UNNES Provides Drinking Water Refill Facilities to Reduce Single-Use Plastic Consumption
Universitas Negeri Semarang (UNNES) continues to strengthen its commitment to environmental sustainability by reducing the use of single-use plastics through institutional policies and drinking water refill facilities across campus. As a Conservation University, UNNES encourages students, lecturers, staff, and visitors to bring reusable water bottles and refill them at available drinking water stations instead of purchasing bottled water.
This initiative is supported by Rector’s Regulation No. 125 of 2024 concerning the Prohibition of Single-Use Plastics at UNNES. The regulation provides an institutional basis for reducing plastic consumption across faculties, offices, and other university units. It prohibits the use, sale, and distribution of various single-use plastic products and encourages the use of reusable alternatives. To support its implementation, campus units are required to provide drinking water refill facilities and promote the use of personal tumblers.
Drinking Water Facilities Across Campus
UNNES provides drinking water dispensers and refill stations to improve access to drinking water while encouraging more sustainable consumption habits. These facilities allow members of the academic community to refill their own bottles during lectures, administrative activities, and other campus events.
At the Faculty of Languages and Arts (FBS), free drinking water taps have been introduced to support students and other campus users. The facility forms part of the faculty’s effort to promote healthier lifestyles and reduce dependence on single-use plastic bottles.
The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA) also provides four free drinking water stations located at the faculty mosque, dean’s office, Building D1, and Physics Laboratory. The faculty conducts regular water quality monitoring, with laboratory testing on 20 August 2025 confirming that the stations met the required drinking water quality standards. These facilities encourage the academic community to bring reusable bottles and use refill stations rather than rely on bottled drinking water.
Similar drinking water infrastructure is available in other campus areas. UNNES’s sustainability information identifies facilities and treated-water systems supporting units including the Faculty of Social Sciences and Political Science (FISIP) and the university’s research and community service institution (LPPM). These facilities contribute to wider access to drinking water and support the university’s efforts to reduce plastic consumption.
Supporting Sustainable Campus Practices
The availability of refill facilities is part of a broader institutional approach to minimizing plastic waste. By providing alternatives to packaged drinking water, UNNES makes it easier for students and staff to reduce their daily use of disposable plastic bottles. The university also encourages the use of reusable containers and plastic-free alternatives during meetings, academic activities, and campus events.
These measures support the implementation of Rector’s Regulation No. 125 of 2024 and align with the university’s conservation principles. The policy provides the institutional direction, while drinking water refill facilities offer a practical way for the academic community to apply it in everyday activities.
Through the combination of formal regulations, accessible drinking water facilities, and encouragement to use reusable bottles, UNNES demonstrates its commitment to reducing single-use plastic consumption and promoting responsible resource use. This initiative contributes to the university’s sustainability agenda, particularly Sustainable Development Goal 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), by encouraging more sustainable consumption practices across campus.