Universitas Terbuka (UT) keeps showing its commitment as a Green University by collaborating with Bank Syariah Indonesia (BSI) as an effort to create environmental sustainability. This strategic step is made through the existence of the Reverse Vending Machine (RVM), an advanced technology supporting plastic recycling effectively.
The presence of the RVM at UT Headquarters is a concrete symbol of building a recycling culture amongst UT Academics, whether it’s lecturers, students, staff, and surrounding societies. By using RVM, plastic bottles can be traded into e-wallet points through the Plastic Pay application, which can be used for a lot of needs. The use of RVM is explained as follows:
- Download and Register – Download the Plastic Pay app and register an account
- Gather Bottles – Prepare at least 5 plastic bottles in a plastic bag
- Write User ID – Write down your User ID from the Plastic Pay app and the number of plastic bottles on the plastic bag with a permanent marker.
- Insert to Dropbox – Put the bag full of bottles inside the Dropbox of the RVM’s location
- Get Points – Points will be automatically added to your account after the trash is collected by the Plastic Pay team
The plastic bottles gathered through RVM are not only recycled into materials, but are also used by UMKMs to produce upcycle products, such as sajadah, pouch, or goodie bags. In addition, BSI also provides RVMs in 50 locations across Indonesia which gives the people a chance to trade plastic waste with BSI balance. The locations are spread around Jabodetabek (including at UT), Banyuwangi, East Java, and Bali, to support plastic waste management on a bigger scale.
This partnership is concrete proof of UT and BSI’s commitment as green universities in supporting sustainable development and green energy transition. Apart from strengthening UT’s position as a pioneer in the world of education, this collaboration also supports the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially in the management of responsible consumption and production. With this initiative, UT does not only create Green Campus, but also gather the academics and society to protect the environment.
Through this step, UT and BSI proved that cross-sector collaborations could bring immediate benefits to society. With the promotion of recycling culture, this initiative is hoped to be an inspiration for other institutions to build communities that care about sustainability. The RVM in Universitas Terbuka becomes a symbol of optimism and commitment to the environment, while giving immediate economic benefits to users.
Let’s together keep our environment and make use of innovative technology like RVM. Throw away your bottles in the RVM at Biro Building of Universitas Terbuka and get e-wallet points as an appreciation for your contributions. This small step can have big impacts for the sustainability of our earth. UT SDGs action: protect the environment, reduce trash, and gain benefits.
