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Operations
Operational sustainability at the University of Lucerne encompasses various topics and tasks in and around the university building, such as energy consumption and efficiency, resource and waste management, greenery and catering. For the University of Lucerne, sustainable operational management also means sustainable consumption patterns for its members.
The Uni/PH building has a modern Minergie standard, which was realized with the conversion of the old post office building over ten years ago under the leadership of the canton. The building was given an additional ecological "facelift" at the time with the distinctive facade made of recycled old glass with a polyurethane coating. The building is located in the immediate vicinity of Lucerne railroad station, which is why it does not have its own parking spaces.
The facility management team at the University of Lucerne is very keen to ensure that the building is operated as ecologically as possible on an ongoing basis using technical means in order to achieve sustainable optimizations in this regard. As a result, upgrades that have already been installed, such as a control system for heating, ventilation and air conditioning, a heat recovery system, taps with special mixers, LED lights, a 500 m2 photovoltaic system on the roof and an air curtain at the main entrance, ensure a significant reduction in energy consumption in building operations.
This relentless pursuit of efficiency is viewed very positively by several stakeholders at the University of Lucerne, such as Energie-Schweiz and the cantonal environment and energy department. In 2021, the University of Lucerne signed a target agreement with the company "act Cleantech Agentur Schweiz" on behalf of "energie-schweiz" to examine further possible energy-saving opportunities. In this regard, the building technology is subject to an annual audit, which checks and confirms the effectiveness and implementation of the energy efficiency measures.
The vast majority of energy-saving options in technical terms have already been planned or implemented. There is potential for further electricity savings by adapting the behavior of university members. For example, devices should not be left running in stand-by mode, the air conditioning in lecture halls and seminar rooms should not be disturbed by open windows and lights should not be left on after leaving the rooms. Sustainable operational management requires the cooperation of everyone.
The University of Lucerne's Facility Management department pursues waste management that is as ecologically sustainable as possible. The primary aim is to avoid waste. If waste is produced, it should be collected separately and then, ideally, recycled or disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner. The volume of waste should also be reduced as much as possible (via pneumatic container presses) so that a larger amount of waste can be transported by fewer trips, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Waste separation begins on the floors. There are several PET collection points in the corridors and bins for PET and aluminium cans at the catering stations. Cardboard, paper and glass are deposited by users in the disposal rooms. Facility Management transports the materials from the collection points to the disposal centre, where they are stored temporarily until final disposal. Other basic materials that are primarily used by Facility Management are specially collected, stored and treated (e.g. fluorescent tubes, batteries, metals, wood). The canteen is responsible for the proper disposal of its waste.
Domestic waste is waste that cannot be recycled and is incinerated in a waste incineration plant. This includes many packaging materials, for example. In 2023, the University of Lucerne generated 31.1 tonnes of waste. This was 5.5 % more than in the previous year (2022: 29.48 tonnes).
Awareness-raising campaign "Waste separation"
Since the spring semester 2025, new stickers have been placed on the PET and waste bins in the university building. These are part of an awareness-raising campaign on the topic of waste separation by VENALU and the University of Lucerne.
Initial situation: The University of Lucerne has an infrastructure for separating waste. Unfortunately, it happens that recyclable materials such as PET and aluminium end up in the rubbish. Conversely, Facility Management often finds rubbish or other recyclable materials in the PET and aluminium collection bags.
Problem: Rubbish or incorrectly collected items in the recyclable waste collection bags (PET, aluminium), as well as recyclable materials in the rubbish bags, are not sorted out by Facility Management. The correct separation of waste is the responsibility of university members and external guests. According to Facility Management, it can happen that the external providers do not take away excessively contaminated recyclable material collection bags (PET, aluminium). The recycling bags are then disposed of as rubbish. The recycling potential and thus the support of a more sustainable use of resources is thus not utilised. In addition, the extra waste that ends up in the waste incineration plant causes further greenhouse gas emissions.
Aim: The aim of the information campaign is to make university members and external guests aware of the need to separate waste correctly. It also serves as an appeal to reduce the amount of waste produced.
Reducing the amount of waste
In addition to the correct separation of waste, the University of Lucerne is committed to minimising the amount of waste produced. This also requires the cooperation of all university members.
Tips for avoiding waste:
- Bring a reusable container for take-away food and avoid single-use packaging.
- Avoid using a paper or plastic bag when you pick up your lunch at one of the train station restaurants. Store the food in a reusable bag that you have brought with you or carry the food the few metres to the university in your hand.
- Fill up a reusable water bottle you have brought with you with tap water instead of regularly consuming drinks from PET bottles or aluminium cans.
- Drink coffee from a reusable cup instead of a paper cup.
During the tendering process for a new canteen partner in 2021, the University of Lucerne, together with the Lucerne University of Teacher Education, was keen to provide students, staff, lecturers and other guests with a sustainable and healthy catering service. With the Zurich Women's Association (ZFV), a provider has been found that offers vegan-vegetarian menus with Mensa 1574 and thus promotes an environmentally conscious and balanced diet. The buffet offers a limited amount of meat and fish from Swiss producers.
The empty plates in the stack and the small amount of leftovers show that the freshly cooked meals are very popular with guests and that the canteen does an excellent job. Its commitment is also reflected in the sale of seasonal products from the region and measures against food waste. In addition, food waste (food waste collector) and fat residues (fat cutter) are collected in the waste water and fed into biogas production at regular intervals.
The creation of the "Canteen Echo Group", which is made up of representatives from services, the university management and the management of the canteen, ensures a participatory exchange of interests and evaluation of any needs.
