Universitas Islam Sultan Agung (UNISSULA) is committed to preventing and reducing marine and aquatic pollution originating from land-based activities.

In 2025, UNISSULA established an institutional policy that addresses major sources of pollution generated from campus and supporting activities, including solid waste, plastic waste, chemicals, hazardous waste, and wastewater.

The policy is designed to prevent pollutants from entering drainage systems, rivers, coastal areas, and other environments that may affect aquatic and marine ecosystems.

Institutional Policy on Marine Pollution Prevention

On 11 September 2025, UNISSULA issued Circular Letter No. 9014/J/SA/IX/2025 concerning the prevention and reduction of pollution of aquatic and marine environments originating from land-based activities.

The circular explicitly states that UNISSULA seeks to prevent and reduce pollution of waters and the sea arising from activities conducted on land within the university environment.

This establishes a clear institutional policy connecting campus activities with the protection of downstream aquatic and marine environments.

Preventing Direct Discharge of Pollutants

The policy requires all university units to prevent the direct disposal of:

• Solid waste;
• Plastic waste;
• Chemicals;
• Hazardous waste; and
• Wastewater

into water channels, rivers, coastal areas, or other environments where such materials may pollute aquatic and marine ecosystems.

This is important because pollution generated on land can be transported through drainage systems and waterways before eventually entering rivers, estuaries, and coastal waters.

By controlling pollution at its source, UNISSULA applies a preventive approach rather than relying only on downstream environmental remediation.

Reducing Plastic Pollution

Plastic waste is one of the important land-based pollution sources addressed through UNISSULA’s environmental policies.

In addition to the marine pollution policy, UNISSULA issued Circular Letter No. 8411/J/SA/IX/2025, requiring university units to reduce plastic use, particularly single-use plastics, in academic activities, administration, meetings, seminars, student activities, and university services.

The university also encourages reusable alternatives such as reusable food and drink containers, refillable bottles, reusable bags, and non-plastic packaging.

Procurement and consumption activities are also directed to minimise plastic use and avoid single-use plastic products where more sustainable alternatives are available.

These measures support the prevention of plastic waste that could otherwise enter drainage systems and aquatic environments.

Responsible Management of Hazardous Waste

UNISSULA also applies institutional requirements for the safe and responsible management of hazardous waste.

Circular Letter No. 8409/J/SA/IX/2025 requires safe management of hazardous waste, including medical, infectious, chemical, pharmaceutical, sharp-object, and laboratory waste.

Hazardous waste must be separated, labelled, stored, transported, and transferred according to its type and applicable requirements. The policy also explicitly prohibits hazardous waste from being mixed with domestic waste or discharged directly into the environment.

Final treatment and disposal must be conducted through authorised units or licensed waste-management providers, supported by documentation and records.

These measures reduce the risk that hazardous chemicals and other harmful materials contaminate soil, drainage systems, surface water, groundwater, or aquatic ecosystems.

Wastewater Treatment and Pollution Prevention

Wastewater management provides another important component of UNISSULA’s pollution-prevention approach.

Operational environmental guidelines within the Sultan Agung educational and healthcare environment recognise liquid waste as a waste stream that requires appropriate treatment.

Liquid waste can be treated through dedicated Wastewater Treatment Plants (Instalasi Pengolahan Air Limbah – IPAL) before discharge.

Wastewater treated through these systems is required to comply with applicable wastewater-quality standards.

Effluent must also be measured and recorded to support compliance with applicable environmental requirements.

This creates a practical pollution-control pathway:

Wastewater generation → Treatment → Monitoring → Compliance verification → Controlled discharge

Wastewater Treatment Infrastructure

Wastewater treatment is supported by dedicated infrastructure within the Sultan Agung educational and healthcare environment.

Sultan Agung Islamic Hospital operates a wastewater treatment installation with a documented treatment flow involving collection, pretreatment, equalisation, biological treatment, separation, disinfection, and controlled discharge.

Sultan Agung Dental and Oral Hospital (RSIGM Sultan Agung) also operates a dedicated wastewater treatment installation.

These facilities provide practical evidence that liquid waste is treated before discharge and that pollution prevention is supported by physical infrastructure in addition to institutional policy.

Extending Responsibility Beyond University Units

UNISSULA’s marine pollution policy also extends responsibility to external parties operating within or supporting the university environment.

The policy requires:

• University units;
• Service providers;
• Vendors; and
• Third parties

to support the reduction of single-use plastics, responsible waste management, and pollution-prevention measures for pollution originating from land-based activities.

This broad scope is important because waste and pollution can also be generated through outsourced services, procurement, construction, catering, maintenance, and other contracted activities.

Preventing Pollution at the Source

UNISSULA’s approach prioritises preventing pollution before it reaches aquatic environments.

The institutional framework combines several complementary measures:

Reduce plastic use → Separate and safely manage hazardous waste → Treat wastewater → Monitor effluent → Prevent direct discharge → Extend requirements to suppliers and third parties

This source-control approach helps reduce the movement of pollutants from land-based university activities into drainage systems, rivers, coastal areas, and marine ecosystems.

Protection of Aquatic and Marine Ecosystems

Land-based pollution can affect water quality and aquatic ecosystems through many pathways, including solid waste, plastics, chemicals, hazardous substances, and untreated wastewater.

UNISSULA’s policy addresses these risks by prohibiting direct discharge of potential pollutants into environments that can affect aquatic and marine ecosystems.

The wider environmental-management framework also aims to prevent pollution and environmental damage caused by hazardous waste.

Together, these measures support the protection of aquatic ecosystems, biodiversity, human health, and surrounding communities.

Policy Established in 2025

Circular Letter No. 9014/J/SA/IX/2025 was formally issued on 11 September 2025 on behalf of the Rector by the Vice Rector I of UNISSULA.

The policy therefore provides a formal institutional basis for marine and aquatic pollution prevention within the relevant period.

Evidence of Implementation

1. UNISSULA issued Circular Letter No. 9014/J/SA/IX/2025 on 11 September 2025, establishing a policy to prevent and reduce aquatic and marine pollution from land-based activities.
2. The policy explicitly prohibits direct disposal of waste, plastics, chemicals, hazardous waste, and wastewater into water channels, rivers, coastal areas, or environments that may pollute aquatic and marine ecosystems.
3. The policy applies to university units, service providers, vendors, and third parties, extending environmental responsibility beyond internal university operations.
4. UNISSULA separately requires reductions in single-use plastics and promotes reusable alternatives, helping prevent plastic pollution at source.
5. Hazardous waste is required to be separated, labelled, stored, transported, and managed responsibly and may not be discharged directly into the environment.
6. Wastewater can be treated through dedicated IPAL facilities before discharge.
7. Treated wastewater is required to comply with applicable wastewater-quality standards, supporting protection of receiving environments.
8. Effluent is subject to measurement and recording, providing an operational mechanism for monitoring discharge quality.
9. Wastewater treatment infrastructure is implemented at Sultan Agung Islamic Hospital and Sultan Agung Dental and Oral Hospital, providing physical evidence of land-based pollution control within the Sultan Agung environment.