The Box of Shame

A summary of my first month living waste free:

To sum up, I have pledged to live waste-free for nine weeks (from January 29th to March 31st) in the spirit of RecycleMania – and just to show that it is possible! What I mean by waste-free is that I will not be sending anything to landfill; I will be recycling, composting, and using my reusable containers! I have been waste-free for about a month now, and am finding it even easier that last year – now that the University recycles all forms of plastics! I am planning all my meals ahead of time, making all my own foods from scratch, and buying ingredients by bulk in jars and reusable containers.

The first interesting experience I had was during my visit to the dentist. I hadn’t been in a few years, and forgot just how much waste they produce for a simple check-up: a disposable plastic ‘bib’ to protect my clothes, disposable plastic floss, a disposable cloth to wipe my face (wrapped in plastic), and a disposable plastic cup to rinse my mouth. That is insane! So I did the only reasonable thing to do: quickly hide the ‘waste’ in my pockets and in my bag whenever the hygienist left the room to later recycle and compost them on campus or at home.

Then there is the restaurant business; as most restaurants do not compost their left-overs, napkins or the lime they add on your glass of water, I had to carry them home to compost. I also had my first waste miss-hap last week; since the restaurant I went to last Friday was full, we took the meal to go in recyclable and compostable take-out containers. But it was only once I started to clean them that I noticed the waste: the lid for the aluminum plate (that keeps the meal warm) was a hybrid material! I was stuck, I had produced my first piece of waste…The lesson to be learned; avoid take-out containers, eat in!

All of the waste that I might accidentally produce during my waste free challenge goes into my box of shame (a small cardboard box I keep beside my desk to remind of any waste that I might produce). The box has its first deposit.

~brige - waste diversion coordinator

photo credit - jonathan rausseo

More Farmers Markets on Campus

Last semester, Sustainable SFUO made the decision to start hosting a Farmer’s Market inside UCU. There are a couple of reasons why this goes down as a solid bit of decision-making: supporting local vendors and farmers, promoting local and homegrown foods, and putting some fresh and healthy food into the hands of students.

As Caroline Wall, a student at the University of Ottawa, states, “The quality at a farmer’s market is obviously going to be better, and you get to actually meet the person who made or cultivated [the food]”.

However, the most important reason is probably this: it made Farmer’s Markets accessible to students.

Of course, the Byward Market isn’t that far away, and it stands to reason most students could just amble over a couple of blocks and, through most months of the year, have access to all that fresh and local food that tastes so damn yummy.

“If it’s accessible by bicycle or bus, I’m willing to go,” says Wall, and the market she most routinely visits is Landsdowne, which is also quite close to campus.

Some, like Wall, are willing to travel in order to enjoy the benefits of shopping at a market, even driving 30-45 minutes to get there.

Others only shop at markets occasionally, typically if they happen to be in the right place at the right time. One student, who used to live in a rural area, would often go to the markets near her house, but since moving to the city has found that she’s stopped.

Stephanie Gagnon from Fledermaus Farm, a local organic micro-bakery, noticed a lot of variability with how far people were willing to travel to shop at Farmer’s Markets.

“Sometimes people find that a market down on Bank Street is too far, others will willingly jump in a car and drive to Van Kleek Hill [the market she primarily sells at] because they have other people to see or they want to go to Beau’s brewery, so it’s really variable.”

She did note that even those inclined to make an effort to shop routinely at Farmer’s Markets are often defeated by that insurmountable obstacle of winter.

“People are not willing to brave […] winter roads to go to a farmer’s market out of the city, but certainly to tell them that there are vendors that we support that are at Byward…they are going to be there to support Joseph on Saturday, my friend who makes cheese.”

The market on campus provides yet another downtown market for students to shop at, adding the convenience of being at the heart of campus. For some, this means increased odds that they will start shopping at markets, since there isn’t any commute involved.

“Certainly the response is positive from students, professors, and support staff,” says Gagnon.

 ~eleni - associate editor, Ottawa Arts Review
photo credit - jonathan rausseo

Where is Waste Created on Campus?

If you have ever wondered where all the waste comes form on campus (who am I kidding, I am sure you probably haven't) ask no longer, the answer is essentially the UCU.

Our long awaited Campus Sustainability Annual Report is ready to be posted, the final details are just being ironed out. A couple of months ago I said that I would keep you posted about the development of this year's report. We took a new approach this time and crammed out report full of interesting infographics for your visual consumption.

Today I would like to highlight one of our waste infographics? This graphic actually tells us a lot about the production of waste on campus. First, let me say that the information represented here focuses mainly on the typical commercial waste on campus (the kind of things you would find in recycling centres and small garbage bins - not things like refrigerators or large pieces of furniture). Each square corresponds to the quantity of waste collected from these buildings in the month of April 2011.

