Erasmus+ - Water Saving Tips

Written by Sara Beltrami | October 11, 2022

Supporting the European Green Deal is a key priority for Erasmus+, the European Union’s flagship educational mobility and cooperation programme.Greening is a horizontal priority for the selection of Erasmus+ projects. Priority will be given to those projects that are aimed at developing competences in fields that are strategic for green transition, and those that focus on the contribution of education and culture for sustainable development.

Choosing Less Polluting Transport

Until recently, there was no incentive for students on the Erasmus+ programme to travel sustainably but the European Parliament is now calling for Erasmus+ students to be encouraged to choose the least polluting form of transport for their mobilities. As part of the 2021-2027 Programme Guide, there is now some help for students looking to travel by train, or by other less polluting options.

Organisations and participants are encouraged to incorporate green practices in all projects through an environmental-friendly approach when designing the activity, which will encourage them to discuss and learn about environmental issues, reflect on local actions and to come up with alternative, greener ways of implementing their activities.

Everything that we do, from the food we eat, products we buy to the way we travel, releases greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere, and so has an impact on the planet’s climate. However, doubtless, some activities have far greater impact than others.

Being Water-Efficient

Prioritizing water efficiency is a necessary response to the risks of climate change, particularly in water-stressed regions. The efficient use of water saves both money and energy while improving resilience even during an Erasmus+ mobility.

Using water-saving techniques can save you money and diverts less water from rivers, bays, and estuaries, which helps keep the environment healthy. It can also reduce water and waste-water treatment costs and the amount of energy used to treat, pump, and heat water.

Saving Water Tips

Here are some useful tips:

Take a BPA-free water bottle you can refill over and over again. Many international airports have free water dispensers, which saves you money and stops waste of plastic bottles.
Take showers, not baths. Showers use just 10-25 gallons of water, while baths use up to 70 gallons. Feeling frisky? Shower with a friend and save even more water!
Try to take shorter showers, turning the water off while you lather up, shampoo, shave, and/or brush your teeth.
Never use the hotel laundry, as they typically wash every guest’s clothes separately (even when there are only a few items). We usually wash our clothes as we shower, then hang them up overnight so they’re dry the next day.
Hang up your towels after each use, which is the universal sign that you’d like to use them again. You don’t wash your towels every day at home, so why do it when you travel?

Aligning Internationalisation With Sustainability

The aim, from now on, is to improve the environmental sustainability of the Erasmus+ Programme by raising awareness across the European Higher Education sector and empowering student organisations to be the agents of change. An analysis of the potential environmental impact of individual Erasmus+ mobilities, an educational framework for sustainable internationalisation, and toolkits and activities for sustainable practices by and for students are the keys to the complex challenge of aligning internationalisation with sustainability.