Green Office initiative targets workplace habits Initially modeled by Harvard University, the Sustainability team at Western University has developed a Green Office Program, an initiative designed to encourage environmentally sustainable best practices in offices across campus. The main goals of the Green Office Program are to assist “offices” in identifying areas of potential improvement, track progress, and celebrate successes. You may be asking yourself what exactly makes an office “green”? The Sustainability team at Western believes that every campus member
Fall 2014
can succeed in this program by making small lifestyle changes, which will then contribute to a more environmentally-friendly campus overall. For example, coffee-loving staff are encouraged to use reusable mugs - and save 10¢ on every purchase - when getting their daily coffee fix. This not only saves money, but also reduces the amount of waste generated on campus. Story continues on page 4 ‘Green Office’
Western University Celebrates National Tree Day ReForest London has done a great deal to raise awareness about their Million Tree Challenge, an effort to engage and educate the London community on the benefits to trees and to plant 1 million native tree species in the London area. Story continues on page 7 ‘National Tree Day’
If you have an article idea for this newsletter, or for more information, please contact Beverley Ayeni, Energy and Environment Manager, at sustainability@uwo.ca or visit the Sustainability Website at sustainability.uwo.ca.
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Coffee cups and lids recycled at Western Did you know that an average of 12,000 disposable coffee cups are thrown into garbage bins each day on campus? This is because up until this week, the coffee cups were not recyclable on campus or within London. However, after a summer of negotiations between Western’s Facilities Management Department, the City of London, and Waste Management, an agreement has been made that will change the way we dispose of these coffee cups on campus. Recycling procedures at Western have been modified to allow all coffee cups, pop cups and their lids to be recycled in the “Containers” stream along with plastics, glass,
and metals. This new recycling procedure applies to cups produced by Tim Horton’s, Starbucks, The Spoke, and any other coffee retailer throughout campus. Though the cup is made of paper, the unique recycling process requires that coffee cups be sent to the recycling centre with containertype products. A general guide when trying to determine where recyclables go: if it can hold a liquid, it likely belongs in the “Containers” stream. While this big change is exciting news for Western, the Sustainability Team wants to remind you that using a reusable mug is still the best option when getting your daily coffee fix.
We virtually consume thousands of litres of water a day Canadians the second highest consumer of water in the world.
Moo!
Often, when we think about our water footprint, we reflect on our domestic consumption of water, meaning the water we use for day to day activities such as showers, laundry, and toilet flushing. This direct consumption of water is quite high with the average Canadian using 329 litres a day, making
What may be even more overwhelming is virtual water consumption. Virtual water refers to the amount of water that is embedded in food or other products that we use every day. Virtual water accounts for the water consumed throughout the entire lifecycle of a product, from production, processing, to end of life. Just your pair of jeans for example likely took over 10,000 litres of water just to produce. One of the biggest culprits for virtual water consumption, are meat products. The production of one kilogram of beef requires over 15, 000 litres of water. This takes into account the three year beef production system that
includes the water required to grow the grains that the cows eat, the water the cow drinks, and the water required for slaughtering processes. This is quite intensive, especially when compared to other products. For example, the production of one kilogram of apples requires only 822 litres of water. In general, it is estimated that 92% of the water we consume is embedded in food production. You can take action by trying to reduce your meat consumption. On average, a vegetarian consumes half as much water per day compared to a person who eats meat. If you cannot commit to being a vegetarian full time, consider giving up meat one day a week and if you do eat meat try to buy local, grass fed beef as they tend to manage water resources more effectively. p. 2
Environmental Events Calendar (September-November 2013) October October 6-10: International Walk to School Week International Walk to School Week is an opportunity to be a part of a global event that celebrates the many benefits of walking to school. International Walk to School Week encourages physical activity, raises awareness, and allows for time spent with local community leaders. Try to walk to school this week!
Waste Reduction week is a highlight of the October sustainability calendar. Western hosts a number of waste and recycling related events.
October 16: World Food Day Western’s pedestrian-friendly campus is a perfect destination for International Walk to School Week.
