GSB and Breakwater Lodge go green

The Graduate School of Business (GSB) and the Breakwater Lodge, which shares the school's campus, are part of a community-spirited recycling project run by the Oasis Association.

The initiative has not only highlighted environmental consciousness at the two organisations, but is also helping the city's intellectually-disabled people.

Founded in 1952, the association assists those with intellectual disability to realise their fullest potential by becoming as independent and productive as possible. The association runs seven centres catering for the unique needs of over 440 people every day.

The recycling project is just one of the association's employment-generating activities. Oasis provides a free collection service for those businesses that qualify according to the volumes of materials and distance from the depots.

It was former MBA student Thomas van der Zee who first mooted the idea of participation.

"My wife and I have always been keen on recycling and she began our involvement with Oasis. We started by delivering our recyclable waste to them and soon realised we could do more by introducing it to our friends and organisations we were involved in," he said.

The idea was a big hit with the GSB and Breakwater Lodge communities. It wasn't long before there was a room packed ceiling high with recyclable waste for Oasis to truck back to their premises each week. Students also began taking bags home so that they could bring their recyclables in.

"By the end of the year, we must have recycled many, many tons," Van der Zee said.

Breakwater Lodge manager Peggy Klement, who oversees the project, says it has gone from strength to strength.

"We're hoping to introduce green containers to all our rooms so that our patrons can also play a part in the recycling initiative. There may also be opportunities for some Oasis staff to work here from time to time too."

Oasis has also benefited; the organisation was chosen by a group of MBA students in 2004 for the company-analysis component of their degrees.