1 October 2019

University of Technology Sydney

FAQ Sheet

30 Day #SmartWaste Challenge

UTS CRICOS 00099F

UTS Brennan Program

Minimise your waste footprint

1 October 2019

University of Technology Sydney

1

Your official guide to the 30 Day #SmartWaste Challenge initiative! Did you know? Since plastic was invented in the early 1900s, 8,300,000,000 METRIC TONS has been produced? If we continue to produce plastic at such high rates, 9.8 TRILLION KGS will be in landfills or in the natural environment by 2050. That's the equivalent of 1.8 BILLION AFRICAN ELEPHANTS!

Perhaps the latest Woolworths Ooshie, or the Coles Little Shop campaigns have taken your attention this year, and have caused you to pause and think about more green alternatives and reducing your own waste footprint. Whatever gives you a bee in your bonnet, there is so much we can do.

What is the 30 Day #SmartWaste Challenge? From 2020 UTS is going plastic free. As the next generation of movers and shakers, we’re encouraging Brennan students to think about this now by signing up to a fun 30 Day #SmartWaste Challenge during October 2019.

The main objective of the Challenge is for participants to take steps towards eliminating single use plastics from their lives for 30 days.

There are two main aspects to this Challenge:

1. #SmartWaste Challenge Pledge - 5 ROJ Points

At the start of the Challenge (From Tuesday 01 October), you’ll submit either a written or video pledge via your Brennan CareerHub profile, committing to eliminating single use plastics from your life for 30 days. Share with us the many ways in which you hope (& conscientiously intend!) to minimise your consumption. You may wish to outline how you are feeling about the Challenge ahead of you, what you think will be difficult and what will be easy, or any other points you wish to make.

2. #SmartWaste Challenge Reflection – 5 ROJ Points

At the end of the Challenge (by Wednesday 30 October), you’ll submit either a written or video reflection in which you will report on how you managed your plastic free 30 days. How did you go? What worked and what didn't work? What have you learnt about yourself and #SmartWaste possibilities? Share your discoveries with us, and help us all find new ways to minimise the consumption, endorsement and production of waste in our everyday lives!

Approved Challenge Pledge Approved Challenge Reflection TOTAL

5 ROJ 5 ROJ 10 ROJ

1 October 2019

University of Technology Sydney

2

When does this year’s challenge kick off? This year the challenge will run from Tuesday 1st October 2019 – Wednesday 30th October 2019. All pledges and reflections must be made within this period.

I’m in! How do I join? This is super easy. Register your interest here for the October 30 Day #SmartWaste Challenge and we’ll be in touch with a link to our Facebook messenger group for the month’s comms. You may like to plan ahead and add the Brennan Program profile on Facebook. Not on Facebook? That’s cool! We will email all participants that don’t opt in for this communication method.

How do I submit my Pledge and Reflection? You can submit your 350 word written pledge, as well as your 350 word written reflection as an Ad Hoc ROJ submission via CareerHub. Alternatively you may submit a one minute pledge video, and a one minute reflection video using Vieple in CareerHub. Here’s how to claim.

Launch of Vieple – Share your thoughts via video That’s right! Using our cool new video interviewing software, Vieple, you can now visually submit your Challenge and pledge. Vieple is integrated into UTSCareerHub.

You can film your Challenge reflection and/or pledge in front of the camera, from anywhere in the world, on your mobile or laptop. Just make sure you have good internet connection, are in a quiet place, and when creating your account, sign up with your UTS student email.

For tips on how to use Vieple, check out their website FAQs. You can also get in touch with us if you have any specific questions. You’ll soon receive a video from UTS opting into Vieple use.

Optional engagement with the #SmartWaste Challenge As an optional addition to the #SmartWaste Challenge Pledge and Reflection, we’re also encouraging students during October to think about sustainability themes more broadly, including ethical food and clothing production, veganism, climate change, supporting Aussie farmers, and any other ways of minimising the negative impact we are having on our precious environment. This is your chance to get creative, learn and roar about the many associated social justice issues.