October 19-25: Waste Reduction Week Since its inception in the mid eighties, Waste Reduction Week calls on Canadians to reduce waste in all facets of daily living. The event has been organized by a coalition of non-government, notfor-profit environment groups and governments from 13 provincial and territorial jurisdictions across Canada. Remember to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle!
Founded by the United Nations in 1945, World Food Day was established to increase the awareness of world hunger and poverty and to inspire solutions for change. Every year, World Food Day Canada hosts a variety of different events to raise awareness. Check out their website to learn more at http://www.fao.org/world-foodday/home/en/. October 17: International Day for Eradication of Poverty Since 1993, the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty has been observed every year and promotes awareness of the need to
eradicate poverty in all countries. At the Millennium Summit, world leaders committed to cutting the proportion of people living in extreme poverty (less than $1.25 a day) in half by 2015.
November November 21: World Fisheries Day The United Nations reported that more than two-thirds of the worlds fisheries have been overfished and more than one third are in a state of decline because of loss of habitat, pollution, and global warming. Be sure to purchase fish products that have been sustainably sourced.
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‘Green Office’ Story continued from page 1 By encouraging sustainable best practices in the office such as powering down all electronics in the workspace when not in use, disposing of food waste in an organics collection bin, printing double-sided and in greyscale, purchasing eco-certified products, and using alternative modes of transportation, these actions will assist in embedding sustainability within the campus community. Registered offices are very likely to succeed in several areas of this program since there are easy-tofollow checklists in eight different categories created specifically for Western’s campus. These categories include Energy & Climate, Food & Dining, Publications & Outreach, Purchasing, Transportation, Waste Management, Events & Meetings, and Initiatives. The Sustainability team is proud to announce that twelve offices
throughout campus have already committed to the Green Office Program, indicative of having 70% or more of their staff pledging to follow the program’s guidelines and assisting in the completion of an initial baseline assessment. Interested offices are to select a Green Office Representative/ Champion who will then complete an initial baseline assessment, a scorecard used to measure where their office currently stands. Once the baseline assessment is complete, offices have 4-12 months to improve their initial score in hopes of becoming the greenest office on campus (Platinum rating). Many thanks to the current participating offices and all of their efforts thus far: Alumni Relations & Development; Communications & Public Affairs; Continuing Studies; Facilities Management 1st floor; Facilities Management 2nd floor; Finance & Budget, Advancement Operations; Financial Services; PSAC Local 610, the TAs and Postdocs of Western University; Ivey’s HBA Program Services;
Office of the Ombudsperson; Office of the President; and Research & Development. Along with encouraging friendly competition between offices, this initiative contributes to a 10- year goal and 5-year action plan strategy entitled “Creating a Sustainable Western Experience” in an effort to enhance this campus’s sustainability. The President’s Advisory Committee on Environment and Sustainability (PACES) outlined a goal to embrace sustainability awareness and engagement by the Western Community, followed by an action to develop a Sustainability Ambassadors’ program that encourages sustainability champions within students, staff and faculty. The implementation of the Green Office Program assists in creating a Sustainability Ambassadors’ program, which can only expand from now on. Make a difference at Western University today, and register your office by emailing sustainability@uwo.ca.
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The Sustainability Literacy Assessment: Student Feedback Used to Inform Decisions at Western One of the first steps on the road to implementing positive change at an institution like Western is to gather data about current operations in order to identify areas of improvement. As Western progresses toward its sustainability goals, the Sustainability at Western team has been gathering as much feedback as possible from faculty, staff, and students to ensure that these goals are met, and that the changes also meet the needs of all members of the Western community. As a pilot project this past summer, the sustainability team sought to encourage student participation and created Western’s first Sustainability Literacy Assessment (SLA) which was distributed to all undergraduate and graduate students. Out of the roughly 30,000 students who are currently enrolled in the 2014-2015 academic year, 3555 students responded. In addition to providing valuable feedback about sustainability initiatives on campus, this assessment will be distributed annually to monitor students’ perceptions about Western’s environmental goals as well as their general “sustainability literacy”. One of the most valuable questions within the survey touches on what the word “sustainability” means to students at Western. Most students used excellent keywords in their definition, such as “environmentalist”, “energy conservation” and “resource management”, and a few went so far as to provide very similar definitions to the one that Western currently accepts: that sustainability is living in a way that allows individuals to meet their own needs without compromising
Recent survey charts student’s level of engagement and understanding of Western’s initiatives and sustainability concepts.
