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...

It’s happened… I have fallen down the waste reduction rabbit hole. I am not necessarily proud of this but digging through my household trash has become a nightly routine, a mission to properly sort any and all misplaced recycling and compost! I’ve seen and smelled it all, yet I continue to do it because, in my heart of hearts I know that although I am just one person, my waste has a large environmental impact. The average Canadian produces 2.7 kg of waste every day! To me, that represents a whole lot of stuff that doesn’t necessarily have to end up in a landfill. This year, as part of Recylemania, a group of brave crusaders will set out on a clandestine operation to properly sort waste on campus! A year ago, had you told me that burrowing through bags of trash would be an eye opening experience; I would not have believed you. Having performed waste audits I can tell you that digging through garbage is FASCINATING! Not only have I learned how to properly dispose of my items (an...