NUMS became the first organization in Pakistan to get recognized as an Organizational Affiliate by the Zero Waste International Alliance (ZWIA). The application submitted by NUMS Environmental Stewardship Committee (NESC), was officially approved by the ZWIA Board of Directors and communicated to NUMS on July 24, 2023.
The Zero Waste International Alliance (www.zwia.org) is a US-based organization that was formed in 2003 to promote positive alternatives to landfills and incineration and to raise community awareness of the social and economic benefits to be gained when wasted materials are regarded as resources that can create both employment and business opportunities.
This achievement recognizes NUMS's remarkable efforts and commitment to promoting Zero Waste practices and creating awareness among our university community and beyond NUMS as well. As an Organizational Affiliate, NUMS will have access to a global network of like-minded institutions and organizations committed to furthering zero waste programs and environmental stewardship.
NUMS has adopted a comprehensive Zero Waste Policy and officially implemented Zero Waste Management at NUMS in the mid of 2021. NUMS was able to reduce the amount of waste going to the land dumps/landfill sites by 75% within the first ten months of implementation of ZW management at its PWD campus. Zero Waste Management at NUMS fulfills the requirements laid down under several UN sustainable development Goals (SDGs) including SDG 12- Responsible Consumption & Production. According to the recent TIMES Ranking, NUMS is the first and only medical university in the country to have been ranked for SDG 12- while it is ranked 9th for SDG amongst all Universities in Pakistan.
ZWIA defines Zero Waste as “The conservation of all resources employing responsible production, consumption, reuse, and recovery of products, packaging, and materials without burning and with no discharges to land, water, or air that threaten the environment or human health.”
The ZW Management employed at NUMS has two main components:
A. Segregation of waste at source and environment-friendly disposal of segregated waste:
Waste is segregated into the following categories and subcategories in allocated/color-coded bins.
a. Recyclables- Three subcategories sent for recycling to Green Earth Recycling and other vendors.
i. Paper & Cardboard
ii. Plastic
iii. Metal/glass
b. Compostable- Two subcategories- Composted on campus.
i. Food waste
ii. Garden Waste
c. Landfill waste- Sent to Landfill sites
B. Motivating change in practices/behavior in the NUMS community by adopting the 5 Rs:
5 Rs of zero waste are some simple steps that can be adopted to help achieve the goal of Zero Waste and contribute towards a cleaner and greener Pakistan and a safer planet. These include; Reducing, reusing, recycling, rotting (Compost), and raising awareness.
NUMS Green Office expresses its gratitude to NUMS leadership and the rest of the NUMS community for their unwavering support in making NUMS the first Zero Waste institution in Pakistan and receiving ZWIA recognition. It acknowledges the contribution of faculty, staff, and students of the NUMS Environmental Stewardship Committee (NESC) and Green Youth Movement Club (GYM Club) for their commitment to making this affiliation possible.
