Facilities Services

Deakin University Environmental Sustainability Pledge
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Water Conservation
Take a four minute shower/use a shower timer Error
Taking a 4 minute shower on average saves 80 litres of water per person, per day, that’s equivalent to 29,120 litres of water annually (information based on a showerhead using 20L of water per minute and taking 7min showers which is considered the Australian average).





Turning the tap off while brushing my teeth Error
A running tap uses around 16 litres of water per minute. Turning off the tap between brushing can save up to 48 litres of water per person, per day (based on brushing your teeth twice a day for 3mins)(SaveWater 2011).





Use a refillable water bottle and top up with tap water instead of buying bottled water Error
Producing and delivering a litre of bottled water can emit hundreds of times more greenhouse gases than a litre of tap water. More energy is used to fill the bottles, move them by truck, train, ship, or air, refrigerate them and recover, recycle or discard the empty bottles. The Pacific Institute estimates that the total amount of energy embedded in the use of bottled water can be as high as the equivalent of filling a plastic bottle one quarter full with oil. Therefore, more than 145.7 million litres of oil was used in the production, transportation, refrigeration and recycling/disposing of bottled water in Australia in 2009-10 (Do Something 2011).





Report a leaking tap or toilet when I see one by contacting Facilities Services Error
A leaking tap can waste up to 66 litres of water per day - that’s 24,000 litres per year.





Purchase whitegoods and appliances with a minimum 4-star Water Efficiency, Labeling and Standards (WELS) rating Error
By 2021, Australians could save more than one billion dollars through reduced water and energy bills by simply choosing more efficient products. It is estimated that using water efficient products will help to reduce domestic water use by more than 100,000 megalitres each year; save more than 800,000 megalitres (more water than Sydney Harbour)(Commonwealth of Australia 2011)







Energy
Hanging washing outside (or inside on a drying rack) instead of using the dryer Error
Clothes dryers are big energy users. Drying a load of washing in an electric dryer generates more than 3 kilograms of greenhouse gas. Use the sun (or a clothes rack) whenever you can - it's the most environmentally friendly dryer of all (livinggreener.gov.au)





Replacing all light bulbs with energy saving ones Error
Save money and energy by switching to compact flourescent light globes (CFLs). They are 80 % more efficient and last eight times as long as regular light globes. There are a range of CFL styles, wattages and colours to choose from which are compatible with most conventional fittings (Sustainability Victoria 2011).





Running the washing machine on the cold setting Error
Heating water is by far the biggest user of energy when doing your washing. Consider washing your clothes in cold water. This can reduce your greenhouse gas emissions from washing by up to 80 per cent (livinggreener.gov.au)





Switching off all electrical equipment at the power point Error
Standby power consumption contributes significantly to Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions and is now one of the largest electrical end-users in our homes. It is estimated standby power in a typical home accounts for more than 10% of Australia's household electricity usage and costing consumers more than $950 million per year. This is roughly equivalent to the energy consumption of refrigerators and freezers (energyrating.gov.au)





Purchase appliances with a minimum 4-star Energy Rating label Error
Burning coal to produce electricity, the most common method of electricity production in Australia, creates millions of tonnes of greenhouse gases each year. With Australia's households accounting for almost 20 percent of our national greenhouse gas emissions, efficient appliances can play an important role in helping Australia meet our overall greenhouse gas reduction target (energyrating.gov.au).





Switching to accredited Green Power at home Error
Around 90% of electricity used in Australia is generated from the burning of fossil fuels such as coal and over 34% of Australia’s emissions come from electricity generation. This makes the electricity sector the biggest single contributor to Australia’s greenhouse emissions. The benefit of switching to GreenPower accredited renewable energy is that it does not burn fossil fuels and therefore doesn’t produce greenhouse gasses (greenpower.gov.au)







Transport
Having at least one car-free day each week Error
We are using our cars more than ever before. Over the last 20 years car use in cities has increased by 80%(ABS1997). And the number of cars owned in Australia has increased three times faster than the population since the 1970s (ABS 2002).This is a grave concern as carbon dioxide emissions are increasing with the number of cars on our roads. Do our planet a favour and consider walking, taking public transport or cycling to get from A to B one day a week.





Service my car regularly and check tyres to ensure they are inflated to correct pressure Error
Servicing your car every six-months and making sure you maintain the right tyre pressure ensures your car is working efficiently and reduces the amount of petrol your car uses which saves you money and greenhouse gas emissions. For every litre of petrol used in a motor vehicle, 2.3 kilograms of carbon dioxide (CO2) are emitted from the exhaust (livinggreener.gov.au).






Sign up to the carpooling site and carpool to Deakin at least one day a week Error
Solo car travel, especially in peak times, is one of the main causes of road congestion, traffic jams and pollution in our cities. It is much more efficient to drive a full car. Car pooling is sharing your car commute with fellow students and colleagues. Divided among two or more people, car pooling reduces the cost of fuel, parking, and tolls. You may even have access to special parking permits, priority parking, and in some cases discounts for car servicing or roadside assistance (livinggreener.gov.au)





Walk to places less than 5km away when I can Error
Half the greenhouse gas emissions produced annually by an average Australian household are from transport, yet 53% of all car trips in Melbourne are less than 5km in length (Cycling Promotion Fund 2007). Consider walking to the local shops, park or oval and walk your kids to school if possible.







