15.4.2 Policy on plastic waste reduction

Srinakharinwirot University (SWU) has a policy on reducing plastic waste on campus. The Srinakharinwirot University Announcement on the Policy on the Minimisation of Plastic Use and Reduction of Single-Use Plastics (SWU Zero Plastic) was signed by the President, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Cholvit Jearajit, and announced on 31 March B.E. 2568 (A.D. 2025), so the policy was created within the period 2022–2026 and was in place in 2025. It builds on the University’s Policy on Reducing Plastic Bag Use and Prohibiting Foam Containers, announced on 13 December B.E. 2567 (2024), and applies to all University premises and to students, staff, food and beverage vendors, contractors and service providers. The policy sets a target to reduce the consumption of single-use plastics by at least 10% each year against the previous year’s recorded consumption, covering plastic bags, cups, straws, cutlery, food containers and other disposable plastic products.

The policy prohibits foam food containers and foam packaging for vendors on campus, limits plastic bags, cups, cutlery and straws to cases where they are needed or requested, and encourages reusable bags, containers, bottles and cups, with incentives for customers who bring their own. It also requires waste segregation and collection systems for recyclable plastics, with authorised recycling operators, so that plastic waste is collected, recycled and disposed of responsibly. Relevant units separately monitor the annual consumption of single-use plastics and the quantity of plastic waste generated, collected, recycled and disposed of on campus, prepare annual reports using the previous year as the baseline, run awareness campaigns for the campus community, and publish the policy and its performance information on the University’s website.

Source: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mlpJNPbgPNDwuNI5GRV8m2uIQITCIxss/view