Universitas Islam Sultan Agung (UNISSULA) implements an institutional action plan to reduce plastic waste across campus activities, services, procurement, and supporting operations.

The university’s approach focuses particularly on reducing single-use plastics, encouraging reusable alternatives, minimising plastic use in procurement and consumption activities, and extending these expectations to third-party service providers and suppliers.

This action plan supports a more sustainable campus environment by reducing unnecessary plastic consumption and encouraging practical alternatives that can be used repeatedly.

Institutional Action Plan for Plastic Waste Reduction

On 10 September 2025, UNISSULA issued Circular Letter No. 8411/J/SA/IX/2025 concerning the reduction of plastic use and the promotion of sustainable environmental management within the university.

The circular explicitly states that its purpose is to reduce plastic use and support sustainable environmental management at Universitas Islam Sultan Agung.

The action plan applies across university units and covers academic, administrative, student, service, procurement, and operational activities.

Reducing Single-Use Plastics

The university requires all units to reduce the use of plastic, particularly single-use plastic, in:

• Academic activities;
• Administrative activities;
• Meetings;
• Seminars;
• Student activities; and
• University services.

This requirement establishes plastic reduction as a campus-wide operational practice rather than a limited or one-time environmental campaign.

By applying the requirement to routine institutional activities, UNISSULA seeks to reduce the amount of disposable plastic entering the campus waste stream.

Promoting Reusable Alternatives

UNISSULA also encourages university units to replace disposable plastic products with reusable or environmentally preferable alternatives.

The circular specifically promotes the use of:

• Reusable food containers;
• Reusable drinking containers;
• Refillable bottles;
• Reusable bags; and
• Non-plastic packaging.

These measures are intended to reduce dependence on products that are used briefly and then discarded.

Encouraging refillable bottles and reusable food and drink containers also creates opportunities to prevent plastic waste at the source rather than managing it only after disposal.

Reducing Plastic Through Sustainable Procurement

Plastic reduction is also incorporated into university procurement and consumption practices.

The action plan directs university procurement and consumption activities to prioritise products that use as little plastic as possible. It also calls for avoiding single-use plastic products whenever more sustainable alternatives are available.

This means that plastic reduction is not limited to individual behaviour.

Procurement decisions can influence the quantity and type of materials entering the university environment and can reduce plastic waste before it is generated.

The university therefore applies a preventive approach:

Reduce unnecessary purchasing → Minimise plastic packaging → Choose reusable alternatives → Reduce plastic waste generation

Application to University Activities and Events

The action plan applies to a broad range of university activities.

Meetings, seminars, academic programmes, student activities, administrative services, and other institutional events are expected to reduce single-use plastic consumption.

In practice, this approach encourages organisers to consider reusable or lower-waste alternatives when providing:

• Drinking water;
• Food and refreshments;
• Event materials;
• Bags and packaging; and
• Other consumable items.

Integrating plastic reduction into regular university events helps make waste prevention part of routine institutional practice.

Extending Requirements to Third Parties and Suppliers

The plastic-reduction action plan also extends beyond university units.

The circular states that plastic-reduction requirements apply to:

• Outsourced service providers;
• Third parties;
• Suppliers within the UNISSULA supply chain; and
• Providers involved in construction contracts or other university works.

This broader scope is important because a significant proportion of materials entering a university campus may originate from external suppliers.

By extending plastic-reduction expectations to these parties, UNISSULA seeks to influence plastic use throughout its operational and procurement relationships.

Reducing Waste at the Source

The central principle of the action plan is waste prevention at source.

Rather than relying only on downstream waste collection, the university encourages units to reduce the amount of plastic entering campus activities in the first place.

This approach is based on several practical steps:

Avoid unnecessary single-use plastics → Choose reusable products → Reduce plastic packaging → Influence suppliers → Reduce waste generation

Source reduction can decrease the amount of waste requiring collection, transportation, sorting, recycling, or final disposal.

Supporting More Sustainable Consumption

The action plan also supports more sustainable consumption patterns within the university community.

The use of refillable bottles, reusable bags, reusable food containers, and alternative packaging can help students, staff, university units, and service providers develop practices that generate less disposable waste.

These measures connect individual behaviour with institutional procurement and operational decisions, creating a broader approach to plastic reduction across campus.

Campus-Wide Scope

Circular Letter No. 8411/J/SA/IX/2025 was addressed to faculty leaders, the Director of RSIGM, heads of bureaus, institutes, technical implementation units, organisational units, and administrative offices within Universitas Islam Sultan Agung.

This distribution demonstrates that the action plan has a broad institutional scope and is not limited to a single faculty or administrative unit.

The university-wide coverage supports consistent implementation across academic and non-academic operations.

Action Plan Established in 2025

The circular was formally issued on 10 September 2025 on behalf of the Rector by the Vice Rector I of UNISSULA.

Its issuance in 2025 establishes a formal institutional basis for continued plastic-waste reduction measures across the university.

Evidence of Implementation

1. UNISSULA issued Circular Letter No. 8411/J/SA/IX/2025 on 10 September 2025, establishing an institutional action plan to reduce plastic use on campus.
2. All university units are required to reduce plastic use, particularly single-use plastics, across academic, administrative, meeting, seminar, student, and service activities.
3. University units are encouraged to use reusable and environmentally preferable alternatives, including reusable food and drink containers, refillable bottles, reusable bags, and non-plastic packaging.
4. University procurement and consumption activities are directed to minimise plastic use and avoid single-use plastics where sustainable alternatives are available.
5. Plastic-reduction requirements extend to outsourced services, third parties, suppliers, and providers working under university contracts.
6. The circular applies across the university organisational structure, including faculties, bureaus, institutes, technical units, administrative units, and RSIGM.