Creating a sustainable campus culture at the University of Phayao by encouraging students and staff to make environmentally responsible choices through simple, accessible, and positive approaches that can be integrated into everyday life. The university aims to inspire awareness, participation, and long term behavioral change that supports environmental sustainability and the well being of the community.
♻️ 1. Waste reduction & recycling
UP promotes responsible waste management practices by encouraging recycling, reducing single-use plastics, and building a culture of resource efficiency across campus.
UP promotes responsible waste management practices by encouraging recycling, reducing single-use plastics, and building a culture of resource efficiency across campus.
- Place recycling bins in front of general waste bins so sorting is the first option
- Set cafeteria default to "bring your own container" — charge extra for disposable packaging
- Display weekly waste data by building to create friendly competition between departments
- "Collect bottle caps, exchange for hangers" — UP's own CESM recycling campaign
- Post social norm signs: "83% of students in this building sort their waste"
⚡ 2. Energy & water conservation
UP supports climate action and resource efficiency by reducing electricity and water consumption through smarter defaults, real-time feedback, and campus-wide visibility.
UP supports climate action and resource efficiency by reducing electricity and water consumption through smarter defaults, real-time feedback, and campus-wide visibility.
- Install shower timers in dormitories to prompt water-saving awareness
- Show live energy dashboards per building on public screens and the sustainability website
- Set computer lab PCs to auto-sleep after 5 minutes of inactivity
- Default air-con in meeting rooms to 26°C — require manual override to go lower
- Opt new staff into the green electricity tariff automatically (opt-out, not opt-in)
🚲 3. Green transport
UP encourages environmentally friendly transportation by making walking, cycling, and shared transport the easiest way to get around — and adding friction to single-occupancy car use.
UP encourages environmentally friendly transportation by making walking, cycling, and shared transport the easiest way to get around — and adding friction to single-occupancy car use.
- Provide more bicycle parking spaces than car spaces near key campus buildings
- Require car park registration even if it is free — renew weekly to add friction
- Make remote dial-in the default option for meetings with off-campus attendees
- Display a real-time steps leaderboard for cycling and walking to campus
- Map and signpost the safest walking and cycling routes between key buildings
🥗 4. Sustainable food choices
UP shifts canteen defaults toward plant-based, local, and low-waste options — while reducing food waste at the point of service across all campus dining facilities.
UP shifts canteen defaults toward plant-based, local, and low-waste options — while reducing food waste at the point of service across all campus dining facilities.
- Place plant-based dishes at eye level and front-of-counter in all canteens
- Label sustainable menu items with a clear green icon — no extra explanation needed
- Offer a small discount for choosing smaller portions to cut food waste
- Display how much food was wasted last week — updated every Monday
- At catered events, set reusable cups as the default — disposable on request only
💻 5. Digital & office practices
UP reduces paper consumption, promotes paperless workflows, and encourages eco-friendly procurement through smart defaults and digital transparency across all departments.
UP reduces paper consumption, promotes paperless workflows, and encourages eco-friendly procurement through smart defaults and digital transparency across all departments.
- Set all printers to double-sided printing by default — single-sided requires manual selection
- Show a monthly paper-use counter on each department's internal dashboard
- Pre-tick "digital invoice only" on all purchasing forms
- Add a sustainability checklist to procurement forms for office supplies
- Send a monthly "green office score" email to each unit — ranked campus-wide