Contract managers tackle sustainability step by step

Where sustainability has always been a common theme in the contracts, Anouk and Wendy see that more and more steps are being taken. "I spend more than half my time literally with my nose in the waste”, Wendy laughs. "One of our goals is that the campus must be waste-free by 2030, which amounts to 10.5kg of residual waste per person, per year. Very ambitious. That's why we're happy with our new partnership with Renewi: they are present on campus weekly and together we conduct research. What waste is there, where does it come from, what is the behaviour of students and employees? MAAS, Asito and Appél actively participate in this."

And not without success. “Within eighteen months, we have been able to reduce the residual waste in Carré from 60% to 29%”, Wendy says proudly. “We hope to transfer the lessons learned to other locations, to create a snowball effect.”

^{Photography: Annabel Jeuring. Left Wendy}

Anouk is responsible for catering, where she also notices that sustainability is playing an increasingly important role. “We try to be there for everyone. Difficult, because there are different many wishes when it comes to catering and it can be a sensitive topic. We try to look at what we can make more sustainable within the framework of the current contract together with Appél and MAAS. For example, the lunches ordered via banqueting are now vegetarian by default. For a hot canteen meal, you can choose between a vegan or meat-based option. And we're also making other aspects more sustainable. Like packaging, waste separation, banning plastic disposable cups”, she explains.

Furthermore, Anouk is already working on the new catering contract, which will take effect in 2028. “We are now assessing what the UT wants with the help of Saxion students. We're in conversation with internal clients, what do they find important? But we also look at other universities. What are they doing and what can we learn from them? And what is ambitious, yet achievable? With all that information, we ultimately write a tender together with procurement. A contract lasts 8 to 10 years, so we need to be able to make adjustments whenever needed.”

^{Photography: Annabel Jeuring. Right Anouk}

It describes the way Anouk and Wendy like to work. “We like to enter into contracts for longer periods. And that's really not just a one-way street. Contractors can also expect something from the UT. We want to avoid only checking whether agreements are being complied with: ideally we achieve something beautiful by really listening to each other and working together”, Anouk says.

Sharing knowledge is very important in this. “We regularly speak with other contract managers from universities and colleges to share knowledge”, Wendy explains. Anouk: “We don't always have to reinvent the wheel. We form a regional collaboration with the municipality of Enschede, Saxion and the MST, where we learn from each other. As UT, we are an example for Saxion when it comes to waste separation!”

“Internally we also want to move in one direction together. Ideally with colleagues who are already enthusiastic, so that they can take others along. It’s great to see that some colleagues have now become true waste ambassadors”, Wendy says.

“When I walk into a place in my free time, my first thoughts are always: what is the approach to cleaning here? And how do they separate their waste?”, Anouk laughs. “That perspective is always there. Furthermore, my new house is also equipped with solar panels and a heat pump. And I don’t just throw everything away anymore: instead, I take it to the thrift store or I sell it on Vinted.”

“That sounds familiar”, Wendy laughs. “And since I've been working on the waste contract, I've been much more conscious of it at home too. I have young children, whom I try to teach which waste goes in which bin.”

How do Anouk and Wendy see the future? “The new catering contract is gradually taking shape and Wendy is very busy with the waste contract: 2026 will be all about campaigning. Sustainability continues to develop. And that's exactly what makes our work so enjoyable: there's always something new happening."

“We're also already looking at the UT's larger ambition: a circular campus in 2050. What can we already do in that regard? We notice that more and more people are participating. Faculties exchange furniture with one another, and people think more critically about what they really need. If we keep helping each other, we’ll keep moving forward. We certainly won't be bored”, the two conclude enthusiastically.

^{Photography: Annabel Jeuring. Left Wendy, right Anouk}

Sustainability is an important priority area of Shaping2030, the University of Twente’s strategic plan. In addition to finding sustainable solutions for societal issues, the UT wants to set a good example of what it means to be a sustainable organisation. To reach this goal, the ambitions of Shaping2030 need to be put into practice. Many members of the UT community are hard at work translating the sustainability objectives into our work on campus – transforming the way we work, teach, learn, travel, build and more. In this series, we invite them to talk about what motivates them, what the role of sustainability is in their day-to-day work, and what they would like to achieve at our university.

Want to find out more about sustainability at UT? Please go to utwente.nl/sustainability.