Uxbridge College has shown its green credentials with a week dedicated to environmental issues. Green Pledge Week was held from 23 - 27 March and included many activities, giveaways and competitions with an eco-friendly theme.
Activities included: competitions with prizes; class tutorials on climate change issues our planet faces; dedicated recycling areas within the College; tips on how to be green at College and at home; the screening of a movie about global warming "An Inconvenient Truth"; and a new sustainability section on the College's student learning website, Moodle, which is a permanent addition.
In order to encourage students and staff to become more eco-friendly, products with a green theme were also given away, including a reusable fabric bag, and labels which can be stuck onto junk mail to return it to sender and request the company takes you off their mailing list.
Reusable water bottles were also given out to cut down on buying plastic-bottled water, and apples sourced from a local producer were also on offer.
The biggest attraction for Green Pledge Week was the competitions, with prizes including a bicycle.
The winners were:
Competition: Most practical eco-friendly idea that can be implemented at Uxbridge College
Winner: Hira Singh
Prize: Bicycle
Runner-up: Christopher Montgomery
Prize: Eco-radio.
Competition: Recycled Artwork Challenge
Winner: Key to FE School, Group E
Prize: Digital Camera and Photo-frame.
Competition: Best practical idea that staff can implement at work to make their department/office/school more eco-friendly
Winner: Engineering Department
Prize: Eco-kettle
Runner-up: Lorraine Collins
Prize: Battery Charger
Green Pledge Week was part of the College's commitment to ensure greater participation in environmental sustainability.
Mark Nettle, Director of Student Services, said: "We were delighted to see the interest and enthusiasm demonstrated during Green Pledge Week, and the College sees it as the launch of a drive towards making our activities more sustainable. The challenge now is for us to implement the ideas that students and staff put forward, and make a real difference, but we're confident now that we're starting from a position of strength and commitment."
