VCU hosts 8th annual Campus Sustainability Day

Photo by Michel Maulding.

Emma North
Contributing Writer

VCU Sustainability hosted its eighth annual Campus Sustainability Day Nov. 2 at Cary Street Gym with a “do-it-yourself” theme featuring activities like making wax wraps and handouts, including seeds to grow microgreens.

Director of VCU Sustainability Erin Stanforth said they chose the theme because “reusing and repurposing are important aspects of sustainability that we feel are simple ways for students, faculty and staff to institute into their day-to-day activities.”

Overall, the event advocated for “refusing, reducing, reusing, recycling and repurposing,” Stanforth said. Numerous organizations in attendance achieved this by handing out reusable products such as bags, bottles and straws, and used recyclable plates and utensils for food. There was information on how to live sustainably in different ways, including diet changes and day-to-day energy saving.

The DIY wax wraps were set up on bleachers in the gym. Students chose a fabric square and sprinkled food-grade beeswax on it. They used an iron to melt the beeswax onto the fabric and then, once cooled, it became harder and moldable to cover and preserve food.

The edible microgreens presented at the event were young sprouts from mammoth sunflower seeds. Sage bundles were provided in addition to the microgreens. Sage is a fragrant herb and it can be used for cooking, DIY cosmetic products or simply to make a room smell better.

VCU student Aamna Ikram attended Campus Sustainability Day for the plants. She said she was there to get microgreens and herbs this time.

This year was the first year that Vegan Action and the Veg Club at VCU attended Campus Sustainability Day, alongside a number of other student organizations.

“Interacting with people face to face is important because I think it gets them to [think] about veganism and think about it when they leave here today,” said Veg Club member Lucas Sidle.

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