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How you can contribute to our sustainability work
By working together as a University community, we can make our campuses more sustainable. Join a program or group today and help us reach our sustainability targets. Stay informed on new opportunities to get involved by joining our staff and student mailing list and following our social media.
Staff and student opportunities
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Green Impact programs
Green Impact is a change program which helps staff and students take practical steps to support sustainability at the University of Sydney.
Running from April to September, the program offers flexible options so you can get involved in a way that suits you. Teams can join at any time and start completing actions from an online toolkit tailored to our campus.
In 2025, Green Impact offers three targeted streams.
- Sustainability Leadership Program – A co-curricular opportunity for students to build leadership skills in sustainability. Eligible participants can receive a letter of recognition from the Director of Sustainability on completion.
Take Action Toolkit – Designed for staff and mixed staff-student teams, this toolkit supports practical sustainability improvements in the workplace. Staff can also participate individually.
Green Impact Labs – Aimed at staff and students in teaching and research labs, this stream focuses on reducing the environmental impact of lab spaces.
Join us for the Green Impact 2025 launch on Wednesday 9 April with a zero waste cooking demonstration. Discover simple ways to cut food waste and learn how to get involved.
The 2025 Sustainability Leadership Program and Take Action Toolkit open on Wednesday 9 April. Teams and individuals can sign up and start participating at any time between April and September.
The program is self-paced. To take part, you only need to complete one action from a toolkit. Participants can submit their completed toolkit at any stage during the program. The final deadline for submissions is Friday 12 September.
An awards celebration will be held in late September to recognise contributions across the program.
You can register for the Sustainability Leadership Program (for students) and the Take Action Toolkit (for staff) ahead of the program opening on Wednesday 9 April.
We recommend starting conversations now about forming a team, or thinking about how you'd like to participate as an individual.
E-Waste Drop In
Got old tech gathering dust? Bring your old phones, laptops, chargers and small electronics to the E-Waste Drop-In and recycle them the right way. All e-waste collected will go to specialist recyclers who recover valuable materials like gold, copper and rare earth metals – materials that would otherwise be lost in landfill.
Join the growing USYD sustainability community who recycled e-waste 60.77 tonnes correctly in 2024. By recycling e-waste your supporting a healthier planet and actively contributing to the University’s goal of zero waste to landfill by 2030.
Waste experts will be there to answer all your recycling questions, and there will be free climate friendly snacks to enjoy while you recycle.
Thursday 22 May, 12-2pm, Law Lawns, Eastern Avenue, Camperdown Campus.
- computers, laptops, tablets
- mobile phones, chargers
- cables and power cords
- keyboards, mice, and computer accessories
- printers, scanners, and fax machines
- monitors and displays
- hard drives and storage devices
- cameras, video recorders, and projectors
- game consoles and gaming accessories
- household electronics like DVD players and radios
- small kitchen appliances like kettles, toasters and blenders (no large whitegoods)
What can't be recycled
- large household appliances like fridges, washing machines and microwaves
- batteries (these must go to dedicated battery recycling points)
- light bulbs and fluorescent tubes
- hazardous waste like paint and chemicals
- soft plastics
- general rubbish (use red landfill bins)
- paper, cardboard, glass, and regular recyclables (use yellow or blue bins)
Find out more about campus recycling at: Sustainability on Campus
Reach out to university.sustainability@sydney.edu.au with any questions.
Carbon Literacy Training
Develop your knowledge of the climate crisis by taking Carbon Literacy Training (CLT) at the University of Sydney. The course is accredited by the Carbon Literacy Project. An award-winning charitable organisation, recognised by the UN as one of 100 worldwide Transformative Action Programs.
Open to both staff and students, completion of the course will include a verified digital credential, develop in-demand green skills and knowledge, and may result in future employment opportunities to act as a student facilitator.
- 2 hours of self-study on Canvas.
- 6 hours of live training, to be delivered across a full-day session.
- An assessment & pledge, due one week after the completion of the final live session.
- Total time commitment of approximately 10 hours.
Delivered across a full-day session, this short course will be offered twice in 2025.
This opportunity is open to all current students and staff at the University of Sydney. Spaces are limited, so register now.
- Tuesday 12 August, 9-4pm
- Friday 17 October, 9-4pm
Deadline to register is 2 weeks prior to each session. If the session is full, you will be placed on a waitlist. Should a spot become available, you will be informed via email.
Sustainability Action Student Life Grants
Student Life Grants provide funding and support for students to create innovative co-curricular projects that build a sense of community.
We are offering up to $2,500 to fund projects that focus on enabling and embedding sustainability across campus life and within our community.
Projects can be submitted by an individual current student, a current student group or a student led staff supported group.
Projects funded need to align to our Sustainability Strategy and could be:
- ‘Fix it’ workshops to encourage our community to reduce waste
- Native pollinator projects such as green walls and rooftops and native bee gardens
- Activating circular economy practices
- Zero waste cooking classes or guides
- Information and networking events such as career fairs or career nights
- Renewable energy demonstrations
- Workplace visits
- Student-led volunteering initiatives that benefit the wider community e.g. charity drives organised by students
- Sustainable research projects
- Student-led public talks
Keep an eye on the student life grants webpage for information on the opening and closing time of the next grant rounds.
Reduce, reuse, recycle
- Located in the Wentworth Building on level 2.
- Open to all staff and students, use the wall to recycle tricky items for free.
- You can recycle: pens, oral health products, batteries, blister pill packets, skin care products and e-waste.
- Simply bring your waste in to campus and leave it in the correct shelf.
Travel sustainably
End-of-trip facilities on campus
Want to ditch the car and run or cycle to University? With over 27 end-of-trip facilities across our Camperdown/Darlington campus, you can place your gear in a locker and freshen up in the shower while feeling good about taking a more sustainable route to campus. Search for end-of-trip facilities on Campus Maps.
Select 'bike parking' on the campus map to find secure bicycle parking stations.
There are three bike repair stations on campus. One located outside the Chemistry Building on Eastern Avenue, another in front of the Sydney Uni Sports & Aquatic Centre car park on Darlington Campus and one on Western Avenue, on the Grose Farm Lane walkway, between the ovals. These are self-service bicycle repair station with an air pump, allen wrenches, screw drivers and tyre levers.
Visit the Getting to Campus page for information on Public Transport, Campus Bus
USU and sustainability
The University of Sydney Union is committed to a sustainable future for our campus community. They have made commitments ensuring sustainability is embedded into all that they do – from their events and cafés to their student programs and facilities.
USU run a range of events and programs throughout the year with a sustainability focus.
If you have an idea or would like to help USU with its mission to make USYD the most sustainable campus in Australia, contact sustainability@usu.edu.au
Join a student club or society committed to the environment:
- Sustainable Ocean Alliance
- Greens on Campus
- USYD Food Co-op
- USYD Waste Fighters
- Fashion Revolution
- Bike Society
- Gardening Society
- Enviro Collective
- Sustainable Design Society
Visit the USU Clubs and Societies page to view the full list of sustainability-driven groups.