the ability of current and future generations to meet their needs. Therefore, a sustainable campus is one that “promotes the smallest possible ecological footprint by promoting a healthy ecosystem and supporting the values of conservation”. More details on the President’s Advisory Committee on Environment and Sustainability’s (PACES) goals for 2022 can be found at http://sustainability. u wo.ca /d o c u m e n t s /st ra t e g y/ SustainableWesternExperience.pdf. Additionally, we asked students whether they had ever been a student at another college or university. We then asked them how they felt Western’s sustainability initiatives
compared to other institutions. Of the students who said they had never been enrolled at another institution, 92% said they either “agree” or “strongly agree” that Western’s sustainability initiatives are above average. Of those who have been enrolled at other institutions, 87% said they “agree” or “strongly agree” that Western’s sustainability initiatives are above average. The fact that Western’s efforts toward a sustainable campus are being noticed by students is definitely encouraging, and PACES and Sustainability at Western hope for the continued engagement of students throughout the process of achieving Western’s sustainability goals. p. 5
UCycle brings awareness to the region’s cycling culture Tired of fighting traffic? Think the price of gas is too steep? Then maybe cycling is the mode of transportation for you! Here at Western we are fortunate enough to have designated bike lanes across campus and direct access to wonderful trails that can make your commute more enjoyable. Also, as if a nice ride through Gibbon’s Park after class isn’t incentive enough, Western University has partnered up with the UCycle program, an online community where students from eight southern Ontario universities and colleges can learn more about cycling programs in their cities, check out cycling news, and join bike maintenance workshops. The UCycle program is also getting local businesses involved in a discount program that will allow students to present a valid Western Student ID and a bike helmet to receive discounts. From September 1st to November 30th the following retailers, services, and restaurants in London will be participating: Vietnam Tastes, Ta’ke Sushi, El Ranchito, Merla Mae Ice Cream Ltd, Sultan’s Pizza, TG’s Addis Ababa Restaurant, Fantasy Hair, Tribal Mountain Trade, and Heroes Comics. Check out ucycle.ca for more details on these discounts and more. From now until the end of November on their website, UCycle is hosting a Bike and Win contest where by students who take part in cycling programs are eligible to win awesome prizes for themselves, as well as $500 for their school to put toward current cycling projects. This is an excellent chance for new cyclists to experience cycling in London and to join a community of people who are enthusiastic about this alternative mode of
transportation. Don’t have a bike? No problem! Consider looking into the bike rental program at Purple Bikes here on campus, in UCC 149. The cost of renting a bike for one month is $40 plus deposit, and the rental includes a helmet, light, lock, and the cost of all maintenance during you rental period. Bikes can also be rented for periods of 3 days or one week, providing an excellent opportunity for even the most hesitant cyclists to give the program a try.
Follow @UCycleOntario on Twitter and “like” UCycle Western on Facebook to receive regular updates on local events. In addition to online resources, keep an eye out for posters appearing throughout campus shortly. The UCycle program is an excellent opportunity for Western students, faculty, and staff to get involved in a sustainability initiative on campus, with the added bonus of increasing human and environmental health! p. 6
‘National Tree Day’ Story continued from page 1 Trees are valuable to any community for a variety of reasons which include: •
sequestering carbon, capturing greenhouse gasses
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providing shade
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preventing of soil erosion
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recharging groundwater
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mitigating water and air pollution
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decreasing noise pollution
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providing paper and wood products as well as fuel
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beautifying spaces
This year National Tree Day was celebrated on Wednesday, September 24th for the third year in a row and the Sustainability team at Western was eager to involve the Western Community. Sustainability at Western, a team within Facilities
Management, purchased 250 tree seedlings from ReForest London to be given away on campus, primarily to staff and faculty. There were six species of native trees included in the giveaway: white spruce, white pine, black oak, black maple, tulip trees, and dwarf hackberry. The first pick-up location was the Support Services Building, where over 2/3 of the 250 trees were quickly picked up by staff and faculty who were excited to take part in the Million Tree Challenge. From there, half of the remaining trees were allocated to the second pick-up location, Natural Science, and the other half to the third pick-up location, Middlesex College.
