Amity Centre if Excellence for Innovation in Education in close association with 3R and SGD Choupal organized a workshop on “Circular Economy & Zero Waste Campus Program” on 22nd November 2022. Dr. Gayatri Raghawa, Environment Education, Consultant, United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), New Delhi; Rtn Sandeepp Saxena, Global Convenor, SDG Choupal (Flagship SDG Action Initiative of Nagrik Foundation); Rtn Shiv Challa, Founder, 3R Zero Waste Pvt Limited, and Mr. Sudhir Singh Pundir, COO, 3R Zero Waste Pvt Limited were the distinguished guest speakers who were invited to emcee the session.
The event started with the Saraswati Vandana and lighting of lamp ceremony. Dr Sanjna Vij, Head Centre of Excellence Innovation in Education, Amity University Haryana, welcomed guests with a formal welcomes address. Dr. Panugranti C. S. Devara, addressed the audience with his valuable inputs and thoughts pertaining to development specifically economic. Dr. Devara highlighted 4 key challenges to development namely Global warming, Pollution, Peace, Justice and Environment. Taking up the 2 key challenges, pollution and global warming, Dr. Devara enlightened students about the staggering contribution of pollution to premature death across the world and majorly the Indian Subcontinent.
Hon’ble Vice Chancellor Prof. (Dr.) P. B. Sharma began his special address with an introspective anecdote indicating and comparing the change in the trend in the purpose of education. Prof Sharma mentioned how education that previously had been very academic driven strived to achieved excellence only in the targeted career fields has now observed a drastic shift wherein the interests of the community and the world are critically taken into consideration.
Ms. Gayatri Raghawa, the Chief Guest, elucidated students about the predominant perceptions pertaining to economic growth. Ms Raghawa discussed the 17 primary global goals for sustainable development and gave valuable solutions to tackle a few of them. Ms. Raghawa listed the predominant perception of sustainable development particular in the relation to developing/ nurturing a circular economy. Further, Ms Raghawa shared enlightening statistics that both made aware and simultaneously alarmed the student on the current state of India in environmental content water sustainability, Air Quality Index, Natural Disasters etc
Rtn Shiv Challa, shared saddening statistics about the state of waste collection and waste management in India and how much an individual contributes to the ever-growing size of waste landfills across the country. Rtn Challa subsequently presented his company’s aim and goals such as reduction of industrial and solid waste. Rtn Challa also discussed the lower sustainable livelihood options present in urban settlements as opposed to rural areas. Dr. Sudhir Singh Pundir, started on a lighter note about students and their attention spam as he slowly and gradually moved towards the importance of working in the direction of waste management and reduction. Having captured the audience’s attention Dr. Pundir talked about redundant technology/ devices in one’s possession and clearly identifying the ones which can still be reused.
The objectives of this training workshop were to transform Amity University Gurugram into a Zero Waste Zone and to implement Industry 5.0 concepts which includes systematic prevention of waste, Gharage hub-creating valuable products from waste generated and unique Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) for all the waste being generated. The take homes of the session were that the attendees gained knowledge on the importance of managing waste in and outside of their campus and the prevent methodologies in order to create a zero waste campus.