Campus Waste Management

AIT's
Campus Waste Management

AIT is committed to reducing the amount of natural resources consumed, reusing the materials taken from nature as much as is possible, and actively creating as minimal waste as possible. It requires reducing waste to landfill, increasing recycling, and managing the creation of waste. 

Solid Waste & Plastics Policy

As per the AA-1-2-9 “AIT Sustainability Policy” Annex-4, published on 8 Dec 2021

100% 

Waste Segregation in Academic Areas by 2024

Strategies:

    • Proper disposal of e-waste and IT equipment
    • Providing facilities for segregated waste disposal
    • Implementation of a waste management system
    • Reducing paper usage by 20% by 2027
    • Educating stakeholders on recycling opportunities

50% 

Waste Reduction and Segregation in Residential Areas by 2026

Strategies:

      • Reducing waste to landfills to 25kg per person per month by 2026
      • Increasing recycling by 20% over 5 years
      • Providing facilities for segregated waste disposal
      • Implementation of a waste management system
      • Utilizing garden waste in campus gardens
      • Providing training and induction on waste practices
      • Encouraging user-end waste segregation

2030

Plastic Reduction and Elimination 

Strategies:

    •  Banning single-use plastic bags and straws from 2022
    • Promoting reusable water bottles and cups

AIT Waste Management Protocols

Campus Overview:

AIT’s extensive 329 Acres campus includes academic, residential, and communal areas, such as hotels, convention centers, and concessionaires.

Waste Collection: Outsourced personnel collect garbage twice daily, seven days a week, from 107 locations on campus.

Waste Sorting: Waste is sorted into two main categories: wet waste (green bins with black covers) and dry waste (yellow bins with green covers), promoting effective segregation.

Special Bins: Additional blue bins, allocated for specific waste categories, are available on campus

Bin Distribution: The campus features 183 green bins, 52 blue bins, and 102 yellow bins thoughtfully stationed to facilitate waste segregation.

Key Principles

What does it involve? Here’s the simplified version

Operations

The above policy on waste segregation is extended throughout the campus. Following areas the operation is strictly implemented

  • All the academic buildings,
  • All the residential building
  • All outsourced contractors for technical, janitorial, landscape, and security services, cafeteria vendors
    concessionaries vendors
  • Other supply chain 

Wet Waste Examples

  1. Food waste
  2. Polystyrene food trays
  3. Crisp Packets
  4. Fruit or vegetable peels
  5. Food packaging
  6. Biowaste 

Dry Waste Examples

  1. Plastic and glass bottles 
  2. Papers, magazines and brochures, books
  3. Dry food trays or cleaned plastic food packages
  4. Plastic covers, paper bags
  5. Cardboards
  6. Drink cans and bottles
  7. Cartons

The blue bins are also provided around the campus to collect residual waste or non-recyclable waste.

Examples of Residual waste are 

  1. Foam containers 
  2. Electronic waste
  3. Paint containers 
  4.  Dinnerware and Glassware (broken and unbroken)
  5. Clothing Textile and Shoes
  6. Diapers & Pet waste
  7. Bulbs

Our Waste Recycle Projects

Precious Plastic Bangkok

This was a community based waste recycling solution

  • Use easy to build machines
  • Turn plastic waste into useful products
  • Steps involve: Grind, Melt, Inject recycled plastic
  • You have a new product

AIS E-Waste

  • Improper disposal of electronic waste leads to long-term environmental, societal, and health impacts.
  • AIS has launched the E-Waste project, promoting awareness and cross-sector collaboration for sustainable e-waste disposal in Thailand.

“Broken refrigerator, washing machine, television, air conditioner, computer, mobiles, batteries and many more…”

 

WON x AIT

This project involves all the clean plastic bags and plastic firms

  • Stretchable: Plastic bags, shopping bags, fruit bags, packaging films, plastic parcel covers
  • Hard: Straw, cutlery, water bottles, card, food parcel containers 

Trash Lucky

  • Trash Lucky comprises dedicated Thai individuals sparking recycling interest and action.
  • The “Recycle Lucky Draw” program combines fun, luck, and environmental responsibility, targeting cleaner seas free from marine debris to protect marine life.

Highlights

Reduced overall waste by 1100+ kgs in the year 2022

Expecting much higher numbers in 2023

Worked with companies with similar goals:

E-Waste Green Network, Precious Plastic, Trash Lucky, WON

 

For more details on the various waste segregation programs Click Here

For the integrated waste segregation report 2020-2023 Click Here

“WON” Project is the project that welcomes all clean plastic bags and plastic film. 

“Trash Lucky” is a group of Thai people who are committed to getting Thai people interested and starting more in recycling through the program. 

“Precious Plastic” is a community-based plastic recycling solution that uses simple-to-build machines to turn plastic waste into new products.

“Green Road” has brought plastic waste to many benefits by making floor blocks, green roads, tables, and chairs to donate to schools, temples, temples, national parks, and public areas across the country.

AIS, has initiated the E-Waste project aiming to educate people on the effects of improper disposal and, in partnership across sectors, collect e-waste for proper and sustainable disposal for a better environment and less residual electronic waste in Thailand.

Campus Waste Segregation data for 2022

 

Wet Waste(Kg)

Dry waste(Kg)

Dining food waste

Wet waste SU and Cafeteria

Cafeteria + SUSB food waste

Total

Jan 2022

16,067

17,401

154

6,832

207

40,661

Feb 2022

13,726

15,433

138

6,116

102

35,515

Mar 2022

16,997

18,154

187

6,972

170

42,480

Apr 2022

17,168

15,988

147

8,354

190

41,847

May 2022

13,717

14,138

157

7,067

94

35,173

Jun 2022

13,922

14,246

155

6,198

140

34,661

Jul 2022

13,221

13,826

150

6,025

99

33,321

Aug 2022

13,690

13,984

146

7,423

99

35,342

Sep 2022

12,670

12,339

153

7,489

390

33,041

Oct 2022

12,463

12,567

155

8,153

153

33,491

Nov 2022

12,282

11,632

144

7,166

190

31,414

Dec 2022

12,953

13,000

177

7,470

165

33,765

Total

168,876

172,708

1,863

85,265

1,999

430,711

Summary of waste data in 2022

Total Waste430711kg
 430.711mt
Average waste/month35.903mt
Dry waste172.708mt
Wet Waste168.876mt
Food Waste3.862mt
recycled waste1.15124mt
Total recycled5.01324mt

“AIT’s unwavering commitment to sustainable waste management, reinforced by efficient segregation and responsible recycling, transforms our sprawling campus into an eco-conscious haven. Together, we embrace a cleaner, greener future, showcasing our dedication to environmental responsibility and a brighter tomorrow.”