The Sustainabilitree

A three-part series brought to you by us, sharing note-worthy tips and tricks on shopping smart, reducing your textile waste footprint PLUS, how to find sustainable brands! Unfortunately, the fashion industry was not built by green thumbs.  Planetaid.org reports that “clothes can take up to 40 years to decompose.” We are taught to buy anything and everything we might need, which results in over-consumption. So let’s prevent things from piling up! If clutter, wasted money, and outdated clothing describes your current situation, then stay tuned! DO YOUR RESEARCH Research the companies you’re going to shop from. Know what their values are as a corporation in order to support ethical practices . Most major clothing brands are starting to develop collections that have “sustainable”characteristics - but don’t be fooled, major clothing brands like these are still considered “fast fashion” companies, most likely still partake in unethical behaviours such as sweatshops and unfai...

The well-worn, Madmen-esque marketing mantra that "sex sells" may still hold up, but a new wave of conscious consumerism has folks many reaching for benefit-corporation over bikini-clad and eco-products over easy prices. But why can't we have both? Who wouldn't want to look hot, fun, beautiful, trendy, cool, sexy etc.  and still do better for the planet and its people? What is known as "fast fashion" is a complex and frightening issue in which the hottest trends are made to appear to come and go so quickly that consumers feel the need to buy more and more with little regard for the environmental and ethical impact of the industry. Fashion is the third most polluting industry in the world, and the second largest consumer of water. Around 13 million tons of textile waste end up in landfills each year. Furthermore, the hazardous production and manufacture process  is horrible for water systems, agriculture and even your own health. Plus, the push for fa...

So it looks like you landed yourself here at the University of Ottawa. Being new to the space you have probably decided you want to do everything you can to really EXPERIENCE life that Ottawa has to offer. And of course you have a more than noticeable love for the planet. So here is a list of the things that you probably want to cross off your bucket list on campus, in Ottawa, even in the greater National Capital Region. Activities: Rent a kayak at Dow’s lake rentals  Get a community garden plot on campus Ride your bike or take a hike in Gatineau Park Stimulate your brain by renting a documentary at the Sustainable Development Centre Watch a water-related movie in the pool at uOttawa Have a romantic pique-nique at Hogsback Falls Go rock climbing to Vertical Reality and meet new people Frequently check the uOCal we constantly offer amazing activities Rent a bike @ the Bike Share on campus Fix your broken bike at the Bike Coop at 200 Lees or if you need a quick tu...

I know this sounds a little counter-intuitive.... you know, make sure you don't pack for your trip back to university. But if this sounds a little out of the box, then it's clear you don't know about the Free Store. Let's make this brief in case you do know about the Free Store . Every year the Office of Campus Sustainability collects all the stuff that students leave behind on their way out the door for the summer. We clean it, fix it, sort it, whatever it.... and get it back into the hands of students via this nifty little shop called the Free Store. And so the Free Store is perfectly named as it is a store where everything is free. We do this because we are reducing waste on campus and conserving precious resources. Now that you know the whole story, here is a quick list of the top five things that we get so much of that there is no point for you to bring your own to campus this year. Binders! Don't do it man, just don't do it. We have hundreds o...

Promoting sustainability during the Christmas holidays is probably one of the most grim things I have to do each year. Don't get me wrong, I think that there are a tonne of really important things that should be done during the holidays; it's just that often doing the right thing for the environment seems like a real drag on the spirit of the season. Well, I don't think that you have to be a killjoy while doing things for the holidays. I think that there can be a balance between easy, fun, and right for the planet. Here is a list of the things that you can do on campus and at home to make it a green Christmas (other than by global warming of course). Before you leave the campus: 1. SHUT IT ALL DOWN I know this must seem like the most obvious thing, but it is really important. And if you want to have the biggest impact possible, just unplug everything from the wall. This guarantees no power loss to phantom loads. Some items are much worse in terms of being energy v...

There are two realities for students that call the University of Ottawa there campus. On one side there are tens of thousands of students that scurry in and out of the classrooms, lounges, sports facilities, etc. And on the other side there are thousands of students that call the university more than just there campus... it is there home. Here at the UofO there are 2885 residence beds spread out over seven residence buildings on campus. In addition, there are some residence houses in the Sandy Hill community and a few students that stay over at the St. Paul residence. So in the end, we are talking about 10% of the community that lives on campus. So imagine our reaction here at the Office of Campus Sustainability when the idea of a model room in residences started floating around.With such a huge number of the campus community living in residences, it would be a gigantic win for us if we could get students to practice sustainable living habits. So here is what we are proposin...

