-content/uploads/sites/49/2025/09/SE-No-29-UN27-2020-tentang-larangan-penggunaan-kemasan-air-minum-berbahan-plastik.pdf 

Rector’s Instruction of Universitas Sebelas Maret Number 28 of 2023 on the Paper and Plastic Use Reduction Program at the UNS Campus is a form of the university leadership’s commitment to realizing a sustainable campus environment. This policy encourages all elements of the university to reduce the use of paper and plastic through efficient use of materials, the use of information technology in administration and academic activities, and the adoption of more environmentally friendly work practices. Its implementation is expected to reduce resource consumption, lower the potential for waste generation, and build a culture of environmental care among the academic community.

File: https://cdna.uns.ac.id/wp-content/uploads/sites/49/2025/09/Rectors-Instruction-on-Paper-and-Plastic-Usage-Reduction-Program.pdf

Implementation of the paper and plastic use reduction policy at UNS is directed at reducing single-use plastics in official campus activities as well as canteen operations. This effort is carried out by fostering the habit of using tumblers and reusable eating utensils, providing drinking water facilities, and reducing the use of plastic bags. Implementing the policy also serves as a means of raising awareness and participation among the academic community in adopting environmentally friendly behavior. Over time, these efforts are expected to reduce plastic waste, strengthen a campus culture that cares about the environment, and support the realization of a sustainable campus. To ensure that these achievements are measurable, evaluation needs to be supported by data on plastic use and waste before and after the policy is implemented.

In terms of consumption behavior, Widiastuti et al. (2025) examined the academic community’s acceptance of recycled plastic products, including product evaluation and willingness to consume them (Cleaner Waste Systems, 11, DOI: 10.1016/j.clwas.2025.100280). Findings of this kind are relevant to UNS because the success of reducing single-use plastics depends on the academic community’s acceptance of alternatives and recycled products.

To ensure long-term sustainability, UNS is committed to strengthening this policy through continuous educational campaigns, monitoring the implementation of the circular letter, and integrating the principle of plastic reduction into every activity and procurement process on campus. In this way, UNS not only reduces dependence on single-use plastics but also sets a concrete example in cultivating a green culture in higher education institutions. Through a combination of formal policies and practices on the ground, UNS actively encourages the entire academic community to adopt a more environmentally friendly lifestyle, reduce dependence on single-use plastics, and serve as a concrete example in building a green culture in the higher education environment.

Throughout 2025, Rector’s Instruction Number 28 of 2023 and Circular Letter Number 29/UN27/SE/2020 remained in force across all work units, meetings, and canteens at UNS. Plastic reduction efforts were also reinforced by strengthening the UNS Waste Bank. On September 9, 2025, UNS held a discussion on the proposal for establishing and managing the UNS Waste Bank, which specifically addressed the existing condition of campus waste, organic waste, and inorganic waste, particularly plastic, involving the Waste Bank formation team, the UNS Green Campus team, and students. Earlier, on February 26, 2025, the UNS Waste Bank, together with PT Pegadaian, FORSEPSI Region XI, and the Surakarta City Environmental Agency, held an environmental clean-up in conjunction with National Waste Awareness Day 2025.

On the academic side, on June 25, 2025, the Doctoral and Master’s Programs in Environmental Science of the UNS Graduate School held a public discussion titled “Recycling the Future: Reducing Plastic Waste with Innovation” to mark World Environment Day, at the 6th Floor Meeting Room of the UNS Graduate School Building. The event was attended by doctoral, master’s, and undergraduate Environmental Science students as well as the general public, with speakers from the Ecoton Foundation, who presented the distribution and hazards of microplastics in Indonesian rivers; the UNS Master’s Program in Environmental Science, which discussed the characteristics of microplastics and the challenges of handling them; and a UNS Environmental Law lecturer, who highlighted legal culture and the right to a healthy environment. The event was also complemented by the installation of an art piece in the form of a faucet with a stream of plastic in front of the Graduate School Building as a reminder to stop using plastic, and by the launch of an Instagram Feed Challenge for students and the public.