The commitment to become a future-focused and more sustainable organisation involves, in part, taking the global sustainability agenda and turning it into a local and customised list of impacts sought within Unitec.
Sustainability doesn’t sit in one department or one document. Sustainability is about highlighting interconnections and supporting growth of connections needed for a resilient system
Upcoming sustainability projects include the following:
Waste management audit: Towards Zero Waste
The push to improve waste management requires Unitec-wide action, and currently involves work by the Environmental Solutions Research Centre (ESRC) who are part of the Sustainable Business Network run Construction Waste Minimisation Group, as well as other external organisations.
In addition, Unitec has good relationships and collaborative projects with many contractors and organisations who are driving sustainability in the construction sector, including McConnell Dowell, Civil Share, Junk Run, Mitre 10 Mega, Naylor Love etc. Did you know, for instance, that a battery collection service is available in the same places on campus where you can drop off print cartridges?
In conjunction with these and other initiatives, the Sustainability team is planning to conduct a Waste Audit of the 4-bin waste sorting system.
Email connect@unitec.ac.nz for more on the next Unitec Waste Audit and to register your interest in being involved.
Diversity and Inclusion in support of Wellbeing 
As part of the ongoing commitment to enhancing staff wellbeing, an objective has been to expand wellbeing initiatives from previously only physical to also mental health and resilience. In 2020 this work was continued and expanded to include the theme of ‘Diversity and Inclusion’, to be done in partnership with the International Success Strategy.
The implementation of this strategy involves bring multi-departments together to help Unitec’s diverse staff feel safe and included. This helps engage all staff and develop capabilities needed to support quality learning.
The Women@Unitec initiative and event series as well as the Around the World in Lockdown event series have both successfully supported elements of this strategy.
Around the World – Season Two is supported by the Sustaibility and Wellbeing team and is planned to restart in the first semester, 2022.
Clothing Swap 2022 
A repeat of the hugely successful Clothing Swap event has been rescheduled for the first semester of 2022. This will create a highly-engaging social event across both student and staff teams. It will provide a valuable opportunity for waste-minimisation education while repurposing quality clothing items or accessories.
Email connect@unitec.ac.nz for more information or to register your interest in being involved.
Sustainable food and reduction of waste
Cooking Workshop for Beginners 
The Sustainability and Wellbeing team held a very successful student cooking workshop for beginners at Puukenga in the Mt Albert campus, in mid 2021, with a second Waitakere campus event cancelled due to lockdown. This workshop series is planned to resume in 2022. This event series fits with the Sustainability and Wellbeing Team’s strategic goal of helping address student hardship with regards to food nutrition, budgeting and life skills.
Get in touch though connect@unitec.ac.nz to schedule a cooking workshop for your team or your students.
Forward focus
Unitec’s Sustainability and Wellbeing programme is part of a continuous improvement practice –the prioritisation and details of its impacts will keep changing as Unitec transitions to the Te Pukenga model. One role of Unitec’s Sustainability and Wellbeing team is to be aware and track where this work is currently happening and where progress is being made and provide support where needed.
If there is an issue of sustainability you are passionate about and would like to see being actioned, please be in touch.
Email the Sustainability and Wellbeing team directly at connect@unitec.ac.nz
Find out more here: Get involved
