Overview

Much of the day-to-day consumption on a university campus does not take place through the university’s own staff, but through contracted services — canteens and food-service providers, cleaning and maintenance contractors, security and other service providers — and through the suppliers who deliver goods to the campus.

Key points

• Policy Coverage of Outsourced Services and the Supply ChainThe RUET SDG Policy and Action Framework (SDG 1–17), prepared by the RUET SDG Policy Committee and held by the Office of the Registrar, explicitly names campus vendors, food-service providers and contractors as parties…
• Extension to Outsourced ServicesNational law reinforces these requirements: Section 6A of the Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act 1995 (inserted by the 2002 amendment) prohibits the production, sale, distribution and commercial use of polythene shopping…
• Extension to the Supply ChainThe same framework carries these requirements into RUET’s supply chain through its sustainable-procurement provisions (Actions 3 to 8), which apply to every academic department, office, institute, centre and laboratory that…
• Monitoring and EnforcementThe policy assigns a designated committee, office or responsible unit to coordinate the policy with vendors and contractors, including awareness campaigns, promotion of reusable alternatives, monitoring, periodic inspection and…

Conclusion

RUET’s policies on minimising plastic and disposable items do not stop at the university’s own offices. Through the SDG 12 section of its SDG Policy and Action Framework, they extend to canteens and food-service providers, cleaning, maintenance and construction contractors and the waste handlers that serve the campus, and through its procurement provisions to the supply chain.