University of Alberta

New and Notable Food & Dining Initiatives. (2016) Established the Sustainable Food Working Group (http://sustainability.ualberta.ca/OurApproach/InstitutionWideApproach/Working%20Grou…) (2014 - present) Participate in external working group, the Alberta Flavour Learning Lab, including providing data to two … read more

New and Notable Food & Dining Initiatives.

(2016) Established the Sustainable Food Working Group (http://sustainability.ualberta.ca/OurApproach/InstitutionWideApproach/Working%20Grou…)

(2014 - present) Participate in external working group, the Alberta Flavour Learning Lab, including providing data to two research projects related to institutional food procurement in Alberta.

(2016-17) Helped organize the Cultivating Connections Alberta Regional Food Systems Forum 2017 (https://cultivatingconnections2017.splashthat.com/)

(2016) Primary dining contractor, Aramark, became Marine Stewardship Council Chain of Custody certified.

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New and Notable Grounds Initiatives. Participation in trial using compost pellets. Organic waste (organics) collected on campus are sent to a local composting facility. Recently, the university participated in a trial with the City of … read more

New and Notable Grounds Initiatives.

Participation in trial using compost pellets.
Organic waste (organics) collected on campus are sent to a local composting facility. Recently, the university participated in a trial with the City of Edmonton to utilize a new product: compost pellets. These pellets act like a slow release fertilizer and are easy to apply. The university hopes to continue utilizing these compost pellets as part of their regular practices.

Water recovery from fire pump testing.
In 2013, UAlberta successfully began capturing fire pump test water and transferring it to a 25,000 gallon underground cistern next to the Centennial Centre for Interdisciplinary Science (CCIS) for temporary storage. The water is transferred from the cistern to tanks on the university’s grounds vehicles and then used for irrigation and water features on campus. While rainwater capture has become a common feature of green building design, capturing fire pump testing water is to our knowledge a very new approach to grey water capture and reuse.

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New and Notable Transportation Initiatives. In 2016 Parking services added two EV charging stations to Stadium car park. As well, in 2017, parking services teamed up with the Office of Sustainability, UAPS, Sustain SU, and … read more

New and Notable Transportation Initiatives.

In 2016 Parking services added two EV charging stations to Stadium car park.

As well, in 2017, parking services teamed up with the Office of Sustainability, UAPS, Sustain SU, and NET to collaborate on a work plan for implementing a bike theft prevention program. The program was established to encourage the use of bicycles as a mode of transportation.

Within the university's vehicle pool, two unique initiatives were started in 2016: (1) A GPS vehicle locator system was deployed into 79 fleet vehicles in 2016. The system will assist UAlberta in reduction of travel time and the idle reduction program.
(2) Idle management devices were installed in 6 vehicles and UAlberta is monitoring the effectiveness of these devices.

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New and Notable Waste Initiatives. The University of Alberta is committed to taking a Zero Waste approach to reduce the amount of waste created and sent to landfills at this institution. The Zero Waste approach … read more

New and Notable Waste Initiatives.

The University of Alberta is committed to taking a Zero Waste approach to reduce the amount of waste created and sent to landfills at this institution. The Zero Waste approach encompasses the implementation of four part Zero Waste stations that accept Mixed Paper, Recyclables, Organics, and Landfill waste.

Starting in 2018, the university has committed to send 1,500 metric tonnes (1,500,000 kg) of organics annually to the City of Edmonton’s new anaerobic digestion facility to produce energy and compost.

By 2020, the university’s goals are to divert 90% of the university’s waste from landfill and continue to reduce waste per weighted campus user. (2016-2020 Sustainability Plan).

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