50 Sustainability Accomplishments for the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day


In honour of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, we are sharing the University of Ottawa's top 50 sustainability accomplishments over the past decade. Of course some of these activities have been slowed down because of Covid 19, but we wanted to show everyone our dedication to sustainability and highlight the amazing work of the community.

You can see all the pictures realted to these accomplishments on Instagram.
  1. The University of Ottawa placed 20th overall for RecycleMania 2020. The University has been the RecycleMania champions of Canada 9 out of the last 10 years.
  2. The University of Ottawa has a Community Supported Agriculture program. Every week during the growing season, a local, organic, fruit and vegetable basket is delivered to participants on campus.
  3. The University of Ottawa collects unpurchased food at the end of the day and donates it to 4 local charities.
  4. The University of Ottawa became Canada’s 7th Fair Trade campus. Today, the majority of all coffee served on campus is Fairtrade!
  5.  Thanks to the Student Union, students and staff on campus have access to the Bike Coop. You can repair your ride or even build a bike from scratch.
  6. The University of Ottawa is home to over 50 community garden plots. They are free to use by our community and they are supported by tonnes of pollinator spaces.
  7. Nothing stops Canadians, especially not the winter. That’s why uOttawa introduced outdoor bike rack parking in the winter. These racks are shoveled all winter to make sure you have a place to park.
  8. Along with Carleton University, the University of Ottawa introduces a U-pass for students. This helped change the face of public transportation in the City of Ottawa.
  9. The University of Ottawa shuttle bus keeps the community on the move between campuses. There are over 150,000 boardings every year and it is completely free!
  10. Looking for a more sustainable way to drive to campus? The University of Ottawa has a carpooling program with oodles of incentives. Find some friends and put some community in your commute.
  11. The University of Ottawa has two secure bike enclosures on campus to keep your ride safe while you are in class. You can have peace of mind knowing that your bike is safe.
  12. Did you know that there are 4 public bike repair stations at uOttawa? They are equipped with tools and a pump to help get you on your way. Each station also has a map to get to the Bike Coop just in case you need help.
  13. Safety on campus is a huge priority for the University of Ottawa. That’s why we closed the core of the campus to regular traffic and added barriers to protect pedestrians and cyclists.
  14. The University of Ottawa has made a commitment to green buildings and has built 3 certified green buildings and has 2 more on the way!
  15. The FSS Building houses the uOttawa living wall, a six story biofilter with over 2000 plants of 12 different species. The living wall cleans the air for the entire building.
  16. Did you know that the University of Ottawa has six buildings with green roofs? They help absorb rainwater and provide space for pollinators.
  17. What’s that up in the sky? It’s a bird. No it’s a plane. No wait, it is the solar panels on top of the ARC building!
  18. The first Earth Day was in 1970. Since then, the size and population of the campus has tripled, but energy consumption has remained flat.
  19. The University of Ottawa was the first University in Canada to sign the Montreal Carbon Pledge!
  20. In 2015, Food Services opened its zero-waste dining hall. Since then, thousands of tonnes of waste have never been created!
  21. Do you remember when Tabaret Lawn was a parking lot? What about when the Grand Allee was a two-way street for cars? The University has done a lot to make the campus pedestrian friendly.
  22. Over the past decade, the Free Store has given away over 150,000 kg of free stuff to the community, giving thousands of items a second life.
  23. The University of Ottawa collects old banners from events and transforms them into reusable bags with the help of Ottawa’s EcoEquitable.
  24. In 2018, the University of Ottawa purchased a Growcer unit for the campus, a hydroponic farm allowing us to grow 5000 kilograms of food for the Dining Hall every year.
  25. In 2010, the University of Ottawa became the first bottled water free campus in Ontario and the second in Canada. To support this initiative, over 100 new water fountains have been installed on campus.
  26. In 2018, the University of Ottawa modernized its environmental sustainability policy. Every Faculty and Service will now have to create their own sustainability plan.
  27. Five years ago, the University of Ottawa began to offer a Master’s program in Environmental Sustainability, helping train the next generation of policy makers. That went so well that there is now a PhD option.
  28. In 2016, pen recycling becomes the norm as pen recycling bins are installed in the Morisset Library.
  29. In 2020, Muggy Mondays served its 15,000th free cup of coffee into a reusable mug. The waste reduction and fair trade initiative has been keeping disposable coffee cups out of landfill for over a decade.
  30. In 2017, the University of Ottawa achieve a Marine Stewardship Council Certification (MSC) which means that sea food served on campus meets a set of science-based requirements for sustainable fishing.
  31. In 2017, the Dining Hall received it’s first Green Restaurant Certification. uOttawa is one of the only campuses to have a 3-star rating.
  32. The University of Ottawa Carpooling Service now includes a ridesharing option! This helps students catch a ride to places outside of Ottawa with other members of the Campus Community.
  33. In 2010, the University of Ottawa introduced a furniture reuse program. Since then, 750 000 kg of furniture and equipment has been reused on campus.
  34. In 2016, the first official uOttawa Bike to Work Team takes to the streets and helps the community find another way to commute to the office.
  35. In 2017, the People’s Republic of Delicious takes over the DejaVu Café. This intrepid group of students and volunteers collect cosmetically damaged food from stores and restaurants, then they prepare delicious vegan meals that they give away to the community.
  36. In 2018, Celeste Digiovanni introduces H2Ottawa to the campus, a program that has reusable water bottles for sale inside campus vending machines.
  37. In 2016, the parking lot in front of the FSS Building is replaced by a new multi-use space, including a giant tent and some green space.
  38. In 2017, Textbooks for Change installs some donation bins on campus. Students can now donate their old textbooks to those who need them. So far, over 7800 textbooks have been collected on campus.
  39. In 2015, the University of Ottawa was recognized by the Ontario Minister of the Environment for Environmental Excellence.
  40. Facilities Services increases its campus fleet by adding 6 bicycles for staff to use to get around campus. Why use a car when you can ride in style?
  41. In 2020, Facilities Services cut it’s vehicle fleet in half and replace a bunch of cars with electric vehicles. This will eliminate 29 tonnes of CO2 annually.
  42. In 2020, Enbridge incentives to the University of Ottawa for energy reduction programs top $1Million.
  43. In 2012, the Office of Campus Sustainability partnered with the MJCGCE to offer the first alternative Student Break on campus. Every year since then, students have participated in waste audits and created programs to reduce waste to landfill.
  44. Did you know that there are over 2000 trees on campus? Yup, there are hanging around, cleaning the air, purifying the water, just chillin.
  45. Humans aren’t the only ones using the campus. That’s why the new STEM Building is covered in bird-friendly glass.
  46. In 2018, Food Services brings La laiterie de l'Outaouais on campus. This cooperative sources local milk for our dining hall !
  47. In 2017, the University of Ottawa publishes its first report on how the institution is tackling climate change through investments, research, and operations.
  48. In 2019, the multi-use pathway connecting 200 Lees and the main campus is completed. Now there three bike paths connecting uOttawa to the rest of the City.
  49. In 2019, the University of Ottawa’s English student newspaper, the Fulcrum, prints its last paper issue and moves to digital only, saving thousands of pieces of paper every week.
  50. In 2019, the University of Ottawa finalizes its strategic planning exercise and declares sustainability as one the institution's strategic pillars. Here’s to another decade of progress towards a time when every day is Earth Day!

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