Responsible consumption is woven into RUET’s departments rather than treated as an add-on, with new courses, published research and a home-grown reverse vending machine.

RAJSHAHI — Rajshahi University of Engineering & Technology (RUET) is integrating SDG 12 themes directly into teaching and research rather than treating them as an add-on activity.

In November 2023, the Department of Urban & Regional Planning introduced a course on Sustainable Urban Agri-Food Systems, covering vertical farming, urban food systems, soil–water management and green infrastructure — directly linking consumption, production and sustainable planning.

The Department of Building Engineering & Construction Management has published research on the barriers to consumer adoption of sustainable construction materials, addressing responsible production in the built environment. The Department of Industrial & Production Engineering lists sustainability in product design and supply-chain management as an active faculty research interest.

RUET faculty have also co-authored a study on PET (polyethylene terephthalate) recycling in Bangladesh, examining current recovery practices and future prospects for the country’s plastics value chain.

Perhaps the most practical example is the Reverse Vending Machine (RVM) project. A joint RUET–Khulna University research initiative is developing a locally built reverse vending machine system, “ProCritic-RVM,” designed to collect used plastic bottles on university campuses in exchange for digital incentives — a working model for campus-level solid-waste management.

SDG Alignment: SDG 12 (primary); SDG 4; SDG 9; SDG 2; SDG 11.