Campus Sustainability Office - What we are doing

Waste

To achieve true sustainability, we must reduce our 'garbage index’ […] to near zero.
                  ~David Korten~

The University’s Waste Minimization Policy commits the University to continuously reduce and eventually eliminate discharges of municipal solid waste to landfill through the hierarchical application of resource demand reduction, reuse, recycling and recovery.

In 2011/2012, waste related priorities include:

• Augment battery recycling program to allow for battery collection from the general public.
  
• Continue to improve composting and recycling awareness throughout the University.

Since 2005, the University has:

• Broadened recycling collection programs throughout campus and established a single-stream recycling collection system.
• Established battery recycling on campus.
• Established e-waste collection on campus.
• Established toner cartridge recycling on campus.
• Established mercury-containing light bulb recycling on campus.
• Established a campus-wide pre- and post- consumer organics collection program.
• Completed a feasibility study for the establishment of a Materials Conservation Centre on campus.
• Designed and implemented a training program to establish food service staff as point-of-sale waste stream educators.
• Performed annual waste audits to support waste minimization strategy and planning work.