The university integrates a sustainable perspective into all aspects of its core functions: education, research, and community engagement.
Education for Sustainable Development
Many ORT degree programs include courses and projects on sustainable development, supplemented by graduate programs and continuing education courses on innovation and social responsibility.
Thus, the committee will be tasked with consolidating these practices and promoting new opportunities for training and interdisciplinary research, thereby broadening the academic scope of sustainability.
Responsible campus management
Sustainability is also a part of everyday university life. The ORT Recicla program has been in operation since 2017, implementing a responsible waste management plan.
As of December 2024, the following amounts have been recycled:
• 47.6 tons of paper and cardboard
• 7.5 tons of PET plastic bottles
• 9.7 tons of electronic waste
Through the Repapel organization, waste paper and cardboard have been turned into notebooks and school supplies for public schools, creating a dual impact: environmental and social.
The plastic bottles were recycled by ECOPET to produce new bottles, while the electronic waste was recycled, with hazardous components separated out.
In addition, as part of its social impact efforts, the university donates computer equipment to the Antel Integra project.
ORT promotes sustainable practices in its operations: reducing paper use, implementing environmental criteria for suppliers, and maintaining an active schedule of awareness campaigns and events focused on carbon footprints and responsible consumption.
Activities and Awards
In recent years, the university has organized and participated in awareness-raising activities such as the Sustainable Uruguay Expo and World Environment Day.
It has also hosted international conferences, including a visit by Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, who highlighted the role of universities as agents of change toward a sustainable future.
This institutional effort has been recognized both in Uruguay and internationally. Universidad ORT Uruguay honored for its contribution to paper recycling and the production of recycled educational materials.
Furthermore, since 2021, it has been included in Times Higher Education’s Impact Rankings, making it the only Uruguayan university featured in this ranking, which measures commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals.
Governance and a Look to the Future
The committee guides the development and implementation of sustainability initiatives across the university, monitors progress, and communicates the results.
It also coordinates initiatives among faculties and institutes, supports research and outreach projects, and promotes opportunities for community engagement, such as Sustainability Week.
The committee is composed of Dr. Pablo Landoni, Vice President for Academic Affairs; Marcela Mailhos, MBA, Director of Marketing, Institutional Communications, and Admissions; Inés Tiscornia, M.A., Assistant Coordinator of Environmental Management, representing the School of Engineering; Dr. Nicolás Gambeta, representing the School of Business and Social Sciences; Sabrina Bianchi, representing the School of Communication; María Fernanda Núñez, B.A., representing the School of Design; Eliseo Cabrera, Architect, representing the School of Architecture; and Dr. Andrea Tejera, representing the Institute of Education.