The sun is back in full force and that means community garden time here at the University of Ottawa. This marks our 9th year of community gardening on campus and this year we are making a couple of upgrades. If you know anything about the gardens on campus then you know that you have to be dedicated to survive the ups and downs. The first incarnation of the community garden was created in 2004 and was comprised of a couple of individual plots and two larger communal plots. The garden grew slowly until in 2009 a new location was added to augment the number of spaces to about 30. Unfortunately a year later that space was designated as the construction site of the new ARC building . Not to fret, a new location was inaugurated at 649 King Edward immediately. So here we are in 2013 with two community garden locations and almost 50 plots to work on. Things are looking pretty sweet.... but why rest when you can push boundaries? Admittedly it is hard to "push the envelop" wh...

I can't say that I feel an overwhelming urge to try something new at the start of the new year, but I can assure you that many people do. My friends have been pestering me to reveal my new year's resolution for 2013 and most of my answers have been met with some rather underwhelmed expressions. I guess you can't get away with "typical" resolutions when you are a sustainability manager. So I started to do a little bit of research about what would be an appropriate resolution for 2013, you know one that is meaningful and easy to do and is good for the planet. But at the same time, the resolution has to be a bit of a sacrifice  I decided to narrow down my resolution to something related to CO2 production. I know that there are a lot of other issues out there to focus on but with so many of my friends coming back from DOHA with stories to tell, it kind of seemed like the right thing to do for this year. The next challenge was to find one of the biggest sources...

So you are coming to the University of Ottawa this fall and you want to be as green as humanly possible. Okay, well I am actually certain that this is one of the last things on your mind, with all the panicked packing and trying to squeeze out a couple of more summer moments with the friends and family. But I thought that I might give you a couple of tips for when you get to campus. We are Bottled Water Free here so don't freak out when you get to the caf or the Pivik and start searching around frantically. To facilitate this transition into your new bottled water free lifestyle, the SFUO puts reusable water canteens in every 101 Kit. And if you didn't get a kit, stop by the SFUO's Sustainability Centre and they'll fix you up with a canteen for free. A lot of you are new to Ottawa and are going to bring a bunch of luggage. Pack light ! You are going to be inundated with a tonne of swag and free "stuff". You will have memorabilia coming out the wazoo. S...

Are you a student? Are you stuck doing that thing where you pack your life into boxes and relocate to another place in the near future? Are you stressed and overridden with tonnes of stuff that you realize you don’t really need in your new place? (If you answered yes to any of these questions, you should probably continue reading. If not, maybe read anyways or continue browsing this blog for something more applicable to you.) Moving sucks, the effort that is required to sort through your junk and meticulously wrap your breakables is an arduous task at best. Hopefully some of these tips will help make the process a bit easier. 1. Gather the necessary packing equipment  DOs: Boxes- can be found on campus in “cardboard” recycling bins, be sure to recycle them after/give to others in the moving process! Crates- ask local stores (such as grocery stores) if they have any that you can borrow, some are surprisingly friendly if you offer to put a “deposit” down Grocery Ba...

Summer is an amazing time of the year, complete the sunshine we crave on those cold winter days, ice cream cones, beach days, and music festivals. Every summer I find myself having to carefully budget my finances to allow myself enough disposable income to see my favourite bands play at various different music festivals across this part of the country. Every genre you can imagine finds itself on display in front of heat stroked fans, who in some cases have been camping out in tents in the rain for days taking in the sights and sounds and atmosphere of the music festival scene. Now a days there seems to be a festival every weekend, and at a growing cost to festival goers. Festivals fight to bring in the hottest bands from around the world, they set up stands to sell over priced food, and drinks, whilst preventing you from bringing in your own. They encourage you to drive, bus, train, and fly from wherever you are, to attend the best, biggest, and hippest festival of the summer....

Recyclemania is slowly coming to an end, leaving in its’ trail optimists, newly enthusiastic recycling addicts, guilt-ridden consciences and some very frustrated people. I’ve noticed that many people having taken the pledge realise how much we actually throw out (and buy), and how we could collectively make a difference. I absolutely agree and often get frustrated when I see paper in the trash can. But I think it’s time for some high fives and thumbs up. Anyone who took the pledge is awesome in my books. Anyone who became mindful about recycling and composting also get an A. And everyone who just tried a tiny bit to have better recycling habits is pretty darn cool. Why are all these people equally cool in my mind? Because we’re all different. We have different backgrounds, come from different places and don’t all have the same mentality. For example, in the music department, I often hear “purists” bashing about “wanna be musicians”. Which basically mean they do not accept someon...

While the Fulcrum’s latest sex-ydition and the Recycle Mania waste-free challenge that are plaguing my mind of late, I have to pose the question: “Environmentally friendly sex; is it possible?” Let me rephrase, “is environmentally friendly, baby-free, safe sex possible?” Answer after my research: Probably not. Option 1: The pill, one of the most popular prescriptions on university campuses, can be used to effectively prevent pregnancy and if you’re in a committed relationship where both partners are tested negative for STIs, it may be appropriate. Though, as recently covered in the  media , the estrogen in the pill is causing the feminization of fish and also, those plastic cases aren’t recyclable in your regular recycling (they are in our campus plastics program though). Option 2: Condoms, sitting out in front of Health Promo (if you are interested in some freebees) for the campus population, are also effective in preventing pregnancy and the transmission of STIs. H...

