Energia e resíduos na Universidade Positivo (UP): promoção do uso sustentável a partir de ações ambientais educativas

Abstract

Environmental issues are concerns for all sectors of society, and alternatives to minimize the environmental problems of unsustainable use of nature must be pursued in an integrated and collective. Thus, for effective results it is necessary the involvement of stakeholders and the knowledgeable of both the problems and alternatives to support the adoption of friendly attitudes to protect the environment. This paper describes the actions performed in a Higher Education Institution in order to encourage sustainable energy use, reduction of waste generation and increase the waste segregation. For maximum effectiveness, the entire academic community was envolved through environmental education activities that were done to stimulate the participation and awareness on problems related to waste and energy use. In a first step, an inventory of energy consumption and waste generation on campus, from 2006 to 2010 period was carried out as a way of diagnosing the current situation. Greater emphasis, however, was given to the period from 2008 to 2010, where the educational actions were done. The environmental education were implemented by using different strategies, such as sending e-mails with environmental information to faculty and staff; keep them informed of the intervention actions and results. In parallel a specific training was offered for staff directly involved in the collection and segregation of waste, as well as personal responsible for the energy use. In order to encourage the participation of all visitors on campus, in addition of students, a campaign identified as "everything in its place" was conceived and implemented. As part of the campaign, banners and posters were exposed at different points on campus, and distributed in the campus access gates. It was also distributed flyers and garbage bags for use in vehicles; set stickers on light switches, mirrors in the bathrooms and locker rooms, as a way to remind users about sustainable use of energy. Quiz, games and similar activities were performed with the delivery of gifts as Ecobags and buttons with the logo of the campaign. The results from data analysis shows for the 2008 to 2009 period, a 12% reduction in energy consumption and a increase of 12,3 % in recyclable waste volume that was obtained by better segregation of organic waste. The environmental education may have contributed to achieve positive results and, indirectly, to protect natural resources. It is also important to take in account the multiplier effect of environmental education, since, besides the adoption of right attitudes towards the environment, today's students will be future opinion leaders, and could replicate good environmental practices beyond undergraduate institutions, and stimulate encouraging their peers to adopt friendly practices for the environment.