RMIT Sustainability Department
Written by: Thao VU, Thy TRAN
Reviewed and edited by: Giang TRAN
Visualized by: Duong HOANG
From Team RMIT VIETNAM and RMIT Sustainability with love
Please access the RMIT blog page HERE
Ms. Phường's enthusiasm for spotting paper cups is no stranger to her Ambassadors.
Every semester, we would have Sustainability 101 training - what burning topics we need to know about sustainability, and at least one Ambassador would bring in tea, coffee, who knows. But for sure, at least one would bring in a paper cup.
Almost always, Ms. Phường would start the training with a witty remark, “Forgot your bottle, bé? Hey, no shame, we forget sometimes,” to which we laughed but was quickly intrigued by her addition. “This cup has a bigger cost than you think.”
And the training began, in that moment, it clicked for us: the choices we make are where real changes begin.
The finding that began it all
Having worked for more than 5 years in waste and wastewater management, Ms. Phường has been a know-it-all about the environment and we were awestruck by her calm demeanor yet charismatic leadership.
Leading workshops and sustainable initiatives throughout her career path, her vast knowledge and strong passion for connecting her work and the community left a lasting impact, just like the work she did here at RMIT University Vietnam.
As the afternoon rolled on calmly, we sat with her, following far back to when she first discovered “sustainability” and giggled all together because of her child-like curiosity. “When we think of sustainability, we often think of something too large or abstract, about the environment and technology,” She continued and reached out for my used paper cup on the table.
“But what if the most important part of the solution is you?”
This led to her trailblaze at RMIT University Vietnam. A new position and a new mission - Ms. Phường, Manager at RMIT Sustainability Vietnam, who always believe in the power of the “u”, and the “us” in “Sustainability”:
“Sustainability starts with us and continues with you”
- that’s what we, as RMIT Sustainability Ambassadors, do.
We start so others can amplify.
Sustainable development means meeting today’s needs without compromising future generations (Parodi et al., 2023). It’s not just about waste and trees, or plastic cups or machines, it took Ms. Phường years to realize that all along the sustainability core was humans, along with their values and behaviors. And so, RMIT Sustainability was founded to create a community that acts sustainably through continuous self-awareness and personal development.
“Challenge yourself with another perspective,bé”
We often see sustainability as an environmental issue, but what if it’s also a mental health solution?
To be open-minded was the roar of our talk with Ms. Phuong and our time in RMIT Sustainability: New challenges, new perspectives, and “bé” (say it like a sheep's “beeh” but hike the word up, like a question) as a fun and cute way that people in the Southern parts of Vietnam use to address youth. The question was back when she reflected on what she and we knew about sustainability.
We talk about environmental damage and protection, but we often overlook how these issues affect our emotions, thoughts, and mental well-being (Parodi et al., 2023). RMIT Sustainability’s approach is to connect sustainability and personal growth for proactive behaviors. Though it’s not a very new concept, it isn't widely implemented and allows her to take on a relatable approach that sets RMIT Sustainability out from other sustainability organizations in Ho Chi Minh City. We are a community built on a Sustainable Core with 4 values: Growth Mindset, Continuous Improvement, Integrity, and Harmony - a culture where students don’t just learn about sustainability - they experience it.
It's not just about reducing waste
“It’s more about understanding the workings of a person.
That “feel good" factor when you achieve something for yourself and for the community.”
At RMIT Sustainability, circular economy isn’t just reducing waste and planting trees. After discussing with Ms. Phường, we knew the drive for sustainability comes from a more familiar human aspect than what you may think.
It's about personal empowerment
We see the connection also in a RMIT Sustainability Ambassador's small survey of 13 respondents. 84.6% of respondents agreed that social problems relate to environmental factors and consequently, 76.9% of them asserted they must act to improve. Additionally, more than 50% of young people report feelings of sadness, anxiety, and powerlessness when thinking about climate change, which can disrupt their daily lives (Hickman et al., 2021).
The circular economy isn’t just a concept - it’s a daily practice, and that's where the challenge comes in: “What keeps them hooked?”. Asking Ms. Phường, she expressed: “The hardest thing I have been questioning myself was how to get people motivated to practice sustainable habits and sustain them.” Ms. Phường knitted her hands together, reflecting on her journey. “Get them to do it on the first try is easier than getting them engaged. A lot of it takes discipline. But one way is to make it about them, make a community out of sustainable enthusiasts. Humans are highly social beings so a community will help them pick up a habit so fast that even them might not realize."
Young people, big impact
University students today are leaders in shaping a sustainable future, according to Ms. Phường. Established only one year ago, the RMIT Sustainability Ambassadors program has already attracted over 30 Ambassadors and mobilized hundreds of volunteers. RMIT Sustainability Ambassadors have spread an environmentally conscious mindset in the RMIT community. They aren’t just learning about sustainability - they’re leading the charge, inspiring real change on campus and beyond.
Ms. Phường founded 5 projects to encourage students and staff alike to take back control, replacing eco-anxiety with empowerment through 3 projects. By participating, students find that their actions contribute to nurturing their planet and well-being.
To satisfy the circular economy principle of reducing waste and pollution and in alignment with RMIT’s mission to eliminate landfills by 2030 (RMIT University, 2019), we’ve implemented Zero Waste Campus. This initiative transforms waste into valuable resources by focusing on recycling, reusing, and reducing across campus. We remembered clearly how flustered we were when Ms. Phường deemed trash to be a resource, until we saw the impressive prizes repurposed from clean plastic that was collected from the bin collections on-campus, which is also by RMIT Sustainability.
Through initiatives like the Green Point program, students and staff are rewarded for their good sustainable behaviors through point accumulation. These points can be redeemed for eco-friendly products made from recycled materials, such as clean plastic and coffee grounds. This program isn’t just a waste reduction effort - it’s a catalyst for changing student behavior, mindsets and for new economies to develop, contributing to curricular economies and circular cities.
And to regenerate nature, Aloe Garden repurposed unused campus spaces into vibrant, sustainable green areas. These initiatives do more than reduce waste—they weave sustainability into the daily lives of students, fostering a sense of achievement and enhancing overall well-being. It’s not just about reducing waste:
“It's about you and your choices that makes the world more sustainable.”
Every action goes a long way
We ended the interview on a peaceful note, learning a lot and laughing a lot as if we had been talking to a friend that helped us understand a more human perspective when conducting activities related to sustainable development.
It isn’t just about what’s happening at RMIT Sustainability—it’s about what you can do. Whether you’re on campus or reading this from anywhere in the world, you have the power to be part of the change. Start small by recycling, reducing waste, or advocating for circular economy principles in your community. Every action, no matter how small, contributes to a larger, lasting impact.
“Sustainability has “u” and “us”.
Every action, whether big or small, counts.”
References
Helbich M. (2018). Mental Health and Environmental Exposures: An Editorial. International journal of environmental research and public health, 15(10), 2207. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15102207
Hickman, C., Marks, E., Pihkala, P., Clayton, S., Lewandowski, R. E., Mayall, E. E., Wray, B., Mellor, C., & Van Susteren, L. (2021). Climate anxiety in children and young people and their beliefs about government responses to climate change: a global survey. The Lancet Planetary Health, 5(12), e863-e873.
Parodi, O., Wamsler, C., & Dusseldorp, M. (2023). Personal sustainability. Handbook transdisciplinary learning. Transcript Verlag, Bielefeld, 277-286.
RMIT University. (2019). Designing out waste. RMIT University website. https://www.rmit.edu.au/news/all-news/2019/sep/city-challenge
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