If you haven’t already heard, ‘Waste Awareness Week’ (or W.A.W.) has been a huge success. The Sustainability Lab has been busy this autumn period preparing for and carrying out Bangor University’s very own waste initiative. It has been dedicated to raising awareness and introducing positive solutions for environmental sustainability. Combining forces of numerous University departments and external organisations alike, our staff have worked tirelessly to offer five days of proactive events enabling students to contribute to waste solutions, both now and in the long term.
“Waste Awareness Week” was all about education and how students could help further their ideas for environmental safeguarding. Talks on education resources and job prospects within environmental sectors helped our students getting to grips with where they could go in the future. Visits from the likes of Natural Resource Wales and Ynys Resources demonstrated the opportunities out there.
The enterprise seemed to extend its influence much further than just the University walls. Information on recycling was shared throughout accommodation with visits to private housing too. Along with the beach clean-up event, the departments did a brilliant job in covering all aspects of the environment.
“I always join the beach cleaning trip as it raises my awareness about waste management and sustainability. The ocean hosts 80% of the planet’s biodiversity but is where over 144,606,491 pounds of trash are found (world-wide, from Alaska to New Zealand) in the last 25 years and this is a big threat to marine wildlife. Volunteering on this waste awareness week let me realize that I have saved at least a few innocent lives. I am contributing my best efforts and feel that this week has developed my personal perspective towards the ecosystem,” says Rezowanna Mannan, MSc Molecular Biology with Genetics. It is clear that this event has had a positive impact on the students and will continue to leave us with a renewed sense of what it means to be environmentally friendly.
From quizzes to eco-crafts and information days to debate nights, the University created a wonderful week to remind us of how our decisions influence the world we live in. Action is key to change and students who seek to learn are well on their way to promoting that change. With these ideas in mind, we hope that ‘Waste Awareness Week’ will continue to thrive throughout the year.