Waste
Place recyclable items such as plastics, aluminium cans and cartons into public place recycling bins on campus Error
The average person throws away over 1.8 kilograms of materials per day! Public Place Recycling (PPR) is designed to minimise waste by increasing recycling in high-use public areas. At Deakin PPR diverted 12.2 tonnes of plastic and 5.2 tonnes of aluminium from landfill over a 4 month period (Office for Sustainability 2011).






Use a reusable coffee cup to buy take-away coffee instead of a disposable cup Error
In Australia at least 500 million disposable cups are used and discarded each year. Take away coffee cups are often saturated with toxic dyes and a plastic lining between inside and outside layers of the cup which makes them difficult to recycle or not recyclable at all; it can take up to 50 years or more for a take away coffee cup to break down and biodegrade in landfill.





Collect and recycle all materials accepted by my local Council using the recycling bins provided at home Error
The NSW Department of Environment and Conservation recently commissioned a study into the benefits of recycling. According to the study summary, “every 10 tonnes of recycling we can recover is equivalent to taking four cars off the road permanently; the annual electricity for 14.5 households; and saves enough water to fill 3.5 backyard swimming pools.” (Planet Ark 2006).





Using a reusable bag when I shop rather than plastic disposable bags Error
Victorians use around 1 billion plastic checkout bags each year. Taking your own bag when you go shopping and returning plastic bags to the supermarket for recycling will reduce the number of plastic bags that end up as litter, polluting our waterways and harming wildlife (Sustainability Victoria 2011)





Buying and using recycled paper for my printer Error
The production of woodchips for pulp and paper is the largest driver of forest destruction in Australia. Viable alternatives do exist. Logging native forests damages crucial wildlife habitat, damages water catchments and releases significant amounts of carbon into the atmosphere. Globally 'logging and land-use changes' account for approx 20% of all greenhouse gas emissions (ethicalpaper.org.au).





Compost my food scraps Error
Around 90% of greenhouse gas emissions from landfill are a result of decomposing organic material. Composting garden materials and food scraps diverts this organic matter from landfill (Centre for Organic & Resource Enterprises 2010)







Food
Buying fair trade tea, coffee and other products, i.e. chocolate Error
Buying Fairtrade products makes a real difference for Fairtrade farmers and workers in developing countries. It ensures that a fair and stable price is given for their products. Fairtrade helps producers and their communities build better roads, access health care and send their kids to school. Fairtrade also enables them to grow and develop their businesses, improving their families’ lives and communities and securing their future (www.fta.org.au)





Buying products that are local and in season Error
By purchasing local foods in-season, you eliminate the environmental damage caused by shipping foods thousands of miles and your family will be able to enjoy the health benefits of eating fresh, unprocessed fruits and vegetables. Buying seasonal produce also provides an exciting opportunity to try new foods and to experiment with seasonal recipes. And it simply tastes better! (www.sustainabletable.org)





Eat less meat each week Error
Between 50,000 and 100,000 litres of water is required to produce just one kilogram of beef. In comparison, only 1,550 litres of water is needed to produce one kilogram of rice. Most fruits and vegetables require much less water than rice production. Animal industries contribute over 30% of Australia’s greenhouse emissions. If everyone in Australia reduced their meat intake by one day each week it would save the equivalent of the greenhouse gases emitted from seven million plane trips between Brisbane and Perth! (http://www.unleashed.org.au/features/meat-the-truth/)





Grow my own vegetables Error
Did you know that the growing, processing, packaging, storing and transporting of what we eat makes up 37% of the average Victorian’s eco-footprint? Freshly eaten home-grown food produces no green house emissions. Your home-grown food travels metres instead of hundreds or thousands of kilometres. Plus, your organically home-grown food is clean - free from genetic modification, chemical pesticides, fertilisers, herbicides and pesticides. (http://www.veryediblegardens.com/iveg/why-grow-food)







Biodiversity
Plant indigenous species in your local area to provide important habitat for local birds, mammals, insects and reptiles Error
Plant indigenous species in your local area to provide important habitat for local birds, mammals, insects and reptiles





Develop a frog bog in your backyard to attract local frogs or build a nest box for Kookaburras, parrots or possums to nest in Error
For information on building a frog bog or nest box visit http://www.sgaonline.org.au/?page_id=4320





Plant with indigenous plants on your nature strip (with your local council’s permission) to liven up the front of your property Error
For information on planting up your nature strip visit http://www.sgaonline.org.au/?page_id=4320





Join the Office for Sustainability in restoring indigenous vegetation around campus on National Tree Day Error







Social
Encourage other students and staff to go green (i.e. signing this pledge!) Error





Volunteer my time for environmental projects (e.g. Deakin Enviro Club, Office for Sustainability, other environment groups) Error





Be an example for others, e.g. by sharing what you do at home or uni with others Error








Other commitments List any other commitments you would like to do:


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The information collected on this form will be used to operate and administer the Environmental Sustainability Pledge program and to make you aware of sustainability initiatives and research at Deakin. If you have given your consent, your first name and Campus will be published on the Office for Sustainability website in connection with the Environmental Sustainability Pledge and your phone number will be used to contact you at another time to obtain feedback regarding your progress.

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Deakin's information privacy policy may be viewed at http://theguide.deakin.edu.au/. You may contact the University's Privacy Officer on (03) 5227 8520 or at privacy@deakin.edu.au

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Deakin University acknowledges the traditional land owners of present campus sites.

6th March 2012