Create your own Sustainability Day

Today you get to decide what you would like to learn about sustainability. Below you can find many different video's, blogs, podcasts etc. about sustainability. Watch/listen/read the items that appeal to you most and create your own Sustainability Day!

Students, companies and others interested were able to submit a video, blog, podcast or something similar, in order to win a nice price. Below, you can check out all submitted content. We choose two winners, one for best Dutch content, and the other for best English content. Do you agree with these winners or do you prefer one of the other items? Check out all submissions and learn something new.

Winner create your own Sustainability Day

Rainwater collection (Dutch)

Lotte Straatman and Arousig Dikranian have thought about collecting rainwater and how this can contribute to sustainability.

Unicef - A future without malnutrition (English)

Malnutrition is a complex and widespread problem that the world is facing right now. But together, we can support the fight for good nutrition across the globe, by making sustainable food choices in our everyday lives. A future without malnutrition is a better future for all of us.

Other submissions create your own Sustainability day

The Ultimate Plant-Based Student Guide Vol. 1

Animal agriculture is one of the leading causes of environmental degradation. Our demand for meat, fish, dairy and eggs are leading to increased emissions of greenhouse gasses, the destruction of biodiversity, water scarcity, and climate change. Do you want to decrease your water, plant, and carbon footprint? We have created a guide for you to do this! This guide includes many recipes for plant-based meals that are easy to make with cheap and accessible ingredients. This booklet is a collaborative effort of members from Sustain and Enactus. If you want to get in touch with Sustain and/or Enactus, please send an e-mail to d.m.vonbenckendorff@student.utwente.nl or i.u.desai@student.utwente.nl.

Download: The Ultimate Plant-Based Student Guide Vol. 1

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Sustainability Walk: A tour of the campus of the University of Twente (English)
The University of Twente is located on a beautiful green campus in the Netherlands, between the cities of Enschede and Hengelo. In this virtual tour, you can explore the campus - and discover some of the sustainability measures the university has taken to become more sustainable.
Click anywhere to fly the drone to that location. You can follow the numbers to get the full tour - or click on the locations that interest you. Have fun!
STOPmaatje in STOPtober (Dutch)
STOPmaatje (buddy) in STOPtober
This month it is STOPtober. 28 Days together no smoking. A nice moment to realise your possible stop wish. Take up the challenge together with your colleagues and contribute to keeping our campus smoke-free.
Read more about how you can participate in this research
Sustainable Clothing (Dutch)
Shimaa Zayat and Jena van Zanten came up with a creative sustainable solution for washing your clothing.
Interview prof. dr. ir Boelo Schuur (English)
Alembic interview prof. dr. ir Boelo Schuur about current research and green chemicals.
Electric Superbike Twente (English)
Electrically-powered racing? Check out the path to this exciting development!
Hé, oude sok, waar ga jij heen? (Dutch)
Hey, old sock, where are you going?
Twente Milieu would like to know what you do with textiles!
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AIESEC volunteering and SDGs
All AISECs volunteer projects link to one or more Sustainable Development Goals.
Sustainability at caterer Appèl 1 (English)
Sustainability at caterer Appèl 1 (English)
Sustainability at caterer Appèl 3 (English)
Sustainability at caterer Appèl 3 (English)
Sustainability at caterer Appèl 1 (Dutch)
Sustainability at caterer Appèl 1 (Dutch)
Sustainability at caterer Appèl 5 (English)
Sustainability at caterer Appèl 5 (English)
Circulair - SUEZ Nederland (Dutch)
We all produce a lot of waste. And we all know that we have to do something with it. The nice thing is, we can do something with that too. Your waste is not the end of something, but it is the beginning of something new...

Video's to learn more about sustainability in the region

Betekeniseconomie in Twente animatie (Dutch)

We believe that we need an economy that keeps our society livable and develops positively. We call this the purpose economy. In the purpose economy we do business in a conscientious manner, seeking the balance between what is good for you as a person and what is good for us as a community. Economic considerations are important in this respect, but not as important as is often the case nowadays.

Discover your place in the purpose economy by joining the online game.

