Leo Keekstra has been working at UT as a Facility Services employee in the Cubicus building for 29 years now. In the course of his work, Leo tries to encourage building users to make sustainable choices: "Nothing is worse to me than unnecessary waste. There is still a lot to be gained by focusing on small savings. When combined, they add up to a lot of impact on the environment and the high costs of the university."
Starting a conversation
"Sustainability is always in the back of my mind when I'm at work," Leo says. "I advise people on how to properly sort waste, for example, and how to use energy wisely and more efficiently. In addition, all Cubicus employees recently received an e-mail from me in which I indicated to pay close attention when leaving a room: are the lights off, are the windows and grills closed, and are the heating and computers turned off? People often forget to do these things, even though it can save a lot in the long run."
Leo continues: "Also, on an organizational level: I think the university should be doing more in terms of sustainability. I often notice that lights are still on and air conditioners are on in places where it is not necessarily needed. The more you inform, the more you encourage everyone to make more sustainable choices of their own accord."
Sustainability as a recurring theme
Leo is not only concerned with sustainability during working hours: the theme runs like a common thread through his life. "It's probably in my genes. I come from a family of ten children and my parents were not well off, which means that I was automatically raised a bit more conservative. In those days they called it being frugal, but maybe we were ahead of our time," he laughs. "In recent years, I have done a lot of preservation work in my home without sacrificing my comfort. I've also been able to help some neighbors make their homes more sustainable. With some advice, sealant and 'pur', you'll come a long way!"
Consuming less together
"People often make worse choices because of ignorance. We live in a consumer society and it's hard to break away from that way of thinking. But if we do not change our way of thinking, we will stay in the same circle and nothing will change. Everyone should realize that it is not strange to reuse things/utensils," said Leo.
"For example, look in your own home when cleaning up: what can be reused, repaired or given away instead of throwing it in the trash? Is there any equipment constantly on? Is it really necessary, or is it wasteful and can the appliance be turned off? Saving energy and making your home more sustainable doesn't stop with consuming less: you have to consciously choose to live a sustainable life. Together, we will have to find effective ways to create support for sustainability. For example, by talking to each other, in which we inspire and motivate each other to make wise choices. Together, we can make a difference!"
SUSTAINABILITY AT UT
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.
Written by Stef Meilink
