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Dear reader,

You might have noticed that this is our second newsletter this month! Next to Art & Sustainability month, we have some more interesting activities for you during our Plastic-Free Week 2021. You will find an overview of our lectures and activities for next week in this newsletter. 
 
 


And there's even more that we want to share with you: we also have two new Green Office team members that we would like to introduce to you and - last but not least - we would like to remind you to fill in our Sustainable Knowledge survey!


Plastic-Free Week 2021

May 17 - 23

Our annual Plastic-Free Week is coming! The Green Office is organizing for you several events from the 17th to the 23rd May.

During this week you can learn about the impact of microplastics, discover which creative solutions can be deployed to tackle the plastic problem and what can you do regarding (micro)plastic. You can also participate in our Instagram Challenge!

You can sign up for our events through the links below. For more information, keep an eye on our socials

Breathing & Releasing Microplastics

May 17 | 20:00 | Lecture 

The Green Office and Pint of Science are organizing an online lecture focusing on a problem that is often underestimated: Microplastics. Which effect do microplastics have on us? And how do we produce it?

In this talk, Dr Barbro Melgert, Associate professor Pharmaceutical Immunology at the RUG, will present pioneering studies using lungs-in-a-dish, also known as organoids, investigating effects of textile microfibers on lung tissue. Results suggest that the soft and fluffy synthetic textiles that we massively use these days, may have the potential to damage our lungs. 

Dr Francesca De Falco, Researcher at Plymouth University (UK), is the second speaker of the evening. In her lecture she will explore the release of microfibres from synthetic clothes to water by washing and to air by wearing. During her talk she will highlight factors of influence and possible mitigation actions. 

Sign up for the lecture
Link to the event

Creative Solutions for the Plastic Problem

May 19 | 16:00 | Lecture

Everyone knows there is an issue with plastic waste: face masks littered in the streets, plastic bottles at the beach and micro plastic ending up in our food. What can we do about it?

In this lecture, Arno Ratzinger from Precious Plastic Maastricht and ComposTerra will present innovative solutions to one of humanity’s biggest challenges. Precious Plastic Maastricht educates people in its community about recycling by providing them with the necessary tools to turn their plastic waste into valuable objects. Hence, the name pointing out the inherent value of our plastic waste.
ComposTerra builds upon the fact that plastic recycling alone falls short of solving our plastic crisis. Therefore, the young startup develops sustainable alternatives to single use plastic products made out of organic waste materials. This allows for a circular and compostable replacement for everyday objects like to-go coffee cups, cutlery and take-away packaging.

Sign up for the lecture
Link to the event

Plastic: what can you do?

May 20 | 16:00 | Lecture

During this lecture - organized by Green Office FEB/FSS Embassy - two speakers will explain what we can do to tackle the plastic problem, both in everyday life and as for future careers.

Madhuri Prabhakar, working at the Plastic Soup Foundation and project leader of Beat the Microbead, will explain to us the problem of plastic and microplastics. What can we do to reduce plastic use? Which products contain microplastic? How can we avoid it?

Do you want a career in sustainability? Rishi Gupta is co-founder of Zero Waste Club & Gomi Design, two companies that focus on reducing waste and creating products out of unrecyclable plastic. He will explain how you can use your skills to create change and be at the forefront of sustainable innovation in business, infrastructure and government. During this lecture you can learn about the variety of roles available to graduates in the sector. And of course, find out how the industry has been impacted by the events of the past 12 months.

Sign up for the lecture
Link to the event

Instagram Plastic Challenge

For the Plastic-Free Week the GO Embassy of FEB/FSS wants to raise more awareness about the use of plastics in our day-to-day lives.

There are many situations in which we often don’t even think about the plastics that we buy and where it will end up after we are done using it! We want to make people more aware of what they can do and how they can get involved in lowering their impact on our environment. Therefore, the GO Embassy has come up with a Plastic-Free Week challenge. Anyone can take part in it, share their experiences, and can even win a prize at the end of the week! Stay tuned on our Social Media to know more!

Reminder | Sustainable knowledge survey 

How much do you actually know about sustainability? You will find out through our questionnaire. Click on the link to fill it out. It only takes about 10 to 15 minutes. You not only measure your own knowledge, but also help us enormously!

Fill in the questionnaire

New to the team

My name is Ronald Visser. I am educated as an environmental engineer, but worked for the last 23 years as a research technician in the polar regions. Besides my (part-time) position at the RUG I have my own company GroenDoen, a consultancy for advice on energy savings, renewable energy and environmentally responsible constructing and renovations.

As a volunteer in my hometown Westerwijtwerd, I am engaged in a variety of projects to enhance the local biodiversity. At the GO I’ll contribute to energy and biodiversity projects.

 

 

My name is Douwe-Jan Schrale and I have a background in natural cultural heritage, art and  interactive multimedia. I work at the University Service Department, where I help staff members and students recycle, park their bikes and stay clear of corona. On Tuesday, I will be part of the green-office team where I take upon grassroots empowerment and multimedia. I will start with making videos about biodiversity, beginning with a Zernike safari exploring the RUG’s wildlife and ecology. If you like to engage by making videos, get in contact with me!

Do you have any questions or suggestions? Let us know via greenoffice@rug.nl!

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