A look into our environmental future
The Rhodes University SRC Environmental Councillor, Ms Milca Matariro, and the 2021 environmental representatives have sat down to brainstorm strategic ways to keep the Makhanda environment clean and green. The aim is to assist with reversing the rapid dismantling of the environment due to a human escalated demand on nature. We aim to make a difference on the Rhodes University campus and in the greater Makhanda community.
We aim to do so by keeping our environment cleaner and more eco-friendly.
All environmental sustainability projects were strategically designed to create and tackle issues around energy, waste, and water consumption as these are key environmental issues faced in Makhanda and align with Rhodes University’s environmental sustainability policy directives that focus on waste, water, and energy sustainability.
Below are some of the ideas that came from the team of environmental representatives. We intend on having explored each one of them by November.
Some on-campus Residence Ideas
- A one-cup brush challenge where residents of Makhanda are encouraged to use a 250ml cup of water when brushing their teeth to encourage water conservation.
- The use of vegetable peels and scraps collected from cooking to make compost which could be used in planting water-friendly plants or vegetables around campus or in the organisations with which we volunteer through the Rhodes University Community Engagement office.
Some off-campus programmes
- The preparation and introduction of a communal compost heap on campus where buckets of organic waste will be collected with a prize in store for members of the community who bring in the highest number of buckets at the end of the year.
- Clean up sessions for students to collect litter at various locations such as the Botanical Gardens and Grey Dam in the month of June to celebrate Environmental day.
More information on this programme will be announced closer to the time on all public Rhodes University SRC pages.
WHY NOT REACH OUT?
Ms Milca Matariro, Environmental Councillor : srcenvironmental@ru.ac.za
Ms Tinashe Hlako, Projects Manager : srcprojects@ru.ac.za
Mr Lukhanyiso Cezula, Community Engagement Councillor : srccommunity@ru.ac.za
- This piece was contributed by Rhodes University SRC Environmental Councillor, Milca Matariro.
