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�Ӱ�ԭ�� Recycling Project Wins CAUBO Award for Environmental Sustainability

davidtownsend — Wed, 28 Aug 2019 19:26:33 +0000

�Ӱ�ԭ�� University’s recycling program in the University Centre Food Court has won a 2018 Quality and Productivity Award from the Canadian Association of University Business Officers (CAUBO).

�Ӱ�ԭ�� was recognized for excellence in environmental sustainability for its project on “improving recycling behaviours” in a university food court.

CAUBO is a non-profit organization that represents chief administrative and financial officers at universities and colleges throughout Canada. Its awards are intended to foster innovation and reward excellence in managing risk, as well as human, financial, IT and physical resources.

�Ӱ�ԭ�� was one of five national prize winners. Others include the University of Alberta’s chatbot that helps students get instant answers to IT questions, as well as Ryerson University’s Departmental Safety Officer Program.

�Ӱ�ԭ�� created innovative recycling stations and realigned consumer packaging with less wasteful material. Throughout the transition, �Ӱ�ԭ�� trained staff on best use of the new stations, resulting in a waste diversion rate of 90 per cent, up from 12 per cent, in less than a year.

The team behind the project used behavioural insights to identify the need for a recycling program that was both easy to understand, accessible and comprehensive.

Sandra Nelson, the past director of Strategic Procurement in Campus Services, played a role in developing the new stations and implementing them across campus.

In interviews with students, the Campus Services team found students were very keen on recycling but felt that bin colours and placements were confusing or inconsistent, and the slots were too small.

“We describe the new stations as a coalescing of things we’ve seen,” says Nelson. “In various roles in our team, we’ve travelled to different conferences or visited other institutions, residences and dining services. So we brought the pieces back and added our own touches based on the research we had been doing.

“The ability for you to drain and rinse your recyclables matches the same behaviour you would have at home.”

In addition to that innovative step, the team implemented other measures to ensure the stations were effective. The team found that a lot of students walk by recycling stations without looking up at the signage.

“We put the colour coding out onto the floor, so if you’re walking by you can see it,” says Nelson.

Since implementing the new stations, �Ӱ�ԭ�� has reduced waste removal costs by $5,000 a month, diverted more than 100,000 kilograms of recycling and prevented the creation of more than 400,000 kilograms of methane gas.

Campus Services received a �Ӱ�ԭ�� University Service Excellence for Innovation Award (2017) and the Gold Award for Sustainability from NACUFS (2018) for the recycling initiative. The project is also featured in the current issue of University Manager magazine.

�Ӱ�ԭ�� says this program can be implemented at any dining location on any campus in Canada.

“Institutions are really communities of individuals, so it’s important that we all work together to try to do better,” Nelson says.

�Ӱ�ԭ�� is working towards a goal of zero waste, campus wide, by 2022.

University Centre Food Court Recycling Station Wins Awards

kianaseitz — Thu, 18 Apr 2019 14:54:27 +0000

Campus Services recently won a CAUBO award for their efforts in transforming the University Centre Food Court into a zero waste facility.

Before the implementation of this program, only 12% of waste materials in the Food Court were being correctly recycled.

In 2018-19, 92% of all non-franchise packaging in the Food Court is now recyclable or compostable
12 student staff have been hired to help customers learn how to reduce their environmental impact
Prior to implementation of new recycling stations – 12% correctly recycled, 88% incorrectly recycled
- 1 month after implementation – 71% correctly recycled, 29% incorrectly recycled
- 4 months after implementation – 90% correctly recycled, 10% incorrectly recycled
Between March and December 2017, we improved the diversion rate in the Food Court from a dismal 12% to an astounding 90%, giving the Food Court its first Zero Waste Certification (“zero waste” means 10% or less of all waste goes to a landfill”)

The creation of the stations was a collaborative effort. Amanda Coome, the former Communications Design Coordinator with the Campus Services Marketing Team, designed the station’s signage that directs customers to the appropriate place to put their waste. The Print Shop made the colourful, eye-grabbing prints come to life.

The zero waste project began with a pilot station in the Food Court. When the pilot proved to be successful, additional stations were added at the rear of the Court, as well as in Oasis and the Loeb Cafe.

The program has diverted approximately 132 000 lbs of recycling away from the landfill and has prevented the generation of over 490 073 lbs of methane gas.

Campus Services Staff Spend a Day Helping the Ottawa Snowsuit Fund

kianaseitz — Wed, 17 Apr 2019 14:57:36 +0000

For the past few years, Campus Services has been helping staff the Ottawa Snowsuit Fund with volunteers. In 2018, more than a dozen �Ӱ�ԭ�� employees from 6 different departments donated their time to help give out snowsuits for children in need.

The is an Ottawa-based charity that raises funds for the purchase and distribution of snowsuits to needy children, 15 years and under, in our community. They’ve been operating for over 35 years, and distribute over 16,000 new snowsuits annually. The Distribution Centre needs the help of over 500 volunteers each season to help families find the perfect snowsuit.

The volunteers were split into morning and afternoon shifts, and helped distribute snowsuits (ensuring that they fit properly), unpack received items, and organize the warehouse. Over 100 snowsuits were given out during our time there. In addition to snowsuits, clients are also able to get toques and gloves, many of which have been donated from within the community – some even handmade!

If you would like to help the Snowsuit Fund, they’re always looking for donations (both money and clothing), volunteers, and people to help do fundraising. for how you can help!

BeaverTails Comes to Campus in Support of United Way Campaign

kianaseitz — Wed, 17 Apr 2019 14:55:59 +0000

In November 2018, Dining Services brought BeaverTails to �Ӱ�ԭ�� in support of �Ӱ�ԭ��’s United Way campaign. All proceeds generated at the event were donated to the campaign, courtesy of and Campus Services.

Dining Services supports the �Ӱ�ԭ�� communities’ fundraising efforts in a variety of ways, and bringing this Canadian staple to campus was a great way to bring a popular dish to campus in support of a worthy cause. BeaverTails were sold in the academic quad, just outside of MacOdrum Library, along with free coffee and hot chocolate (donations were accepted).

In total over 600 BeaverTails were sold, and $700 was raised for the United Way!

To be the first to know about the next time Dining Services bring BeaverTails to campus, be sure to follow �Ӱ�ԭ�� Dining on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook!