Сontainers for separate waste collection will be installed in the buildings of Altai State University this fall, following cooperation agreement signed on September 19 with two non-profit organizations: the regional branch of the All-Russian environmental public movement "Ecosystem" and the autonomous non-profit environmental organization "Closed Cycle Economy".
"Altai State University is one of the "Green Universities of Russia". Our students regularly participate in various environmental campaigns. During environmental excursions, the guys and I always collect huge bags of garbage even in protected remote areas. People come on vacation and simply leave garbage where they were vacationing. It is important to start with yourself. We will do everything to make it comfortable to sort waste even within the walls of the university, and our new partners will help us with this!” noted in her welcoming speech Tatyana Antonenko, Vice-Rector for Educational Work and Continuing Education at Altai State University, Candidate of Biological Sciences.
Sergey Smirnov, Director of the Institute of Biology of Altai State University, emphasized the significance of recycling as a step towards saving resources:
“Currently, various programs are being actively adopted in our country, including the greening of various industries, which implies the production of packaging with a minimum of resources, toxic paints, etc., and easily recycled. I lived in Germany for a year and a half during various internships, I saw how garbage is sorted: at first it is not clear and convenient when you need to use several garbage bins, but eventually you get used to it and accept it as a matter of course. I myself also have several garbage bins at home, there is a place where we store plastic bottles, we take them out every six months. Yes, it is not very convenient, but necessary. Today at the event we began to create comfortable conditions for the selection of secondary resources at our university. We are pursuing a good goal of preserving nature, this is our primary task as biologists and ecologists.”
Daniil Egorov, Chairman of the regional branch of the All-Russian ecological public movement "Ecosystem", a student of Altai State University noted:
"I have been organizing environmental projects for several years across five cities in Altai Krai, where schools, kindergartens, colleges and universities collect plastic caps and waste paper. We hold clean-up days, educational campaigns focused on ecology, and others. I am very glad that a project for collecting secondary raw materials will be implemented within the walls of Altai State University. While we have designated points for plastic caps, many people still dispose of plastic bottles, aluminum cans into common bins. Plastic never fully decomposes; instead, it simply breaks down into microplastics, gets into the soil, into the water entering our food chain. It is important to understand that ecological responsibility begins with each of us and foster awareness. Our project will contribute to it."
As part of the agreement, the autonomous non-profit environmental organization "Closed Cycle Economy" will provide assistance in installing containers at the university. Alexey Svechnikov, Chairman of the organization said:
"I am really excited to see that the issue of resource recycling is important for Altai State University! Separating your waste is not that difficult, and it benefits the environment! You have great prospects, all global projects begin with small steps. I hope that the beginning that we will make at the university for separate waste collection will bring good results."