University of Pécs Medical School - Admissions

THE UNIVERSITY OF PÉCS TAKES STEPS AGAINST PET BOTTLES

Tuesday, 17 September, 2019

The University of Pécs is the first Hungarian higher education institution to stop the purchase of PET bottles. Instead, 70 free water fountains will be installed.

Starting on October 1, the University of Pécs will start buying recyclable bottles of water and soft drinks instead of PET bottles. This decision was made in connection with the "Green University" programme that the university joined four years ago. The main message of the program is promoting environmental consciousness, being open-minded and keeping an eye out for new solutions reducing our ecological footprints.

The idea for a "PET bottle-free university" project came from Zoltán Jenei chancellor, director of the "Green University" programme. He said: "1,4-1,5 billion PET bottles are purchased in Hungary every year, that means almost 150 bottles per person. This is not good news concerning environmental protection, considering that only 7-8% of these bottles are recycled; the rest are a strain on the environment. With stopping the purchase of these bottles of water and soft drinks, we will promote environmental consciousness as an institution. We will soon start the installation of 70 water fountains that will function of "water islands": students and employees can fill their own bottles with both hot and cold water for free, decreasing the strain on the environment. As far as I know, the University of Pécs is the first to stop using PET bottles.

Right now, the decision only concerns PET bottles of water and soft drinks, but there are efforts to introduce compostable, recycled plates, glasses, food boxes and cutlery in the campus cafeterias and restaurants, and during university events.