On 30th September, we celebrate Package Free Day in Hungary. The main aim of the movement is to use sustainable, multiple use and biodegradable solutions when it comes to our everyday errands. In order to join the movement, the Directorate of Strategy and Development of the University of Szeged organized an interactive day for students and staff to promote sustainability.
The event was held in one of the community areas of the University’s library and participants from all faculties could visit 7 stations where they could learn more about sustainability in everyday life. They listened to exciting presentations on the detrimental effects of packages and how we can avoid their excessive use, and then had the chance to put their knowledge into practice.
The presenters of the event came from various fields. Enikő Berki, the owner of the local package free shop displayed sustainable alternatives for everyday objects and cleaning products. Noémi Vizi, PhD student of the University, talked about how harmful fashion can be to the environment and how we can act against this trend. Sándor Vörös, the leader of the “green” student organization (TITOK) presented his studies about bioplastic and biodegradable materials and offered students an opportunity to join the organization’s ranks as volunteers.
Compost Express, a relatively young and aspiring civil organization, was also present at the event. The idea of the Express is to collect compostable waste in residential areas and to deliver it to a community compost. Their volunteers use bikes to transport the compost and charge nothing for their endeavours. The only value they seek is sustainability and the community that evolves around it.
Although it is important to learn about sustainability, we all know that practice makes perfect. Hence the organizers made all stations interactive: the participants planted herbs, painted tote bags and composting boxes, and made jewels out of used T-shirts while they could play a board game teaching the basics of composting and a game of skill focusing on different types of waste and on how we can collect them selectively.
Karina Bartha is a student at the Department of Marketing at the University of Szeged. She is also an intern at the Directorate of International and Public Relations.