Scientists use a blender to reveal what's in our smartphones (English)

Every year, 1.4 billion mobile phones are produced around the world. Many of us have more than one, but what are they made of, where do those materials come from, and what is the best thing to do with our devices once we have no more use for them?
By blending an entire mobile phone to dust, and then conducting a chemical analysis of the dissolved results, they hope to demonstrate why we should all take a keener interest in what is contained within everyday electrical items.

Reas more

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Videoboodschap van wethouder Niels van den Berg (Dutch)
Alderman Niels van den Berg invites residents of the municipality of Enschede to get inspired and work together on a sustainable future during the Sustainability Week.
Week van de duurzaamheid met Thom Palstra (Universiteit Twente) Trudy Vos (ROC van Twente) en Timo Kos (Saxion Hogescholen)
Hoe kan ik duurzaam ondernemen - True Pricing (Dutch)
Sustainable entrepreneurship in practice. With True Price, the actual price of a product is taken into account and you see what opportunities sustainability offers. When we buy a product in the store, we assume that that price is 'right'. But usually we don't pay the actual price of a product. How does that work? And what is the actual price of a product?
GroenBlauw Enschede: -Theo (Dutch)
How does your garden score?
On this page you can indicate what you have already done to make your garden climate proof and water and nature friendly. Find out what else you can do and how you can improve your label.
The peanut butter perspective by Nando Tolboom (English)
Physicist Nando Tolboom noticed that people find it difficult to access problems with numbers. As numbers play a vital role in the energy transition, he believes that we should develop some gut feeling to ask ourselves: Does it make sense what someone is claiming? Look no further, maybe peanut butter is a step towards the solution! The energy transition, a daunting task you might say. Well, hopefully Nando can give you some guidance using peanut butter. Nando Tolboom is a researcher at the University of Twente and as a physicist, he loves numbers large and small.
Nieuwsuur – Textielrecyclers willen actie van de overheid (Dutch)
Every year in the Netherlands we all bring 138 million clothes to the textile bins. Of these, everything is made except new clothing. This is because recycled cotton is strangely enough more expensive than new cotton. The recycling industry is now speaking up because they think politicians should force the fashion industry to use recycled cotton. Scientists at Saxion University of Applied Science have made a revolutionary invention, allowing them to make new towels out of old ones.
Watch from 25.05 minutes
Huisje boompje beter animatie - GroenBlauw Enschede (Dutch)
In this short animation you will see what you can do yourself to decorate your house and garden nature friendly, water friendly and climate proof.
More inspiration and information

Sustainability Podcasts

The podcasts below can all be accessed freely on most podcast apps.

Dutch:

Ondernemen in de nieuwe economie: de podcast
De grote paradox van deze tijd: het gaat beter én slechter met de wereld – De Correspondent
De materialen waarmee we onze beschaving bouwen, maken die beschaving ook kapot, maar er zijn alternatieven – De Correspondent
Als we zo doorbouwen hebben we straks geen planeet meer over – De Correspondent
Een leefbare aarde na 2030? Alleen als we nu enge dingen durven doen – De Correspondent
Wat is oersaai en gaat de wereld redden? – De Correspondent
Wat ik leerde over racisme door te luisteren naar mensen die het ervaren – De Correspondent
Reconstructie: Hoe C&A zijn naaisters in Bangladesh liet vallen – De Correspondent
De natuur redden? Met deze ideeën kan het – De Correspondent
Ik werkte als dokter voor daklozen en zag: alleen een huis helpt – De Correspondent
98% van alle diersoortsen op aarde heeft een pr-probleem – De Correspondent
Green leaders - Duurzaam bedrijfsleven
Klimaatherapie - Cecilia Adoree
De betekeniseconomie als nieuw model - Circl
Het groene hart van Growthinkers

English:

The biggest story in the world van The Guardian
Champions for Social Good
Sustainability Defined
A Sustainable Mind
Trash Talking with Eco-Warriors

Sustainability documentaries

Chasing Coral

Chasing Coral taps into the collective will and wisdom of an ad man, a self-proclaimed coral nerd, top-notch camera designers, and renowned marine biologists as they invent the first time-lapse camera to record bleaching events as they happen. Unfortunately, the effort is anything but simple, and the team doggedly battles technical malfunctions and the force of nature in pursuit of their golden fleece: documenting the indisputable and tragic transformation below the waves. With its breathtaking photography, nail-biting suspense, and startling emotion, Chasing Coral is a dramatic revelation that won’t have audiences sitting idle for long.

