To raise the awareness of the academic community on waste reduction, USU has made posters on waste sorting, reduced the use of plastic bags and single-use plastic bottles, and recommended people to use tumblers, reusable straws, and personal shopping bags. USU has provided separate trash bins for organic, inorganic, and recycled plastic waste in faculties and the main administration buildings. Plastic waste such as plastic bottles and cups are stored at a temporary landfill, then taken to a recyclable materials vendor on Jalan Labu or to a trash bank in Selayang District which is then finally sold to a recycling factory. This is also the case for paper and cardboard waste which are still recyclable. Trash that cannot be recycled will be taken to the final disposal site provided by the Medan Sanitation Service.
In addition to composting which has been going on for several years, organic waste from kitchens/cafeterias is processed using Black Solfier Fly Larvae at the USU temporary landfill site. Mature larvae are used as fish feed and the feed can be dried into compost.
USU's wish to become a green campus was emphasized by the issuance of a Rector Regulation in October 2019 regarding the Green Campus Movement at Universitas Sumatera Utara. This regulation is followed by circular letters at all faculties and departments to conserve energy, water, paper and plastic usage, and waste management.
Online learning using USU E-Learning platforms has reduced paper usage up to 100% in teaching activities.
USU E-Learning
Online information systems and other mobile applications in libraries and e-books greatly reduce the use of paper.
USU Lib application for information on books available in the library and online book loan extension
Posters raising awareness of paper use reduction and duplex printing are placed in offices and near printers to encourage employees to reduce paper use.
Posters regarding the use of tumblers, reusable straws, and reusable tote bags for shopping help increase the awareness of the USU community to reduce plastic use. This is in line with the "USU Zero Waste" program.
USU Zero Waste
Tumbler and canvas bag production with the USU Green Campus logo serves as an attractive gimmick and a means of campaigning for plastic use reduction.
USU Tumbler
The use of online information systems for attendance management (Online Attendance), staff database (USU SIMSDM), correspondence (SITP), and online announcements (SIBOA) have greatly reduced paper usage.
Students can access the Academic Portal information system to plan their activities per semester and view study results, effectively eliminating paper use in these activities.
The Academic information system (SIA) is used by faculties and departments to conduct paperless academic activities.
Several faculties have implemented a Computer Based Test (CBT) system for mid and final exams to reduce paper use.
In managing journals and conferences, USU has established the Open Journal System and the Open Conference System which require no hardcopy.
To raise awareness towards waste, USU has been actively participating in the World Clean-Up Day activities since 2018 involving students, lecturers, and the community around the campus. This activity is organized collectively by environmentally driven student communities such as EcoBiomedic (USU Faculty of Medicine), GoGreen & Art (Faculty of Social and Political Sciences), USU's KOMPAS, Rain Forest, and many others.
Organic waste is mostly produced by the canteen, cafeterias, and kitchens in staff houses around the campus. Other sources of organic waste are dry leaves, lawns, and woods from the gardens. At the USU temporary landfill site, there are 4 composting containers. The USU compost center produces bio activators that can accelerate the fermentation process in composting containers. The compost is then used as fertilizer at campus gardens.
In 2020, an initiative project utilizing Black Soldier Fly Larvae to degrade food waste is launched and supported by the USU Community Service Institute. In this project, kitchen waste from houses on campus is collected and fed to BSF Larvae. The larvae are then used to feed Tilapia fish in the Aquaponic system. The degraded product is then dried and packed as fertilizer. This project aims to show that organic waste still has economic potential.
Another organic waste that is developed at USU is a biogas composter. This method is also introduced to the community in several community service programs.
Inorganic waste treatment at Universitas Sumatera Utara is developed in cooperation with the Department of Sanitation and Environmental Service of Medan City. Education regarding waste sorting for students and other campus residents is carried out through lectures during new student admissions and educational posters. Waste sorting starts from the separation of trash cans from inorganic waste. At the USU temporary landfill site, inorganic waste that can still be recycled is sorted again. Next, this waste is sold to recycling vendors or partner waste banks in the Medan Selayang District. Other inorganic waste is transported by the Medan Sanitation Department to the final disposal site.
Hazardous waste (solid and liquid) from hospitals and laboratories in USU is managed under a contract by third parties (PT Sumatera Deli Lestari Indah and PT Arah Environmental Indonesia).
The toxic waste is securely stored in small containers and then arranged in temporary waste storage before being regularly collected by the companies.
The wastewater treatment plant is located at the USU Teaching Hospital. Maintenance is handled by C.V. C&R Enviro Engineering.
After going through the treatment process, wastewater can be utilized in different ways, such as drinking water, watering parks, and washing vehicles. In the future, processed water will be recirculated for toilet flushing.
Under a collaborative project between USU and JICA (Japan) titled “Environmental Education Project for Water Environment Improvement in the Deli River Basin of the North Sumatra Province, Shinriyo Cooperation has installed a sewage treatment unit named “JOHKASOU”. This unit can recycle sewage water into clean water that can be further used for toilet flushing.