Race not waste: the greenest Summer Eights yet!
Fifth Week of Trinity Term sees the return of Summer Eights! This is the annual rowing competition in which crews from each college battle it out in ‘bumps’ racing (essentially aiming to crash into or overtake the boat in front in order to move up the rankings) on the River Thames. It’s a fun week, not only for the rowers, but also for the spectators who line the banks of the river to cheer on their college, and enjoy the food, drink, and (if you’re lucky) sun!
Want to find out more? Well what you need is a handy, bite-size guide to Summer Eights in all its glory. Here’s one I prepared earlier!
And this year, we’re looking for your help to make this Summer Eights the greenest one yet. Thanks to a range of brand new sustainability initiatives, it’s now even easier for us to reduce plastic waste on Boathouse Island during the week of racing, and to recycle as much rubbish as possible!
We’re encouraging everyone to:
- Bring your own reusable cups and bottles, which can be refilled with fresh drinking water at the new taps that have been installed at the boathouses.
- Use recyclable paper cups rather than plastic – unbleached non-lined paper is best!
- Dispose of waste responsibly using the recycling bins provided at the boathouses:
- GREEN for recycling, including clean plastic, card, paper and cans.
- BLUE for glass.
- GREY for general waste and food.
- Take all other waste home with you when you leave.
You can find out more about marine ecology on Saturday thanks to a stand being run on behalf of the Marine Conservation Trust, promoting their work on sustainability. And on Sunday volunteers will be helping to clear up after the event – and you’d be welcome to join them! Sign up to volunteer here.
Summer Eights is always a highlight of Trinity Term, but it’s more important than ever that we think about the waste we produce and what happens to it. rather than producing yet more plastic waste that ends up in the river or in landfill, why not use alternatives to single-use plastic, or recycle your waste when you leave?
Thanks for your support – it really makes a difference!
