As part of the SEA-EU WP4 – Task 4.4 (SEA-EU Goes Greener), the University of Algarve (UAlg) took an important step towards promoting sustainability. On February 21st, 2025, coinciding with the 5th SEA-EU Anniversary, UAlg organized the Second Life initiative as a means of encouraging the re-use and repurposing of items within the academic community. Actually, it was the implementation of the 4th project that has received an honorable mention (proposing team: Clarice Campos, Ludovico Silva, Luís Nunes, Rute Cristina) in the event on April 30th, 2024.
The primary objective of this initiative was to raise awareness about sustainability within the UAlg community. A call for participation was made via email, inviting all members of the university to contribute unused items, such as clothes, books, and shoes, to give them a second life.
To facilitate the collection, six collection boxes were placed in the university’s cafeterias: four at the Gambelas campus and two at the Penha campus. These boxes were available for a week prior to the initiative, allowing enough time for staff, students, and faculty to gather items. The response was overwhelming, with a significant number of donations collected.
Following the collection, a dedicated team of three took on the task of sorting, organizing, and preparing the items for display at the initiative. The items were carefully arranged, ready to be shared with the wider academic community.
The initiative officially opened on February 21st, 2025 at 11:00 AM, during the celebrations of the 5th SEA-EU Anniversary, with opening remarks by Professors Dr. Margarida Ribau Teixeira and Dr. Vânia Sousa, who are the coordinators of the program. The event welcomed a large number of attendees from across the UAlg community, including professors, students, and staff.
The event was a great success, with nearly all of the donated items being taken by visitors, contributing to the spirit of reusability and sustainability. This event closed at 16:30 PM, marking the end of a productive and engaging initiative that highlighted UAlg’s commitment to environmental responsibility.
