The Faculty of Education's EcoClub set out to uncover the truth behind our recycling habits, and the results were were eye-opening.  Digging into the Waste Audit In late October, a dedicated group of professors and teacher candidates joined forces with Facilities to conduct a waste audit of Lamoureux, the Faculty of Education's main building. A waste audit may sound a bit technical, but it's simple: we collected all the garbage, tracked where each bag came from, and then weighed and sorted the contents. This hands-on approach allowed us to see what people are really recycling and composting, as opposed to what could be properly sorted and recycled. Before we dive into the nitty-gritty of our findings, let's address why this matters. Sending compostable organics to a landfill is not just bad for the environment; it's contributing to the climate crisis. And when recyclable items end up in the wrong bin, it's a tremendous waste of valuable resources in a worl...

Wait wait, before we get started, you can check out our uOttawa move-out guide for those living in residences! I know I know... final projects are due, papers need to be handed in, and exams are getting started. So the last thing on your mind is how to be sustainable when all this is done and you head home for the summer. But, like many things in life,  little bit of planning can go a long way. So by taking just a hot second to look over this list, you can do some real good for the planet and your community. So this list isn't going to focus on how you travel (although if you are travelling under 500 km, consider the train instead of the plane), instead it is going to focus on what to do with all the stuff you accumulated and can't take with you when you leave. Yes, we all sometimes get more stuff then we need... no judgement here. This list will help you figure out the best way to get that stuff out into the world so it can help others. Now one option you can consider before ...

If there was one thing that you wish you could recycle but don't think you can, what would it be? Cosmetics, shoes, wipes? Well we are looking to add a few new recycling programs on campus and we need your input!! Is Recycling Good? There are some really good arguments out there that suggest recycling systems are broken. And I am not going to lie... they make a lot of sense. On the one hand, many people don't understand that recycling is an energy intensive activity that sometimes takes more energy than it might be worth. Recycling programs, especially curbside ones, don't recycle all the products they could... or sometimes companies promise their products are recyclable but they aren't actually in your city. But on the other hand, doing something is better than doing nothing, right? Getting onto the habit of trying to recycle helps lead to other positive environmental behaviours. And asking for more recycling will help push for better recycling and events and in your c...

If there is one thing I've learned as a recycling coordinator at uOttawa is that when it comes to waste, the learning curve is very very steep. If for me, whose work involves going through garbage daily, correctly triaging my waste seems complicated, what about a student? As I yelled a curse-word at yet another mis-triaged bin, I started to wonder. Was the system too complicated or the people not informed as they should be? Or, do they just not care? My answer is “they do” seem to care...as long as the process is not so complex as to requiring them holding three masters degrees to understand it or taking an hour of their time to sort one item. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a system is “a set of principles or procedures according to which something is done; an organized framework or method”. The only drawback with this definition is that there is no indication to the amount of complexity people can handle. But, to no surprise, the more options you have, the more likel...

Hey! What do you do with your cardboard toilet paper roll when you are done with them? Toss them out? Recycle them? Transform them into recycled artwork? Well if you wouldn't mind, we would like you to collect them and bring then to us. This year the Office of Campus Sustainability is looking to create some new programs that we hope will get people involved in changing the story about sustainability. The pandemic has been a very strange time for everyone trying to create engaging activities on campus. Reimagining events so that people comply with COVID regulations isn't as easy as one might think. Our office has struggled to figure out how to make our events "worth" the in-person experience. But this year we are going to work harder to find activities that let people get involved in making a more sustainable campus while learning about living a more sustainable lifestyle. So we are asking people on campus to collect their cardboard toilet paper tubes and bring them to...

The new Free Store is up and running and so far it is turning out to be a great success. Every day we bring another 10 boxes or so to the store and they are gone before the store closes. Funny thing though, no matter how much stuff we bring, there is always a hundred times more stuff waiting for us in our storage rooms. Sometimes it feels like a battle that can't be won. When you are trying to reduce the amount of things people consume, there is a tidal wave of entrenched conditioning to overcome. Think about it; every commercial is designed to get you to want something new. The first day of school means you need a new outfit. Going to a wedding means buying a new outfit. Want to take up yoga? New outfit. Want to turn over a new leaf.... new stuff is needed for that too. It seems that every time you want to do something new or different, or if want to mark an occasion or celebrate something, there is an understanding that a purchase is in order. And in case you aren't co...