I joined the waste-free challenge because I thought it would inspire my colleagues to rethink their habits in the workplace. I already live a mostly waste-free lifestyle: recycling, composting, avoiding products with too much packaging, unplugging electronics when they’re not in use, turning down the heat when I’m away, turning off my computer screen when I leave the office, etc. This isn’t to say that I’m perfect or better than anybody. The point is that I make a conscious effort to reduce my share of waste. Sometimes it’s a hassle, but I do feel a sense of responsibility for my actions. Let’s be honest. There’s no such thing as a completely waste-free lifestyle. Humans live on this planet. We have a right to use our fair share of its resources. Sadly though, I’ve come to realize that a large percentage of people I meet simply do not think or care about using their fair share. My last job was at an environmental non-profit here in Ottawa. I was living in a bubble. All the thin...

Creating a greener campus takes a lot of work, and for the University of Ottawa, that has meant a lot of green campaigns. With elections coming back, it’s time to take a look back at previous green campaigns—and who's been helping push them through. The bike co-op came into effect after passing through a referendum in February 2010, creating a space on campus for bike enthusiasts to hang out, swap stories, and help each other with repairs, and also encourages and helps new cyclists. The U-Pass, a not-uncontroversial issue, has passed through two referendums to offer cheaper bus fare on OC Transpo to students, getting a few more cars off the roads and helping make travel more affordable for students living in the city. The Green Fund, another referendum measure, added a $2 fee to each student’s tuition in order to create a financing source for green projects on campus. The money helped set up the Sustainability Centre, and supports green initiatives in campus clubs and o...

Let me start out by saying that I hate New Years resolutions. They kind of piss me off for two big reasons. First, they are almost always vague. Lose weight, be healthier, listen to more people,... seriously? None of these actually mean anything. Second, they aren't really resolutions... most people choose things that are better classified as common sense. So this year I propose GREEN resolutions that are precise and demonstrate resolve. 1. Get a reusable mug and actually use it! I know you have been told this like a thousand times but seriously.... get a mug and use it. I know it is tough to carry a clunky mug around with you everywhere but I am sure you can deal with it. Find a solution that works for you and go for it. You will save yourself about $20 to $50 bucks a year and you will be taking a chunk out of landfills. 2. Submit your homework electronically It is tricky handing things in electronically. The classic argument is that their professors won't let the...

Photo credit:  http://www.progadgetreview.com The Holiday season is around the corner, and some gifts are difficult to come by. Put aside the gift cards and boxes of chocolates. Apple has recently made apps “giftable” so that you may share the Angry Birds fun with your other iphone friends. For the environmentally conscious friend, why not the Carbon Footprint Calculator? It will help with some decisions and possibly motivate those friends to plant some trees as it calculates the number of these needed to offset their carbon footprint. Diamond Grading , an app for the occasional diamond buyer. After all, diamonds are a girl’s best friend! Others wish it could be summer year round so they may go for a sail on a December afternoon. Your budget may not let you buy him a house in the South, but the Waterski Duck should keep that friend busy on those cold days. Then for those who constantly get lost. In an effort to help them get around, the GPS coordinates may be a swee...

Photo Credit: Jonathan Rausseo Take a look at the picture. What do you notice? Nothing at first right? Just your typical everyday light switch... sitting on a window... wait, on a window? So this past week the University's Energy and Environment Engineer (Faizal) decided to try out a new piece of tech in the office. It is a wireless light switch with a piezometre activator. He did this because our office is a giant open space and we needed to divide up the lights in the area. I mean come on... this is an office full of environmentalists. Do you know how close we were to taring each other apart over having the lights on? So let me dissect this wireless light switch with a piezometre activator thingy. First, the light switch is wireless, so that means there is no need to make a giant hole in the wall and run a bunch of copper wires everywhere. This is super handy if you have to move a wall for example. Rather than pulling our the light switch and al...

Image obtained from Boogie Woogie Flu The SFUO elections are taking place on February 9th, 10th, and 11th. All undergraduate students will receive emails to their uOttawa accounts giving them a pin for online voting. This year sustainability has been a topic brought up by many candidates and is central to two of the referendum questions. The Green Referendum asks students to contribute $2.00 per ($1.00 per part-time student) to assist with the SFUO’s Sustainable Development initiatives. This levy would help to ensure that no matter what the priorities of the SFUO that year, sustainable development initiatives are still being supported. These funds would help in creating a visible Sustainability Center where all students, clubs, and federated bodies could go to learn about sustainability and how to access resources such as the Green events subsidy for clubs. The Bike Co-op being created at Lees campus would also be supported by this levy, ensuring that students will have an accessi...