Study on eco-impact of websites wins AUAS sustainability award

The GO-GameChanger Awards are prizes for students who demonstrate sustainability ambitions. During the Master’s programme in Digital Design, Julia van Hulst and Aljoscha Gleser conducted research on the environmental impact of websites. The team evaluated the sustainability of the websites of all political parties in the Dutch House of Representatives, and even the green parties often scored poorly. A meeting has since been held with the PvdD animal rights party, and the team has received invitations from three other political parties to discuss the problem of digital pollution.

Invisible problem

The jury consisted of Marleen Stikker, Professor of Practice Digitalisation at AUAS, Aliya Çelik, Programme Manager for Diversity and Inclusion, and Ineke Bussemaker, Dean of the Faculty of Business and Economics. They chose the project because they believe it exposes a problem that is invisible to many yet affects us all. ‘Becoming aware of the environmental impact of our online behaviour is the first step towards change, and Digital Waste has cleverly managed to get this on the political agenda.’

Jamie-Lee Dorr, Lotte Dekker, Richard Veltkamp and Lisanne Outshoort of LEAFF won the audience award with more than 300 votes. LEAFF was founded during the Entrepreneurship Minor (offered in Dutch) at AUAS. The company is developing a line of smartphone accessories that are 100% biodegradable and compostable.

The GO-GameChanger Awards were created by the Green Office at AUAS to turn the spotlight on students who are helping to make the world a little more sustainable through their projects, work placements or thesis.