Raisin Green Guide

George King
Monday 28 October 2013

** Update: 1st place prize for Green Raisin competition wins a meal for them and their academic family at The Doll’s House! Join event here http://goo.gl/Kj1foT **

Did you know that Raisin Weekend is so called because academic children traditionally gave their mother a present of a pound of raisins to thank her for the weekend’s festivities? In response, academic parents gave a ‘receipt’ for their gift which has developed into the humorous receipts we see given today!

In the spirit of this tradition, and in light of the fact that all Raisin receipts require disposal after they are no longer needed, we’ve developed the below guidelines for constructing environmentally friendly and safe Raisin receipts and costumes to keep Raisin a truly sustainable tradition.

In appreciation for following these guidelines we will be giving away a prize for the most environmentally friendly and creative Raisin receipt and costume awarded to your academic family (to be judged by our Energy and Environment Officers).

How do I enter the competition?

Post a picture of you and your academic parents with your receipt & costume on our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/EnvironmentStA, or via email at [email protected]. Include a brief description of how it was made and why it is environmentally friendly. We look forward to seeing your creative ideas!

How do I design a “green” Raisin receipt?

Do REUSE unwanted materials such as cardboard boxes, plastic bottles, or old clothes.
Design SMALLER receipts that are not overly heavy and take up large amounts of space (eg avoid bicycles and mattresses).
Use materials that are EASILY RECYCLABLE such as paper and cardboard, plastics, wood, and textiles.
Avoid Buying large amounts of NEW materials which will end up in the skip after one day.
Using HIGH VALUE items such as electronic equipment.
Using FOOD products as they contaminate recyclate.
Do not Use DEAD animal carcasses as these will be confiscated (see below).
Use GLASS as this can be hazardous.
Use STOLEN materials (this includes waste taken from skips) as you can face police and/or academic discipline (see below)
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
A poor raisin receipt that is dangerous, not easily recyclable and questionably sourced.
good raisin receipt
A good raisin receipt that is creative and easily recyclable.

Please also keep in mind the follow rules for Raisin receipts and costumes:

Rules for receipts

  • No electrical goods.
  • No livestock (dead or alive).
  • No foam-filled furniture.
  • Nothing too big.  Remember this is based on Raisins.  Raisins are not big.  We have to try to stop filling up landfills so think creatively, artistically, be original and think about the environment.

If you disregard the above – we’re afraid you’ll be turned away at the Quad, miss the foam fight, and will be charged for the cost of disposal of your inappropriate item.

Rules for costumes & props

Due to logistical reasons, you will be required to remove parts of your costume that are not integral before you enter the quad so anything that you are carrying (apart from your shaving foam) including, but not limited to, cardboard, hats, props, and very bulky or pointy items will be removed and recycled. Therefore, please be aware we are unable to keep or return items.

Please remember to wear appropriate clothing underneath your costumes as November in Scotland can be very cold and wet. Academic parents, please be aware of this and design accordingly.

We also know that you all put a lot of effort into your costumes so please make sure you take photographs to enter the competition before joining the procession. For inspiration and a behind-the-scenes perspective on how Raisin gets cleaned up, see our blog post from 2011: http://environmentsta.wordpress.com/2011/11/22/behind-the-scenes-at-raisin/

Posted in

Related topics

Share this story


One reply to "Raisin Green Guide"

  • Looking back on the year | Environmental News
    Tuesday 1 July 2014, 2.44pm

    […] Weekend – a touch more sustainable by encouraging students to make ‘greener’, less-wasteful receipts and costumes… a good try, but can we do better next […]

    Reply

Leave a reply

By using this form you agree with the storage and handling of your data by this website.