We may not get hold of the necessary materials for our projects and events. There may be times we are desperately looking for something, but we do not know where to turn to. We may need to ask for help from others and see if they have some leftover and unwanted materials. This is where sharing comes in to help.
The idea of sharing is not new to us. The benefits of sharing are many. Sharing can help us to find resources and referrals more easily. It allows us to use resources more efficiently and reduce possible waste generation. In addition to being a sustainability trend, sharing brings us an opportunity to get to know our like-minded community and help the environment together.
There are solutions to share resources and event leftover materials on campus. Managed by the Campus Sustainability Office, the online platform ResourcesSharing@PolyU offers a good channel on campus that makes sharing among departments and offices successful. The University community can publicize information on materials or leftovers they no longer need and others can search and read. It connects staff and students with each other so that event materials can be shared and reused, as opposed to being thrown away. Recently we witness a case that demonstrates how this works. Back in December 2017, the Campus Sustainability Office acquired some reusable paper carton chairs for its public event:
Through the ResourcesSharing@PolyU platform, these paper chairs find their way to a new 'owner' and become the indispensable elements of an exhibition staged by the Office of Service-Learning in March 2019:
With this online platform, the campus community can enjoy great ease and convenience to contribute and share event items with others. It is a piece of cake for staff and students to share and reuse via this platform, who can join hands to bring about considerable environmental benefits.