The most surprising thing is that over half of the waste produced on campus comes from only 4 buildings; the University Centre, the 90 Residence Complex, Roger Guidon, and D'Iorio. This makes sense....
The UCU has the cafeteria, the Rez Complex has thousands of people living there 24/7, Roger Guidon is a hospital, and D'Iorio has the science store.

The graphic also confirms something that we always suspected, people in residence contribute disproportionately to the amount of waste generated on campus. This also makes sense since they spend approximately 10 times more time on campus than your typical student does (8% of the student body generates 21% of the waste).

So what are we going to do with this information? Stay tuned...
And if you are interested in seeing a copy of the annual report, we will be releasing it on our website in the coming days. The report is pretty big so I will also keep releasing pieces of it on the blog.

~ jon - campus sustainability manager
photo credit - jonathan rausseo

Rosy Coloured Garbage

WARNING: this blog may offend some that invest time and energy into Valentine’s Day and realize that they are killing the planet after reading. Enjoy!

I get that I am probably too late with this blog post to discourage you from buying your lover a plastic-wrapped, cardboard hidden, something or other that they probably will either devour/toss out in a few days/months/years BUT for next time around… here are some things to consider:

$10 billion USD was spent in 2010 on cards which will most likely be tossed within a week after the 14th. Try sending an e-card, I found some hilarious Harry Potter ones today with Katherine.

189 million roses bought on a single day, which will wilt within a week or so and if that’s any type of metaphor for your relationship… hehe .Stick with something that is going to be around for an extended period of time like a potted plant (they can be pretty too, you know).

17$ billion dollars on chocolate- very delicious, I cannot formulate many arguments against chocolate (because, well, it is chocolate) but I urge you to pick out some fairly traded or organic chocolate and be conscientious about the amount of packaging and whether or not it is recyclable.

And as with all holidays, an experiential gift means more and is better for the planet than something that will most likely end up trashed someday. Grab tickets to his/her favourite band/game/performance, something you can enjoy together!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

~merissa - campus sustainability coordinator
photo credits - someecards.com, dailyinfographic.com

http://dailyinfographic.com/valentines-day-infographic

Skating is sustainable, sure.

Our office is in a recyclemania/waste free type of mood these days and it’s seriously affecting my mind. I went for a skate on the canal at lunch time to try to clear my head, but it all caught up to me. Just as I was thinking of how sustainable it would be to skate around town (if I lived in Ottawa), my skates got stuck in slush and then a beaver tail wrapper. One word would sum up what I felt at that moment: EW.

I can deal with the slush, the forgotten ice guards (I’m sure someone will eventually pick them up and use them) and the blood on the ice (it’s organic after all), but not trash. It seems that skating itself is sustainable (like walking or running), but not being a consumer on skates. Napkins, empty hot chocolate cups, beaver tail wrappers, lost mittens, a broken orange cone… it’s not the glorious Rideau Canal anymore, it’s 7.8 kilometres of dirtied ice!

So this is my plight to all merchants on the ice (oh and say hi to the lovely lady in the Stone Soup Truck, she’s cool). 1) Please stress the fact that trash should be put in the bin 2) how about some compostable wrappers? The napkins are compostable, I’m talking about the crinkly stuff.


Now to NCC, how about a little bit more emphasis on the environment, how the ice is melting in the North and we are fortunate enough to have some here, as well as make recycling bins more accessible. Honestly, I saw more promo for the sponsors than for toilets.

Yes, I love the canal, I think it’s fun with friends and romantic with a better half. But it’s my job to point out the trash lying around.

~katherine - campus sustainability coordinator

photo credit - jonathan rausseo

Old man, hipster sweaters for the Environment!

I wear old man sweaters; not just because I am a filthy hipster or because I am thrifty and can get them for super cheap at the Bargain Box on Laurier (though, those are probably contributing factors) but because Ottawa is freezing and I am playing an active part in reducing my energy consumption.

Back home, the weather is on average 10 degrees warmer and still my house is freezing. My dad is a big supporter of layers, and he gets exasperated when one of us tinkers with the thermostat. I guess that’s where my love of chunky knits started, stealing my dad’s, mom’s, or anyone’s sweaters to stay warm around the house or in the shop. Here in Ottawa, I don’t have the privilege of controlling my heat which is a major disadvantage of being a tenant, especially because I still end up forking out the money for heating bills. Last week our heat was out and I remembered what it meant to be constantly bundled up in woollen sweaters, even sleeping in them to stay warm. My boss mentioned that he keeps his apartment at 16 degrees… he may be a sustainability geek and slightly insane though.

