OUR Minds Are Green

Every day is a new opportunity to take better care of our environment. At OurCampus we try to contribute to a greener tomorrow. With the mission to reduce our carbon footprint and promote an eco-friendly lifestyle, OurCampus has implemented a series of green initiatives for sustainable living:

ZERO FOSSIL ENERGY

As per January 2018, all onsite electricity is generated via 100% sustainable resources, with 0% fossil generated power. Our partner GreenChoice delivers solely electricity generated via biomass, solar panels and wind turbines. With 191 solar panels fixed on our roofs, we are able to generate about 45.000 kilowatt-hours per year ourselves!

Likewise, all OurCampus buildings are heated by city heating. According to provider NUON, this saves about 50% of CO2 emissions, equivalent to the reduction of approximately 800.000 kilo CO2 emissions or the benefit of 8.000 solar panels (!) This is compared to the gas-powered individual HR-kettles that are common in Dutch households. There is no gas-powered equipment at OurCampus.

WASTE

OurCampus facilitates separated waste collection. Over 99% of the waste collected is re-used by our partners. We have press containers in every building for residual waste. The press containers enable a more efficient waste collection with far less transport movements. All glass and paper collected is 100% re-used. Your old clothes and shoes can be disposed at the containers of the Army of Salvation. These will be selected and handed out to people in need. Clothes that are damaged will be recycled. Battery recycling collection is available at Albert Heijn super market and empty printer toners can be handed in at the Service Desk. Organic garden waste is composted and reused as a fertilizer.

We have a separate container for disposing larger items. These will be recycled as trash. However, we encourage residents to consider donating items that are potentially useful for others. Alternatively, we have contacts with local non-profit second-hand shops that are happy to collect these.

WATER

In our attempt to reduce water consumption, our apartments are supplied with special water-saving devices (aerators) which reduce water consumption up to 50%. Considering Dutch tap water is amongst the cleanest and safest in the world, we also promote drinking tap water instead of bottled water.

LED

To reduce the consumption of electricity, all public indoor- and outdoor lights at OurCampus are LED.

TRANSPORTATION

As a fast, healthy and sustainable method to travel, bicycle riding is highly recommended, and every apartment unit comes with a covered bike parking spot. Alternatively, OurCampus is situated directly adjoining public transportation facilities (subway, train and bus) and we plan to introduce onsite electric car sharing facilities to OurCampus soon.

CLEANING & LAUNDRY

Our onsite cleaning partner KSV uses cleaning materials and detergents that are “Cradle to Cradle” certified (biological and/or re-usable, produced with 100% sustainable energy).

The detergent used in the launderette is automatically dosed based on the weight of the laundry batch, while the amount of water is adjusted based on the volume of the laundry. This way, we reduce the environmental impact while ensuring the condition of your clothes is optimized.

VEGETABLE GARDEN

To stimulate sustainable living, we have allocated a special vegetable garden area, where we host seasonal gardening master classes for those that want to join the vegetable garden club (all free of charge!). Home-grown vegetables are sustainable, cheap and so much tastier!

REDUCE PRINTED MATERIALS

Finally, OurCampus team has taken measures to limit unnecessary printed materials by moving communication to email or via our residents’ personal portal. Residents have the choice to opt out of receiving unaddressed mail such as brochures and flyers by posting a “NEE / NEE” sticker on their mailbox.

At OurCampus we do what we can to encourage everyone to make more responsible decisions for the environment. As Barbara Mikulski once said, “Each one of us can make a difference. Together we make change.”