University of Pécs takes action against plastic PET bottle
The University of Pécs is the first among Hungarian higher education institutions to stop purchasing plastic PET bottled water and drinks. Seventy free water filling stations will be installed instead.
With effect from October 1, the University of Pécs is buying water and soft drinks in reusable bottles instead of PET bottles. The decision is related to the “Green University” program, that the University of Pécs has joined four years ago, and its main message is to strengthen the environmentally conscious approach, to maintain an open mind and to be responsive to the new ecological footprint.
Chancellor Zoltán Jenei, project leader of the Green University program and idea co-sponsor of the “PET Bottle Free Institution” project, said: “In Hungary, from 1.4 to 1.5 billion PET bottles are sold each year, which is not good news in terms of environmental pollution, as well as the fact that only a fraction of 7-8% of the bottles are recycled and the remainder proportion encumbers the environment. By eliminating the purchase of disposable plastic PET bottled water and soft drinks, we are also promoting environmental awareness at the institutional level. At the seventy designated general public areas of the University, we will soon begin to install water filling stations that will function as "water islands"; students, workers can get chilled fizzy and still, moreover hot water, and they can fill their bottles for free, comfortably, not to mention the fragile environment.
As far as I know, the University of Pécs is the first institution in Hungary to dispense with disposable plastic bottles,” emphasized Zoltán Jenei.
The decision only concerns the "exile" of water and soft drinks bottles for the time being, and it is intended to be a similar eco-friendly initiative to use recyclable compostable plates, cutlery, glasses, boxes in the University's buffet and other catering units. at an institution-related event.
