My first week living in Canada was spent sorting through trash, and I am so glad I had the chance to do it! As a new graduate student at the University of Ottawa, I made the decision to leave my job in Boston and make the move up to Ottawa during Reading Week. While looking for ways to hit the ground running, I found the Alternative Study Break program, and decided to spend my week volunteering with the Office of Campus Sustainability. We were tasked with performing a waste audit on the Friel Residence, then collecting and analyzing the data. Talking about the issues with waste, collection, and contamination was an eye-opening experience and having the opportunity to see for myself the amount of waste that is produced by one building felt like an urgent wake-up call.
We found a staggering amount of waste contamination, as recycling and garbage were often placed in the incorrect streams. Surprisingly, the majority of waste was incorrectly placed, and this carries significant implications for the school’s ability to recycle properly. The staff and fellow student-volunteers were clearly dedicated to sustainability and improving the environment. The task of collecting, entering, and analyzing data provided an excellent opportunity to practice my skills as a student, and I was excited to offer recommendations to improve the waste collection process. This complements my program well, as research in public administration and public policy is often focused on suggesting policy proposals and studying their effects.
My time
volunteering with the Office of Campus Sustainability has made it clear to me
that addressing this issue will require a community-wide effort. The world has
been hit with difficult situations, like the COVID-19 pandemic and its
associated economic hardships. What we’ve learned as a global community is that
the task of protecting our planet and our future falls to us. It is incredibly
important to hold governments, corporations, and community leaders accountable
for their failure to protect the environment. However, when it comes to ensuring
that waste is recycled properly, that responsibility falls on consumers. It is
important to learn about correct recycling practices, and clear up common
misconceptions. For example, I learned that milk cartons are supposed to be
recycled with plastics, not paper!
I am very
grateful that I had the opportunity to attend the Alternative Study Break. It
was a valuable learning experience, and it allowed me to do my part for the
uOttawa community. I am excited to see what new practices are implemented as a result
of volunteer recommendations, and I hope that our sustainability practices
improve. So far, I’ve had a rewarding career in public service working in the
US government at the state, local, and federal levels, while serving in the US
military as a reservist. It was hard to leave my life behind for a new country,
but I am now so glad I did it. I found my first days in Canada to be incredibly
welcoming and I am so excited for what Ottawa has to offer. Who knew that being so trashy could be so fun?
- jordan choy - MPA candidate, ASB participant