The Sustainability team at Western team did not anticipate such an amazing turnout and would like to thank all those who came to the event to receive a tree. Unfortunately, this year there were not enough seedlings to meet the demand of the many other Western community members who wished to participate. Hopefully next year, with more of the budget set aside for this event, Sustainability at Western can ensure that more people are able to take home a seedling that can serve as a reminder of the value and benefits of trees to our community. For all those who did pick up a tree on National Tree Day: remember to register your tree at milliontrees.ca to ensure that your tree is counted toward the Million Tree Challenge. For more information about ReForest London, including upcoming native tree sales in your area or the Million Tree Challenge, head to reforestlondon. ca. Also, remember to check out sustainability.uwo.ca for upcoming sustainability events happening on campus.
Sustainability Programs Our sustainability team offers some great programs for enhancing sustainability education on campus. Whether you’re looking to engage your team in a fun workshop or infuse your office with sustainability, we have programs to deliver information on environmental initiatives on campus and ways to reduce our footprint. We also recognize individuals on campus who are dedicated to enhancing sustainability on campus. Follow the links to check out some of our programs. Sustainability Lunch & Learns Green Office Program Green Awards
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Find your nearest Organics and Recycling bins to properly sort all waste!
26% Organics
6% Coffee Cups
434 tons of organic waste ends up in garbage cans every year on campus.
Over 12,000 coffee cups are thrown away every day on campus.
Dispose of food waste, coffee filters & paper towel in nearby Organics collection bins.
Receive a 10 ¢ discount when you use a reusable mug at any campus eatery.
21% Recyclables
47% Garbage
Paper, plastics 1-7, metals, and glass containers can all be recycled on campus.
This means that only 47% of material found in a garbage bag on campus is actually supposed to go to landfill.
Locate the nearest receptacle and be sure to seperate paper and containers.
Always remember to REDUCE, REUSE & RECYCLE!
This garbage can represents a sample of waste produced by Main Campus in 2014.
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What’s In Your Trash, Western?
Did You
Kn w? Sustainability Tips, Tricks & Facts
Seeing Gold STARS Western University has recently resubmitted with the AASHE Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) and achieved a Gold rating. STARS is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance. It allows institutions to both challenge and learn from one another. Last submission, Western achieved a Silver rating and has since made improvements in key areas to raise the bar. Visit http://stars.aashe.org for more details.
Recycling just got better There is warranted excitement around the inclusion of coffee cups and lids in our recycling stream. These items can be added to the ‘Containers’ blue bin. However, the good news doesn’t end there; the ‘Containers’ blue bin is also accepting a wider array of plastics. Previous service providers only collected a few select types of plastic. Western now accepts plastics that are labeled 1 - 7. The community is encouraged to check the bottom of containers and other plastic materials to determine the plastic type. Plastic wrap and plastic bags, for example, are not included and are landfill.
PACES Report out this month The President’s Advisory Committee on Environment & Sustainability (PACES) has penned a new report, ‘Creating a Sustainable Western Experience’. The 16 page document highlights not only the work of the PACES committee and the members of its subgroups thus far, but the work of individuals and groups across campus implementing sustainable change. Achievements are broken down into the following four categories: Operations, Community, Research, and Teacher & Learning. Universities represent a time of personal development for students, leading to who they will become and what goals they will set for themselves. It is important that sustainability is included within this journey. www. sustainability.uwo.ca p. 9