Green Initiatives

Sustainability Statement

CIS Abroad is dedicated to promoting and enacting sustainability initiatives. We believe that by doing our part in educating our participants and employees on green measures we can help keep the Earth around us clean. Therefore, we are delighted to announce that CIS Abroad has formed a sustainability committee known as “Green Flags.” We are joining many other organizations in the education abroad field who are working to prioritize sustainability and climate action in our operations and programming abroad. Learn more about it here

Living Green

Recycling

Australia has an excellent public recycling system. Most suburbs separate recyclables and general waste in separate public bins. With these Red and Yellow bins everywhere, recycling is easy and convenient. In most homes you will also find a third bin for green waste (food and plant matter).

Recycling in your respective housing will vary. If you're living at the dormitory on Newcastle campus you should continue to recycle, but there will be the night guard who is responsible for taking out the trash. If you live in an apartment, the process of sorting will follow accordingly, but you have to take out your own trash.

If you're not sure how to sort your refuse (garbage), all packaging produced in Australia is labeled with instructions on how and where to recycle it. 

Water Consumption

Taking shorter showers at home can help conserve water, an essential resource, without compromising personal hygiene. This is especially necessary in Australia given its history of drought. By integrating this sustainable habit into daily life, residents and visitors alike can play a vital role in preserving Australia’s natural beauty and fostering a greener future for the city.

Energy and water are very expensive in Australia. It's important to be mindful of the following:

• Turn off lights whenever you’re not home.
• Turn off the A/C when you’re not home.
• Shorten th length of time you take a shower.
• Use a reusable bag when shopping! Saves on plastic.  
• Carry a reusable water bottle with you.
• Avoid plastic packaging.
• Ask for no straw in your drink.
• Eat in instead of take away to avoid containers. 
• Of course, don’t litter.

Green Campus

University of Newcastle

The University of Newcastle is committed to integrating sustainable practices throughout all areas on campus.  A few campus initiatives include:

Renewable Electricity: The university has procured a 100% renewable electricity supply agreement and a commitment to achieve carbon neutrality by 2025. UoN has achieved this at a rate 10% cheaper than the University has paid per kWh of electricity historically and has slashed the university's total carbon emissions by 70%.

Green Impact Program: this voluntary program raises awareness of sustainability by giving people a focused approach to tackling issues and supporting them in achieving these actions.

Water Efficiency: UoN has installed 2 x 1.1million liter rainwater tanks to irrigate their sporting fields and reduce the demand for potable water. This comes in addition to the historical construction of 2 million liters of storm water retention ponds to irrigate their ovals, as well as installing over 500,000 liters of rainwater tanks across UoN campuses.

Community Garden: The UoN Community Garden is located on Oval 4, behind the Wollotuka Institute, and grows a seasonal range of fruit, vegetables, and herbs. The garden is sustainable featuring two water tanks, compost bin, solar pump, and six raised beds.

Compost on Campus: UoN diverts between 40 to 60% of its waste from landfills, but as part of their Environmental Sustainability Plan targets, they have committed to driving this up to 70% of their general waste by 2021. This target will position the University as a sector leader in waste management practices.

Simply Cups: The University is collaborating with Simply Cups to recycle disposable coffee cups, diverting them from landfill. These recycled cups are then used to make reusable coffee cups – the rCup – a world-first reusable coffee cup made from recycled coffee cups, as well as a range of other products.

Plastic Free: Plastic Free is an ongoing campaign designed to support staff, students and community in a shift away from single-use plastic to more sustainable alternatives. The goal is to remove single-use plastic products from key areas on campuses by the end of 2025.