Coming up is National Sweater Day, not as drastic as turning off the heat completely but a day to turn the thermostat down a few degrees and pull out that sweater your great-aunt knit you for last x-mass. It’s a day to recognize ourselves, Canadians, as one of the major consumers of energy and producers of greenhouse gases and to take a step in the right direction to mitigate our effects.

Recently, I have seen a lot of events based on ugly x-mass sweaters; use them again or dig through your grandparents’ closets for a great, tacky choice (the uglier, bulkier, and warmer the better- extra points if they have animals on them). After all, the 9th is a Friday, host a party! Not only will the sweaters keep you warm but you can turn down the thermostat by an extra few degrees because the alcohol will keep you toasty as well ;)

Check out the Facebook event here !

~ meriss. - campus sustainability coordinator
photo credit - tumblr_lw0m2fk26Y1qdqv28o1_500

Getting ready for 9 weeks of living waste-free

For the second year in a row, I have decided to live waste free during RecycleMania. From January 29th to March 31st, I am pledging to not produce a single item that will end up in a landfill. Now that does not mean that I cannot use anything recyclable! Nonetheless I will try to keep this at a minimum by purchasing food in bulk with my reusable containers and jars whenever possible.

Last year, I pledged for eight weeks, and my box of shame contained a Band-aid, a few pieces of plastic dental floss, and a piece or two of gum (I am seriously addicted to the stuff!). It was much easier than I had thought; waste-free versions of all the same products I use on a daily basis are out there, you just have to find them…and learn to cook a new thing or two!. My favourite finds were vanilla or almond extract in bulk, and compostable dental floss, which can be purchased at most organic food stores in Ottawa (Silk Floss).

If you are unsure about giving it a try, I give a ‘how to live waste-free’ workshop. I am sure that I can convince you!

~ brigitte - campus recycling coordinator
photo credit - jonathan rausseo

Environmental Anxiety

**** Just for the edification of the reader, this post originally opened with one of the most awe-inspiring introductions ever. It was utterly captivating. It brought tears to the eyes of the assistant director. It put our entire existence on this planet into perspective. It was lost when we accidentally saved the file under the wrong extension. Easy come easy go I guess. Now let's join this blog post already in progress****

... Now this isn’t my first job so I know that it is natural to experience a little bit of anxiety on the first day of a new job, but what I felt on my way to work my first day wasn’t anxiety but what I call enxiety.

What is enxiety you may ask? Enxiety is the overwhelming feeling of fear and concern in regards to the impending doom of our environment. Enxiety can create feelings of fear over environmental degradation, helplessness in changing national and international policies on the environment, and frustration about the extent of the problem, otherwise known as environmental anxiety. I, personally, feel it is an under examined and under appreciated phenomenon that is being experienced by passionate environmental geeks everywhere.

I’m sure this is a sentiment that many of you out there can identify with, whether you know someone who has struggled with it, or whether you personally have found yourself a victim to this affliction. Sometimes it results from years of devoted environmental stewardship, other times, it strikes without warning; it affects the young and the old, the experienced and those new to the environmental community.

Well this morning, I found myself suffering from about of enxiety, complete with nervous sweats and that sickening feeling of how can I as one person make a difference. This feeling hung over me all morning, what can I possibly do that can mean anything on the large scale, especially when our government and our institutions are failing to take initiative in regard to our environment.

It was around this time that I started to look over the sustainability website, and over some of the plans for upcoming initiatives, and I began meeting some of my new coworkers, and I began to realize that right here, in front of me was an example of an institution, of an office, of people devoted to bringing about a sustainable future. After this my enxiety just seemed to melt away, because I realised that I wasn’t alone in my quest for a greener future.

~kira lamont - campus sustainability coordinator

photo credit - jonathan rausseo

Are We Canada's University or is it too late?

I am going to do a couple of things in this post that I promised to never do so if my words seem a little out of place, don't worry... it's not you, it's me.

First, I am going to admit that my first reaction to our University's slogan, "Canada's University" was not one of ecstatic enthusiasm. The slogan was launched 10 years ago as a means to differentiate uOttawa. It was clever because the university teaches in both official languages and is located in the National Capital. But I had the reaction that most people had... "that slogan sounds a little pretentious".

Well it is 10 years later and I am not a student anymore, I am a staff member. And until a little while ago, I still wasn't really sold on the University's slogan. I mean seriously, come on... what makes us so good that we get the coveted title of Canada's University?
And maybe I would have kept thinking that way until...

So I have been following this group called We Canada. This is an inspiring group of volunteers that have made it their mission to bring awareness of the Earth Summit 2012 and Canada's position with respects to environmental issues on the international stage. And then I heard the story of Gro Harlem Brundtland and the first Earth Summit. I already knew that Gro was the world's first ever Minister of the Environment, but what I didn't know is that  when she asked the world who would join Norway and create more ministries of the the environment... the world was silent. Until another small northern country put up their hand and said yes, you will not stand alone. Canada became the second country in the world to have a Minister of the Environment.