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Bodem in zicht (Dutch)
No car or chef's knife without steel. Without gold no wedding ring on your finger. And without lithium no battery in your laptop, phone or electric car. Yet hardly anyone wonders where these materials come from and under what conditions they were extracted from the earth. Eva Cleven and Anne Gimbrère investigate the origin of the most important raw materials - they dive into the world behind the materials that form the basis of our modern existence.
Watch here
Minimalism A Documentary About the Important Things
How might your life be better with less? This documentary examines the many flavors of minimalism by taking the audience inside the lives of minimalists from all walks of life—families, entrepreneurs, architects, artists, journalists, scientists, and even a former Wall Street broker—all of whom are striving to live a meaningful life with less.
Full documentary can be found on Netflix
Meat the Truth
Meat the Truth is a high-profile documentary, presented by Marianne Thieme (leader of the Party for the Animals), which forms an addendum to earlier films that have been made about climate change. Although such films have convincingly succeeded in drawing public attention to the issue of global warming, they have repeatedly ignored one of the most important causes of climate change, namely: intensive livestock production. Meat the Truth has drawn attention to this by demonstrating that livestock farming generates more greenhouse gas emissions worldwide than all cars, lorries, trains, boats and planes added together.
The Social Dilemma
We tweet, we like, and we share— but what are the consequences of our growing dependence on social media? As digital platforms increasingly become a lifeline to stay connected, Silicon Valley insiders reveal how social media is reprogramming civilization by exposing what’s hiding on the other side of your screen.
Full documentary can be found on Netflix
A Plastic Ocean
A Plastic Ocean is an adventure documentary shot on more than 20 locations over the past 4 years. Explorers Craig Leeson and Tanya Streeter and a team of international scientists reveal the causes and consequences of plastic pollution and share solutions. Plastic - both a wonderful invention and a scourge on our planet. Over 300 million tons will be produced this year.
Most is never recycled and remains on our land and in our seas forever. Our story shows the damage to all creatures who depend on the ocean for their food – from birds… to us.
Full documentary can be found on Netflix
COWSPIRACY the sustainability secret
Cowspiracy is a groundbreaking feature-length environmental documentary following an intrepid filmmaker as he uncovers the most destructive industry facing the planet today, and investigates why the world's leading environmental organizations are too afraid to talk about it.
The Positive Chain Of Change Documentary (Dutch)
A documentary about the next generation game changers in the fashion industry showing the power of connection.
The Ivory Game
Elephants are disappearing at the staggering rate of 1 every 15 minutes. Their deaths are fueled by the illegal ivory trade, a dangerous network of violence and corruption that a brave and dedicated few are daring to dismantle. THE IVORY GAME exposes the dark world of ivory trafficking from the planes of Africa to the streets of China. By working with undercover intelligence organizations, activists, frontline rangers and conservationists to infiltrate the corrupt global network of ivory trafficking, the film inspires both outrage and hope.
Full documentary can be found on Netflix
Before the Flood by National Geographic
Before The Flood is the product of an incredible three-year journey. All that we witnessed on this journey shows us that our world's climate is incredibly interconnected and that it is at urgent breaking point...
Drawdown - Is it possible to reverse global warming
Is it possible to reverse global warming? Project Drawdown is facilitating a broad coalition of researchers, scientists, graduate students, PhDs, post-docs, policymakers, business leaders and activists to assemble and present the best available information on climate solutions in order to describe their beneficial financial, social and environmental impact over the next thirty years.

