eThekwini proudly green at sustainable living expo

DURBAN proved itself to be one of the country’s greenest cities when it hosted the Sustainable Living Exhibition at the Durban Exhibition Centre at the weekend.

MEC for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Nomusa Dube and eThekwini Deputy Mayor, Nomvuzo Shabalala offcially opened the event after a walkabout through the exhibition.

Shabalala said, “Sustainable Living is one exhibition which we are very proud of, especially because there is a partnership between the city and the provincial department. Exhibitors have doubled in the last four years,” she said, adding exhibitors brought many environmental issues under the spotlight at the expo.

The deputy mayor acknowledged the Field’s Hill tragic accident which claimed so many lives and asked for a moment’s silence for the lives lost and families in mourning, before leaving for a meeting at City Hall about the accident.

Dube said she was pleased that Durban had set the pace in the movement to make climate change everyone’s business. “As MEC for COGTA I would like to see other municipalities in the province getting involved in combating climate change.”

Dube also acknowledged eThekwini’s targetting of school children in the exhibition to “capture the next generation to ensure that they are aware about issues around climate change.”

More than 200 exhibitors, including green schools showcased their innovations making the event a one-stop greening shop. Everything from water and energy saving devices, solar powered gadgets and ozone friendly appliances, to worm farms, organic gardening, and recycling was on show to inspire visitors to live sustainable lifestyles.

Approximately 10 000 people and 113 schools attended the exhibition to see what interventions were available to join the green revolution.

A comprehensive schools’ programme included debates on Sustainable Living in a marathon debating forum on Saturday at the Coast of Dreams within the Durban Exhibition Centre. The exhibition’s focus on youth was intended to embed the idea of sustainability in their minds.

The Durban University of Technology also showcased their unique range of fashion made from recyclable material. The fashion is a firm favourite at the exhibition because of the creative ways students use paper, cardboard, plastic, wood, and packets to make garments.

On the local school front, ever green school, Holy Family College proudly displayed their world map made entirely of recyclable bottle caps as well as other recyclable art and craft. “We encourage recycled art and brought our products to the exhibition to show others how easy it is to get creative with recycling. We are especially proud of our unique world map which is made up of bottle caps,” said Geography, Art and Craft teacher, Lisa Ramese.

“We are learning a lot about sustainable development in the world so I am happy to be living in a city where sustainable, social and economic development is taking place. In our world map you can see the Northern countries are so industrialised and have a high carbon footprint,” she said.