Green METU

An Introduction

to the MOVEMENT for GREEN METU

Who are we?

The founders of MOVEMENT for GREEN METU and those colleagues who have joined us, students who participate in a local initiative, we all support making METU greener, by raising awareness in volunteering, involving the people who show interest in volunteer programmes and organizing activities in order to increase social public good. We are convinced that through volunteer activities we all gain new knowledge and an ever-increasing number of us will shift to a more sustainable lifestyle in the long run.

What are our objectives?

Our mutual aim is to make METU green. Add value by using the METU’s intellectual capital, network, experience and knowledge.

We are organizing events to transfer knowledge, roundtable discussions with the contribution of volunteers joining the MOVEMENT for GREEN METU whose aim is to create intellectually inspiring workshops, cooperation, brainstorming in order to identify our everyday addictions – lacking any eco-conscious attitude - and by supporting each other, sharing best practices, challenges, humour and using the ‘step by step’ principle to create habits with the integration of environmental thinking.

How can you support us?

Change and make changes: shift to a long-term sustainable lifestyle

Follow our movement’s news, announcements and integrate environmental thinking in your daily routine and try to reduce your ecological footprint.

If you are ready to do more about the environment, come and join the MOVEMENT for GREEN METU as a volunteer. Think with us, take part in the tasks defined together depending on your abilities and available time; and perform these in accordance with your own responsibilities.

How can you join us?

If you agree with our aims and you would like to be an active and enthusiastic member of the team to make METU green, please contact us at greenmetu@metropolitan.hu

Every eco-conscious volunteer is welcome.

The founders of the Movement for Green METU

The movement was launched in the summer of 2019, in the plastic-free July. The founders are professors and colleagues of the University: Prof Hajnal Baráth DLA habil.,Head of Fashion and Textile Institute, Ágnes Dávid, the Head of HR in METU, dr Lívia Csete legal adviser, Dr.Katalin Huzdik PhD, associate professor of the Institute of Business Sciences, Andrea Magay, the Head of the Rector’s Office, Szilvia Major, Head of the Career Centre and Training Centre, Henriett Paulik Director of Accounting, and István Urbán Director of Facility Manager.

The Results of the Movement for Green METU

We had the tap water of our four campuses tested in a certified laboratory (physical, chemical, microbiological tests)
We cooperated with the students of the Marketing Talent Workshop about the logo design
We requested the library to make a green corner
We asked the organizers of students’ events/parties to drop straws or to use environmentally friendly straws and to start to make the parties greener and this is stated in every event organization contract.
The Christmas party for the University’s employees in 2019 was organized as a plastic-free event, named GREENMAS.
We asked the Institute of Foreign Languages to have green minutes
We held the first Green Day event on 27th November 2019.
We organised a Christmas wardrobe sale in the Faculty of Arts
We have organized the recycling of paper / coffee capsules (collecting and removing)
We have organized the “use your own cup” campaign in the cafeterias (you can ask your drink to be filled in your own cup or re-cup)
The owner of the cafeteria and the buffet has started to replace the packaging material of takeaway food with more environmentally friendly packaging
in the vending machines 80% of drinks are served in cans and not in PET bottles
METU has become part of the GreenMetric list
We have made the GreenMETU FB page

The Work plan of the Movement for Green METU /until the 31st of December 2020/

2020. december 31. napjáig

To promote the green project in the Art and Creative Industries Faculty and Business, Communication and Tourism Faculty, along with making a database about sustainability, measures and making the environment greener and updating it, relating to the teaching materials of subjects taught at METU.
To organise a wardrobe sale twice a year in cooperation with the Students’ Union in the Art and Creative Industries Faculty and Business, Communication and Tourism Faculty.
To design, create and post METUGREEN posters and pictograms in the campuses.
To organize and administer the no luxury bag campaign.
To make a sewing club by involving colleagues and students where the participants can make eco-conscious products and creations.
To organize a rubbish collection once a year for every campus.
To phase out PET bottles from the buffets and cafeterias, in cooperation with the managers.
On the communication surfaces of the movement to launch greening news, updating content and information campaigns.
To create a greening agenda for the students and employees alike.
To create a Green Corner, to represent the aims of the movement, to share information in the Freshmen’s Camp in cooperation with the Students’ Union representatives.
To involve members joining the movement, to organize an open-door session, to recruit volunteers.
To organize and administer events to make the place greener and to organize information campaign lectures.
To organize the collection of used mobile phones.

Green corner in the Main Library!

The METU librarians were happy to join the Green Programme of the University and they have created a so-called GREEN CORNER in the Main Library.

THE MOVEMENT FOR GREEN METU initiated its foundation.

The aim of the movement is to involve colleagues and students and to foster intellectually inspiring workshops, cooperation and sharing thoughts. The Movement initiates gaining new knowledge in connection with being eco-conscious. In order to support this, the Library stocks have been extended with books on climate protection and green sustainability.

The list of books can be found in the Excel list: Zöldsarok könyvei.xlsx

Have a pleasant read!

Kornélia Bánhegyiné Kollár