I mentioned in a previous post that recycling is a question of convenience. This isn’t the case all the time but I am willing to bet that you aren’t even aware of a tenth of the waste decisions you make in your daily life. When I was a kid in grade school a group of older students from some random high school came into my class to give a presentation about recycling. The details are fuzzy now but I do recall that when I got home that night I pestered my mom about recycling and how important it is. “Police should force everyone to recycle” I declared to my mother as I half-scowled at her for not having a recycling bin in our apartment. What I didn’t understand is that not only did my mother come from a different generation with different mentalities and norms about recycling, but also that we lived in an apartment building and recycling was not offered. What never dawned on me at that age and likely still evades many people today is that recycling is a matter of convenience plain and si...

Congrats Uottawa! Since the introduction of the Recycling Program in 1990, our waste numbers have plunged, while our recycling numbers have escalated. For the very first time, in the school year 2008-2009, we are officially recycling as much as we are wasting. What’s more, this doesn’t include our electronic wastes programs, wood pallet recycling programs, and other special recycling programs. Also, our total consumption has diminished by more than 30% since 1987; however, we still produce enough waste to fill the Desmarais building three times over. With the arrival of our new electric composter just a month away (we will be the first university in Ontario to purchase our very own electric composter!), and a great promotional plan for the year, we will surely hit our 60% waste diversion target in the coming year or so. Félicitations Uottawa! Depuis l’introduction du Recyclage sur campus en 1990, notre taux de production de déchets est en déclin, pendant que notre taux de recyclage es...

Nous ne réalisons pas jusqu’à quel point une conférence peut laisser une grande empreinte écologique! Des bouteilles d’eau pour chaque personne inscrite, des déchets à l’excès, des cadeaux promotionnels inutiles et de la paperasserie à l’infini…. Quel gaspillage! Ayant au plus de 5 000 recherchistes et scientifiques qui viendront à l’Université d’Ottawa pour le 77e Congrès de l’Acfas, la décision a été prise : il y aura un comité de développement durable! Mais comment organiser un congrès vert? Nous pourrions toucher à beaucoup de petits détails, mais divisons cette grande tâche selon différentes catégories : Papier Utiliser du papier recyclable à pourcentage élevé de fibres recyclées après consommation pour tout matériel imprimé (affiches, le programme, etc.). Fournir aux participants des blocs-notes de papier imprimé au verso. Encourager tous les gens impliqués de réduire la consommation de papier. Communications Inscription électronique. Communication quotidienne et «conseils verts...

This week we’ve finally started weighing the donations at the dump and run. We should have most everything weighed and donated (or kept for the free store) by the end of next week. How exciting! But seriously, let’s talk about consumption. In my last post, I talked about free stuff, and how much get’s thrown out on a regular basis, that is COMPLETELY reusable. Sometimes, it takes simple reuse. Have a glass jar from spaghetti sauce? Instead of throwing it out or recycling it, wash it and use it as a container or a drinking glass. Have a plastic yogurt container? Use it for dry bulk goods in your pantry, or for painting. Mesh onion bags are really great for washing dishes. The most important step in all of this? Think about whether or not you really need any given item BEFORE you buy it. Those strawberries in the supermarket that come from California? Well, you can decide if you really want that extra plastic packaging and the pesticides, and all the costs (monetary, environmental, and ...