I was pissed because this was at this time that our government officially pulled out of the Kyoto Accord to avoid paying financial penalties for not keeping to our obligations. I couldn't help but think to myself, "Is this really what Canada is?" I listened closely to the arguments about why we pulled out and it always came back to the same thing - it would cost too much money for Canada to achieve our Kyoto Targets.

Now here is the other thing I don't like to do in my blog posts, brag. I don't like bragging very much because it is decidedly a very unCanadian thing to do. But this time it is unavoidable; this has to be said. When I heard that "it was not possible for Canada to reach it's Kyoto obligations", that was the last straw... because that is simply not true.

Now, I do a lot of presentations about uOttawa's sustainability performance and I talk a lot about our water consumption, our energy consumption, and our waste diversion. And in passing I mention our excellent performance with respects to Green House Gas Emissions. But I don't think I emphasize this enough because if I did then everyone would know that even if the government says we can't achieve Kyoto, the University of Ottawa did in 2010 (a full year ahead of when the international obligations were supposed to kick in).

Not too bad right? Yeah, but what you have to keep in mind is that the University grew by more than 50% since the 1990's (both in space and in population). And despite that we managed to drop our emissions by 6%. And guess what, we didn't bankrupt the University to do this, quite the opposite. Since 1993, the energy reduction programs have saved the University $39.9 Million cumulatively. And we haven't stopped there. The recent Copenhagen Accord asks countries for a 17% reduction in CO2 from 2005 levels by the year 2020. Good news everyone, you don't have to wait because we got that taken care of last year. I believe the appropriate expression here is double rainbow!

As a final little anecdote, a sustainability consultant called up my boss this week and asked him how the University of Ottawa decides what its emissions targets are going to be? I mean, if we have already met Kyoto and we have already met Copenhagen.... what's next? My boss' response - a 34% reduction in CO2 from 2005 levels. The rational being, "take whatever it is that people find hard to do and double it - that's the only way that you are ever going to inspire them."

I think back to what Canada did when it created its Ministry of the Environment. We did the right thing because Canadians care about the environment. I may not have thought that we earned the title of Canada's University before but now...
We have held our energy consumption flat since 1974; we have reduced our water consumption by over 15% in the last year alone; we are the current and three time Canadian champions of RecycleMania; we are ranked as the 15th most sustainable university in the World, and we do it all in two languages. Canada's University, if you don't like it... tough...get over it.

~ jonathan rausseo - campus sustainability manager
photo credit - jonathan rausseo

Semaine 1: les premiers jours sont toujours les plus difficiles!

L’année dernière, j’ai vécu huit semaines sans produire des déchets; bien avec une minuscule boîte de ‘honte’ qui contenait quelques morceaux de soie dentaire (mi-défi, j’ai trouvé de la soie compostable) et des petits morceaux de plastique (avant que l’Université ait commencé à recyclé tous les plastiques). Cette année, je vais vivre neuf semaines sans produire de déchets (du 29 janvier au 31 mars), et je vais essayer de minimiser ma consommation en emportant mes contenants à l’épicerie pour acheter mes produits en vrac.

Je dis ‘les premiers jours sont toujours les plus difficiles’ parce qu’il faut que je m’habitue de planifier tous mes repas, planifier mes visites aux épiceries, et m’assurer que j’ai fait assez de déjeuners à emporter sans déchets – Bien trop facile d’emporter une tablette déjà préparée et enveloppée! MAIS, même si je me suis fait un menu sans déchets pour la semaine, j’ai oublié d’acheter un ou deux articles…pas de tablettes granola cette semaine…il faut improviser mes déjeuners, car acheter un croissant à tous les jours sera un peu trop cher!

De plus, il faut s’habituer d’emporter les essuie-mains de la salle de bain à un bac de compost (qui n’est pas toujours évident!), de résister aux chips chez le beau-père, et d’arrêter la gomme…oui j’ai dit arrêter la gomme! Je suis complètement addicté à la gomme! Finalement, j’avais oublié que l’an dernier j’avais arrêté d’utiliser du beurre puisque l’emballage n’est pas du tout recyclable (hybride entre du papier et de l’aluminium). Mais j’ai trouvé une solution temporaire; du beurre d’un petit village local (trop cher…) ou du beurre végétalien : Earth balance qui goûte mieux que la margarine. Avez-vous d’autres solutions pour moi?

~ brigitte morin - coordonnatrice du recyclage

photo credit - brigitte morin