Plastic use and disposable items
JGU is committed to an environment-friendly, sustainable and energy-efficient campus for its students, faculty, staff and other members. The university has adopted two policies, the No Plastic Use Policy and the Policy on Minimisation of Disposable Items, to reduce and where possible eliminate non-biodegradable plastic and to promote environmental sustainability and wellbeing. Both extend to vendors, contractors, subcontractors and the supply chain, including suppliers of equipment and stationery and building contractors. In light of the same, the campus had adopted a Reverse Vending Machine (RVM) for recycling of PET bottles as well as Aluminium Cans that may enter into the campus.
No Plastic Use Policy
Policy Details
- Policy Name: No Plastic Use Policy
- Year Reviewed: 2026
1. Purpose and Principles
1.1 JGU is dedicated to safeguarding terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems by eliminating avoidable single-use plastics and minimising plastic waste across the campus, operating at or above the requirements of the Plastic Waste Management Rules of the Government of India.
1.2 Waste hierarchy: refuse unnecessary plastic, reduce demand, reuse through closed-loop systems and recycle what cannot be avoided.
1.3 Durable over disposable: substituting plastic with another single-use item, such as paper or bioplastic, is only an interim measure, and reusable, washable and circular systems are the priority.
1.4 No health compromise: plastic reduction never compromises health, hygiene, bio-safety, clinical protocols or accessibility.
1.5 To replace conventional single-use plastic products, food court outlets utilise sustainable and biodegradable alternatives, including:
鈭� Bagasse-based plates, bowls, containers and other food-service products
鈭� Wooden cutlery, including spoons, forks and knives
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Other environmentally preferable and biodegradable food-service materials, wherever appropriate These alternatives are intended to minimise plastic waste generation while supporting more sustainable consumption practices
1.5 It supports SDG Target 12.5 and Targets 13, 14 and 15.
2. Scope and Definitions
2.1 The policy applies to all property, facilities and land owned, leased or operated by JGU.
2.2 It binds students, faculty, staff, researchers and temporary workers; academic buildings, offices, hostels, dining halls, food courts, sports complexes, laboratories, libraries and transport vehicles; and commercial vendors, facility operators, retail partners, contractors, subcontractors, catering services, visitors and guest institutions organising events on campus.
3. Policy Statement
3.1 The sale, distribution, handover and use of single-use plastic bottles (under one litre), plastic cutlery, plates, straws, stirrers, plastic-lined cups, polystyrene (thermocol) packaging and plastic carry bags are prohibited across all academic and residential spaces.
3.2 All university-sponsored conferences, symposia, convocations and dining events are plastic-free, using durable crockery, glassware and bulk dispensers.
3.3 Medical, laboratory and accessibility needs are protected by a review process for exemptions.
4. Roles and Responsibilities
4.1 The Office of Sustainability coordinates the policy, runs the annual plastic audit and awareness campaigns, and reviews exemption requests.
4.2 The Procurement Office screens vendor products, requires plastic-free packaging, and checks the compliance of commercial food vendors.
4.3 Facilities Management maintains water refill stations and waste collection logs, and works with certified recyclers.
4.4 Community members and vendors adopt reusable containers and report non-compliance.
5. Procedure
5.1 Plastic-free packaging clauses are written into all vendor service-level agreements and contracts, including those for suppliers of equipment and stationery and for building contractors, and preference goes to suppliers who offer returnable or circular packaging.
5.2 High-capacity filtered drinking water refill stations are installed on every residential floor, academic block and public facility, to remove the need for packaged bottled water.
5.3 Colour-coded segregated bins for wet waste, dry recyclables, rejects and e-waste are placed along campus pathways, with secondary sorting at the campus recovery yard.
6. Concerns and Non-Retaliation
6.1 Non-compliance or improper sale of prohibited plastics can be reported in confidence to the Office of Sustainability by the online portal or email.
6.2 No one who reports in good faith will suffer retaliation.
7. Monitoring and Reporting
7.1 Key indicators are the tonnes of plastic waste diverted from landfill, the number of refill stations per person and the share of vendors that comply.
7.2 The Office of Sustainability carries out an annual campus plastic audit and publishes it in the Annual Sustainable Development Report.
8. Review
8.1 The Sustainable Campus Committee reviews the policy at least once every year. It was last reviewed in 2026.
Policy on Minimisation of Disposable Items
Policy Details
- Policy Name: Policy on Minimisation of Disposable Items
- Year Reviewed: 2026
1. Purpose and Principles
1.1 The policy reduces the use of disposable items of every material, including paper, bioplastic and aluminium, so that disposable materials are not simply swapped for one another.
1.2 It supports SDG Target 12.5.
2. Scope and Definitions
2.1 Disposable items are items designed to be used once or for a short time and then thrown away, such as cups, plates, cutlery, napkins, packaging, bags and promotional materials.
2.2 The policy applies wherever the No Plastic Use Policy applies.
3. Policy Statement
3.1 Reusable, washable items are the first choice in dining halls, food courts, offices and events.
3.2 Where disposable items are unavoidable, the lowest-impact option is used and it is recycled or composted.
3.3 Paper use is reduced by digital processes, and examinations are computer-based, which avoided 76,80,000 pages a year.
4. Responsibilities
4.1 The Procurement Office specifies reusable items and sets conditions for vendors and caterers.
4.2 The Office of Sustainability audits use and runs awareness drives.
4.3 Event organisers plan disposable-free events.
5. Supply Chain and Outsourced Services
5.1 Vendors, caterers and contractors must follow the policy in their work for the university, as a condition of their contract.
5.2 Supply chains for equipment, stationery and building materials are required to use minimal and returnable packaging.
6. Monitoring
6.1 The annual plastic audit also records disposable items and progress is reported in the Annual Sustainable Development Report.
7. Concerns
7.1 Concerns about non-compliance may be sent to the Office of Sustainability and are protected against retaliation.
8. Review
8.1 The policy is reviewed at least once every year and was last reviewed in 2026.
