Green Week 2011

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Published on Tuesday, 11 October 2011 12:37

Written by Aimee Dyamond

The first week of October saw eco-activism on campus at full throttle during the Green Campus Initiative’s (GCI) annual Green Week. To highlight GCI’s presence during the five-day event, the Green Police put on a series of flash mobs on Jammie Plaza as passing students looked on. With support from the Ikey Tigers, the flash mobs created student awareness about green issues through public performance and entertainment.

“The Green Police are the face of GCI,” said GCI Head of Marketing, Kate Pallett. “They represent what the initiative stands for.”

The week’s flash-mob itinerary included various eco-themed comedy skits and a contravention discouraging the overuse of non-recyclable coffee cups on campus.

Green Week, the flagship event of GCI’s year-long programme, provides a platform for student involvement in environmental affairs. The event hosted various talks, screenings and visual displays both on and off-campus, encouraging green politics among students and staff. 

“Green Week aims to alert students to their roles in sustainable practice,” said GCI Secretary, Caroline Wallington. “It’s an annual report in visual form.”

Under the slogan ‘Sustainability Includes You’, Green Week facilitated panel discussions, hosted various guest speakers and arranged a meridian concert to spark student interest in green affairs.

GCI estimates that the average UCT student produces roughly four gigatonnes of waste per annum, 20% of which is generated by transport alone. Ridelink, a subsidiary of GCI, has proved successful in reducing this figure through carpooling. The reserved carpool lot is 70% full during peak hours, indicating students’ concern for green travel.

In preparation for its fifth year in operation, GCI calls for members of the university community to integrate greener practice into their daily lives.

 “As the only African university listed in the Top 200 global ranking, UCT has a responsibility to be environmentally conscious,” said Wallington. “The university’s EGS (Environmental and Geographical Sciences) department, for example, is the continent’s leader in climate change research.”

In 2012, GCI expects to implement reviewed marketing strategies based on brand partnerships, starting with networking. 

“Developing a brand for GCI is definitely the way forward,” said Wallington. “Green Week 2011 saw multiple collaborations with various NGOs and government-endorsed projects that operate in a similar sphere.”

The City of Cape Town showed its support by setting up a display on the Plaza. The Expedition Project, Trashback and other independent sustainability projects were also present at the event.

To promote Green Week 2011, GCI focused on a soft copy marketing campaign. While some posters were displayed on campus, event marketers stayed mindful of more sustainable ways to advertise. GCI used Twitter and Facebook feeds prolifically, as well as Ikey Tiger endorsement and online visibility via Vula.

Future marketing plans for the initiative include liaison with sister projects via the BlueBuck network, submitting regular articles to publications such as Simply Green and The Green Times. UCT’s online sustainability portal, affiliated with GCI, launched on Tuesday.

“We’ve seen a great deal of growth the last year, which we plan to expand upon for 2012,” said GCI Marketing Officer, Keke Motjuwadi.

The extravaganza came to a close on Friday after a well-received run.