Extending Sustainability Requirements Beyond Internal Operations

Universitas Islam Sultan Agung (UNISSULA) extends its waste minimisation commitments beyond activities managed directly by university units.

The university’s policies on reducing plastic use and minimising disposable items also apply to outsourced services and third parties operating within the university environment.

This approach helps ensure that sustainability principles are applied consistently not only by students and staff, but also by external service providers working on campus.

Institutional Policy Framework

UNISSULA has established formal requirements for reducing plastic use and minimising disposable items through:

• Circular Letter No. 8411/J/SA/IX/2025 on plastic use reduction; and
• Circular Letter No. 8412/J/SA/IX/2025 on disposable-item minimisation.

Both policies apply across university operations and explicitly extend their requirements to outsourced service providers and third parties working within UNISSULA.

The plastic reduction policy states that its provisions also apply to outsourced service providers and third parties delivering services within the university.

The disposable-item minimisation policy contains the same extension for providers of outsourced services and third parties operating within the university environment.

Application to Outsourced Services

Outsourced services form an important part of university operations.

These may include services such as:

• Catering;
• Canteen operations;
• Cleaning;
• Security;
• Event support;
• Maintenance; and
• Other contracted campus services.

By extending waste minimisation requirements to these providers, UNISSULA ensures that external services are expected to support the same sustainability objectives applied internally.

Plastic Reduction in Outsourced Services

UNISSULA’s plastic minimisation policy requires outsourced providers to support efforts to reduce plastic use, particularly single-use plastic.

This means that services delivered within the university environment are expected to avoid unnecessary plastic use and to consider reusable or more sustainable alternatives where available.

The policy strengthens consistency between internal university activities and externally provided services.

Disposable-Item Minimisation in Outsourced Services

The university’s disposable-item reduction policy also applies to outsourced services.

Service providers are therefore expected to reduce reliance on single-use or short-life products where reusable alternatives are available.

This supports lower waste generation from contracted services and helps embed waste prevention into everyday campus operations.

Catering and Canteen Services

Catering and food-service activities are particularly relevant because they can generate significant amounts of disposable packaging and single-use items.

UNISSULA’s extended policies support the reduction of items such as:

• Disposable food containers;
• Single-use cups;
• Disposable cutlery;
• Plastic bags;
• Single-use bottles; and
• Unnecessary packaging.

Where practical, catering and canteen providers are encouraged to use reusable or lower-waste alternatives.

Cleaning Services

Cleaning services are also expected to support the university’s waste minimisation approach.

This may include reducing unnecessary disposable materials, considering reusable equipment where appropriate, and supporting responsible handling of waste generated through cleaning activities.

Security and Other Contracted Services

The policy extension also applies to other contracted services operating on campus, including security and operational support services.

The intention is to ensure that external providers working within the university environment contribute to the same sustainability principles expected of university units.

Consistency Across University Operations

Extending waste minimisation requirements to outsourced services helps prevent a situation where sustainability standards apply only to internal departments while externally provided services continue to generate avoidable waste.

UNISSULA therefore seeks to maintain a consistent approach:

Internal university units + Outsourced service providers + Third parties = Shared sustainability responsibilities

Responsible Procurement and Service Delivery

The extension of these policies also strengthens responsible procurement.

When services are outsourced, sustainability expectations can be incorporated into service arrangements, procurement requirements, operational instructions, and evaluation processes.

This helps ensure that waste minimisation is considered not only during internal activities but also when services are delivered by external parties.

Supporting Reusable Alternatives

Outsourced providers are encouraged to support the use of reusable products wherever practical.

Examples may include:

• Reusable food and drink containers;
• Refillable bottles;
• Reusable cups;
• Reusable bags;
• Reusable service equipment; and
• Lower-waste alternatives.

This supports waste prevention at the source.

Reducing Waste from Contracted Activities

Outsourced services can contribute significantly to campus waste generation.

By extending plastic and disposable-item reduction requirements to external providers, UNISSULA aims to reduce waste associated with:

• Food services;
• Cleaning activities;
• Events;
• Contracted operations; and
• Service delivery.

This contributes to lower overall waste generation across the university.

Shared Responsibility

Sustainable campus operations require participation from both internal and external stakeholders.

UNISSULA therefore treats outsourced providers and third parties as part of the wider university sustainability ecosystem.

The extension of waste minimisation policies creates shared responsibility for:

• Reducing plastic use;
• Reducing disposable items;
• Promoting reusable alternatives;
• Preventing unnecessary waste; and
• Supporting responsible consumption.

Monitoring and Implementation

Relevant university units can support implementation by communicating sustainability requirements to contracted service providers and monitoring their application in campus activities.

This creates a stronger connection between institutional policy and practical service delivery.

Integration with Waste Reduction Policies

The extension to outsourced services complements UNISSULA’s wider waste-management framework.

The university’s approach links:

• Plastic minimisation;
• Disposable-item minimisation;
• Waste segregation;
• Waste measurement;
• Recycling; and
• Responsible disposal.

Extending these measures to external service providers strengthens the consistency of the overall system.

Contribution to Responsible Consumption and Production

Applying waste minimisation requirements to outsourced services supports SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production.

Sustainable consumption cannot be achieved only through internal behaviour. It also requires expectations to extend to external parties delivering services within the university environment.

Through this approach, UNISSULA promotes more responsible service delivery and reduces the risk that contracted activities undermine campus sustainability efforts.

Evidence of Implementation

UNISSULA’s extension of waste minimisation policies to outsourced services is demonstrated through:

1. Circular Letter No. 8411/J/SA/IX/2025 on plastic use minimisation.
2. Explicit extension of plastic reduction requirements to outsourced service providers and third parties.
3. Circular Letter No. 8412/J/SA/IX/2025 on disposable-item minimisation.
4. Explicit extension of disposable-item reduction requirements to outsourced service providers and third parties.
5. Application of the policies to services delivered within the university environment.
6. Inclusion of externally provided services within UNISSULA’s broader sustainability framework.
7. Support for reusable and lower-waste alternatives in contracted activities.
8. Integration of outsourced services into institutional waste-reduction efforts.