Water and Waste

We are committed to conserving our resources and supporting the creation of a circular economy through initiatives to reduce, reuse and recycle our water and waste streams.

Water

We have implemented smart technologies to reduce water wastage and installed water harvesting systems to reuse water at Campus Green. Our smart water meter system provides real-time alerts when there are water leaks, enabling quick rectification and reducing water loss of about 10m3 each time. Rainwater that is harvested through our underground cisterns and condensate water from our air-conditioning systems are reused for landscape irrigation on campus grounds and our green walls, signficantly reducing our freshwater consumption.

Waste

Single use plastics and utensils and packaging that are not environmentally friendly have been phased out from all our  tenants. Campaigns promoting the use of re-usables are held regularly by the student-run Project Stop Single-Use Disposables while students, employees and visitors are also encouraged to sort and recycle their waste at designated waste recyling bins on the ground level of campus buildings.

Our food and beverage tenants are required to segregate their food waste and treat it using the food digesters installed across campus. Diners at the three food courts on campus are encouraged to do so with their leftovers as well. Project Midori, a student initiated project, conducts campaigns to nudge the campus community into adopting sustainable food habits.

What you can do

  • Conserve water with this handy guide on water saving habits by the Singapore Public Utilies Board. Save water on campus by turning off taps when soaping your hands, gargling, or brushing your teeth.
  • Join the Bring Your Own (BYO) movement and bring your own containers to purchase food and drinks on campus, and at food and beverage establishments across Singapore.
  • Organise zero waste events at SMU with the help of this zero waste event guide by the World Wildlife Fund. Have leftover food? Send the location and ending time of your event to SMU Buffet Clearers, a student intiated telegram channel with over 9,400 members, to clear leftover catered food on campus.
  • Take a shot at getting event attendees to eat their cutlery instead of using disposables or going through the hassle of cleaning reusable cutlery. Crunch Cutlery, founded by SMU alumna Anna Lam, produces nutritious and tasty edible cutlery.
  • Breathe new life into packaging materials by donating your used packaging or volunteering to collect and distribute them through Package Pals, an initiative founded by SMU student Rachel Han.
  • Support SMU incubated startups by partnering with them to reduce waste and create a more circular economy such as Alterpacks, which creates packaging made from agricultural waste; Lumitics, which offers a smart food waste tracker for the food and beverage industry; and TreeDots, which reduces food waste by optimising the food supply chain.