Choose to reuse. Good for you. Good for the planet.

Join UNSW’s month-long movement to ditch single-use packaging and embrace reusables on campus. 

Every coffee, snack or lunch served in takeaway packaging leaves a mark on our planet and on your health. At UNSW, we throw away approximately 2.5 million single-use packaging items each year. That includes coffee cups, food bowls, cutlery and containers that we use once, then place in the bin. Picture this: if we put only the disposable coffee cups used on campus in a year, they’d cover the entire Library Lawn.  

"The Choose to reuse challenge is a great example of UNSW’s Strategy: Progress for All in action. By embracing reuse in our daily choices, we’re helping UNSW become a low-waste campus and accelerating the transition to a sustainable society and planet. I encourage every student and staff member to take part,” said Professor Attila Brungs, Vice-Chancellor and President.  

“Join me in bringing your reusable cup, bottle, cutlery and food container to campus, and let’s make reuse the norm across our University,”  

Ditching single-use plastic is not only about waste, it’s about your health too. Many takeaway items contain plastic linings or chemical coatings that can break down into microplastics and chemicals which are now found in our water, food and bodies. 

The solution is in your hands  

For the next four weeks, take the Choose to reuse challenge. Bring your clean reusable cup, cutlery or container to campus retailers and say no to single-use. 

🙌 How to get involved 

• Bring your BYO kit to campus. 
• Display a poster in your staff kitchen or office or add the digital screen slide to your lecture slides. 
• Enter the  Choose to reuse photo competition for a chance to win prizes. 
• Explore tips and resources on the  Choose to reuse challenge website. 

It’s not about being perfect. It’s about leading by example and helping reuse become the new normal on campus. 

The Environmental Sustainability team in Estate Management leads this initiative, supporting UNSW Strategy Pillar 6 – Accelerating the transition to a sustainable society and planet.