University of British Columbia
OP-18: Waste Diversion

UBC is committed to waste reduction and diversion efforts. UBC is currently developing a Waste Action Plan to determine how to improve waste diversion on campus.

Well-established recycling programs at UBC actively turn waste into resources. Blue and grey bins collect paper, cans, bottles and plastics for recycling. UBC Waste Management also recycles special items including light bulbs and tubes, batteries, wood and metal. UBC’s desk-side recycling program challenges people to take responsibility for reducing their own office waste. The My Waste, My Responsibility recycling program equips workstations across campus with a personal blue deskside recycling bin with a small black garbage attachment, and empowers people to acknowledge, sort and dispose of their own waste.

Regionally, UBC has been an early adopter in organics management and has prioritized the development of onsite composting systems. In the 1990s, several small-scale food scrap composting initiatives were established along with a windrow2 system that is used to compost campus yard trimmings. In 2004, a large-scale in-vessel composter was commissioned in South Campus. In-vessel composting refers to the aerobic decomposition of organic matter in a mechanized, fully-enclosed vessel to produce a useful, nutrient-rich fertilizer. Most of this fertilizer is used in UBC’s own gardens, creating a virtual closed-loop system and negating the need to purchase soil from off-site.

Unlike traditional composting processes, the fully-enclosed in-vessel system allows for controlled, accelerated composting to occur. The enclosed system eliminates the risk of odours and vectors (such as rodents); therefore, dairy, meat and grain products can also be composted in addition to vegetable scraps. UBC’s in-vessel system is capable of processing 5 tonnes of organic waste daily and produces compost within two weeks (excluding compost maturation time). All major food outlets on campus receive collection services and other buildings participate on a voluntary basis.

The Waste Free UBC initiative was launched by environmentally-concerned individuals in different campus departments, to reduce the waste produced by the UBC community. The Waste Free UBC Committee is a cross-functional group of students, academics, staff and neighbours that brainstorms and collaborates to identify campus waste reduction strategies and diversion opportunities. To learn more about the initiative, please visit: http://www.sustain.ubc.ca/campus-sustainability/greening-the-campus/ubc-waste-free.

In 2010, UBC conducted a waste audit to assess current waste disposal practices and waste composition at the Vancouver campus. UBC is currently developing a Waste Action Plan that will help establish a vision for waste reduction and management, and the actions required to achieve this vision. To read more about the Plan and the Waste Action Discussion Paper, please visit: http://sustain.ubc.ca/campus-waste/.