Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) held a campus Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrationon 25th April 2024 to foster closer ties among the university community while also putting sustainable efforts into practice.
Dubbed ‘UBD Green Raya’, this year’s Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration was made extra special as the university exemplified ways that people can participate in festive events without further causing harm to the environment. Held at the Pengiran Anak Puteri Rashidah Sa’adatul Bolkiah Institute of Health Sciences (PAPRSB IHS) Extension Building, staff and students brought their own reusable plates, tiffin containers, tumblers and cutlery in an effort to support the United Nations Sutainable Development Goals (SDGs) by significantly reducing the need for single-use plastic. Invited guests were also provided with biodegradable plates and utensils. Treasure Cove, UBD’s merchandise shop, offered special discounts at the event for its line of tumblers. Dedicated bins were also provided at the venue to help separate paper, organic and aluminum wastes.
To further enliven the event, faculties and offices had the opportunity to exercise their creativity by utilising reused, recyclable and organic materials in decorating their respective food stalls in their festive best.
This initiative contributes to SDG 12 by promoting sustainable waste management practices, reducing waste generation, and educating the public on the importance of recycling. In other events prior, staff and students were encouraged to bring their own water bottles and provided with water dispensers so as to reduce the use of single-use plastic cups and bottles. Other campus-wide efforts throughout the year include planting of flowers and trees, installing of solar-powered lights, paper recycling campaigns, reducing the use of printed materials for meetings and many more.
The venue for the UBD Green Raya itself, the PAPRSB IHS Extension Building, was built following the Green Building concept. It features low maintenance materials, maximum day lighting, natural ventilation, water feature with a condensated top-up for cooling, courtyard and roof gardens, rainwater harvesting and recycling system, and a permeable grasscrete car parking.