Blog by Ilayda Akbulut, PhD student who completed her BBRSC PIP internship as SBS sustainability volunteers coordinator in Autumn 23.

Our volunteers and Environmental Sustainability Project students have carried out numerous campaigns on campus last semester. Here is a short overview…

Our 6R champions have promoted tips to reduce plastic use and clarified the recycling rules in food halls on campus.

Perhaps you saw us?

6R stands for Review, Reduce, Reuse, Refill, Replace, and Recycle. A group led by Dr. Maggy Fostier and Dr. Ruth Grady created the initial 6R strategy to reduce the amount of plastic used in the School of Biological Sciences’ laboratory practical programs (see blog for more information). The 6R approach also applies to home and campus and our guide provides many tips and useful information. 

At the Student Union and the Stopford Building, our volunteers engaged participants with short trivia games about plastics and had discussions over key information from the 6R guide. 302 people downloaded the 6R guide at seven events held on campus last semester. Most people had heard of 6R, and after taking part in our campaign, they were more confident to apply the 6R approach in their lives.

At the Benugo café and the marketplace, our campaigners explained what could be recycled in Food halls.

How much do we know about biodiversity where we live?

In addition to our 6R campaigns, we also organized campaigns and workshops to promote engagement with biodiversity on campus and in Manchester, attracting participants with our wild flower seed bombs next to our 6R stalls.

For our two workshops, we collaborated with Sustainability Champions and the Bird Watching Society. 40 participants came to build bird feeders and bird houses, using recycled material (orange peels from local shops producing fresh orange juice and non-dairy milk cartons from Benugo). Our volunteers also prepared information and mini quizzes about local birds (e.g. where they live, how they look and sound).

Would you like to join us and become a 6R champion or biodiversity ambassador?

You can sign up on this website’s volunteer hub to participate in such events. For any queries you can contact maggy.fostier@manchester.ac.uk.

The content discussed in this article aligns with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: Quality Education (4), Responsible Consumption and Production (12) and Climate Action (13). 

Sign up to receive the FBMH ES newsletter by contacting srbmh@manchester.ac.uk. Read our previous editions: June and October 2023.

To find out more about Environmental Sustainability: visit the Faculty’s intranet page, website or contact srbmh@manchester.ac.uk . For more information on Environmental Sustainability at the University watch this short film or visit their website.

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