The best Sustainability Ted Talks, to learn something new in 15 minutes

The peanut butter perspective by Nando Tolboom (English)

Physicist Nando Tolboom noticed that people find it difficult to access problems with numbers. As numbers play a vital role in the energy transition, he believes that we should develop some gut feeling to ask ourselves: Does it make sense what someone is claiming? Look no further, maybe peanut butter is a step towards the solution! The energy transition, a daunting task you might say. Well, hopefully Nando can give you some guidance using peanut butter. Nando Tolboom is a researcher at the University of Twente and as a physicist, he loves numbers large and small.

100 solutions to reverse global warming by Chad Frischmann

What if we took out more greenhouse gases than we put into the atmosphere? This hypothetical scenario, known as "drawdown," is our only hope of averting climate disaster, says strategist Chad Frischmann. In a forward-thinking talk, he shares solutions to climate change that exist today -- conventional tactics like the use of renewable energy and better land management as well as some lesser-known approaches, like changes to food production, better family planning and the education of girls.

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The global Sustainable Development Goals we've made progress on - and the ones we haven't by Michael Green
"We are living in a world that is tantalizingly close to ensuring that no one need die of hunger or malaria or diarrhea," says economist Michael Green. To help spur progress, back in 2015 the United Nations drew up a set of 17 goals around important factors like health, education and equality. In this data-packed talk, Green shares his analysis on the steps each country has (or hasn't) made toward these Sustainable Development Goals -- and offers new ideas on what needs to change so we can achieve them.
Why Plastic Pollution is Personal by Natalie Fee
“When you go to the loo - just flush pee, paper and poo!”

How does one person tackle a global, and at times overwhelming problem? And why are we flushing plastic down the toilet? In this funny, playful and moving talk, award-winning environmental campaigner Natalie Fee reveals how you can disrupt big industry from your back room … and how you can change the world, one flush at a time.
Let's go all-in on selling sustainability by Steve Howard
The big blue buildings of Ikea have sprouted solar panels and wind turbines; inside, shelves are stocked with LED lighting and recycled cotton. Why? Because as Steve Howard puts it: "Sustainability has gone from a nice-to-do to a must-do." Howard, the chief sustainability officer at the furniture megastore, talks about his quest to sell eco-friendly materials and practices -- both internally and to worldwide customers -- and lays a challenge for other global giants.
How long will human impacts last by David Biello
Imagine aliens land on Earth a million years from now. What will these curious searchers find of us? They will find what geologists, scientists, and other experts are increasingly calling the Anthropocene, or new age of mankind. David Biello explains how the impacts that humans have made have become so pervasive, profound, and permanent that some geologists believe we merit our own epoch.
The Simple Cure for Loneliness by Baya Voce
Baya Voce is the host of "The Art of Connection", a web series looking to experts from across the globe on how to the live your most fulfilled life. In this TEDx talk, Baya reveals a simple tool you can start using today to create more happiness, fulfillment, and connection.
A rich life with less stuff by The Minimalists
Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus spoke at TEDxWhitefish about minimalism, the value of community, and discovering what makes people rich.
Magical houses, made of bamboo by Elora Hardy
You've never seen buildings like this. The stunning bamboo homes built by Elora Hardy and her team in Bali twist, curve and surprise at every turn. They defy convention because the bamboo itself is so enigmatic. No two poles of bamboo are alike, so every home, bridge and bathroom is exquisitely unique. In this beautiful, immersive talk, she shares the potential of bamboo, as both a sustainable resource and a spark for the imagination. "We have had to invent our own rules," she says.
School strike for climate - save the world by changing the rules by Greta Thunberg
Greta Thunberg realized at a young age the lapse in what several climate experts were saying and in the actions that were being taken in society. The difference was so drastic in her opinion that she decided to take matters into her own hands.
My philosophy for a happy life by Sam Berns
Just before his passing on January 10, 2014, Sam Berns was a Junior at Foxboro High School in Foxboro, Massachusetts, where he achieved highest honors and was a percussion section leader in the high school marching band. He also achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America. Sam was diagnosed with Progeria, a rare, rapid aging disease, at the age of 2. He is featured in the Emmy award-winning documentary Life According to Sam.