The world is your ethical oyster. You can engage in so many ways. As well as eliminating single use plastics from your life for the month of October, you can reflect on social justice issues within the Challenge theme examples above. For additional ROJ points, submit a short film, a piece of poetry, attend a climate change event, or reflect on a Netflix doco or podcast. Find an article or video on reducing plastic, consumerism, sustainable banana farming, or perhaps eating bugs as a more sustainable lifestyle approach - whatever is your thing. ROJ points will be allocated in line with the 2019 Brennan Handbook. Keep in mind you can’t claim 100 points in less than 12 months as a Program rule.

1 October 2019

University of Technology Sydney

3

Substantial reflective written pieces or a short film (10-20 ROJ) If you’re super passionate about a particular topic – be that veganism, landfill or maybe the future of our planet, why not write a while longer? You can submit a substantial reflective piece through creative writing, poetry, an essay, law reform submission, podcast, video, short film or some other form of media not created or used for student assessment or any other activity. We encourage Brennanites to be as creative as they would like! This is a great way to learn more about an issue that you are interested in, whilst seeking more information to educate yourself

You should discuss your project in advance with the Program Administrator (10-20 points). You can upload your reflective piece to the ‘Substantial Reflective Piece’ section on CareerHub.

Attending Events (5 ROJ per claim)

Attending external lectures, seminars and conferences that have an environmental dimension for this challenge will generally earn participants 5 ROJ points each. These external events are either advertised by the Program on our Facebook page, or can be sought out individually. You are also encouraged to identify, share and attend external lectures, seminars and conferences by emailing brennanprogram@uts.edu.au. We will notify students of the event details and advise if it attracts points under the Program.

External events will require you to upload proof of attendance from the event (e.g. ticket, email confirmation) or compose a 350-word reflective note in the “External Event Claim Form” section in CareerHub. Claims submitted ahead of the event won’t be approved. It is very important that students claim for events they have actually attended. The Brennan Administrator reserves the right to ask a participant to support their claim through a 350-word reflection at any time. Here’s a few events taking place in October you can attend. Why not get a group of Brennanites, and go together!

• UTS Sustainability Tours – CB10 Food Dehydrator and UTS Central Food court tours Thurs 17 October, 12pm-1pm and Tues 29th October, 1pm-2pm – email us to sign up!

• Circular Economy with Materials In Mind (14 – 19 October 2019).

• Leading Change: Sustainability and Leadership Workshop (18 October 2019)

• How to Win the New Climate War (15 October 2019)

• The Failure of CSR in a Warming World (16 October 2019)

• Financing environmental conservation in the Asia-Pacific (24 October 2019)

Be sure to follow the Brennan Facebook page for any other events that pass our desks.

Prizes and bonus ROJ points up for grabs The three students participating #SmartWaste Challenge who lodge the most number of optional reflections during the Challenge’s 30 day period will receive a limited edition UTS Faculty of Law Keep Cup as well as a further bonus 5 ROJ points. Let’s get social! Tagging the Brennan Program profile on Facebook and #SmartWaste in posts and stories is another way to show your engagement and demonstrate how you’re reducing plastic! If you’re not on Facebook, but are on Insta, you can also use the #SmartWaste hashtag in your posts (must be a post, reviewable by end of October, can’t be an insta story).

1 October 2019

University of Technology Sydney

4

Need inspiration for your pledge? Here’s a bucket list to kick start your awesome work.

1 October 2019

University of Technology Sydney

5

We’re super excited to launch this challenge with you this year – we hope you’re pumped too!

Lastly, a huge shout out to UTS Law Student Society Marketing Director, Vicky Kuo who

developed the fun creative for this #SmartWaste Challenge! That’s it from us for now.

See you online, and get claiming! The Brennan Team

brennanprogram@uts.edu.au

(02) 9514 3248