University of Victoria
OP-23: Waste Diversion

There are many factors that have contributed to UVic's acheivements in waste diversion. The Office of Campus Planning and Sustainability, the Waste Reduction Unit of Facilities Management and Food Services have worked together to provide more convenient and better labeled recycling and composting bins across campus, indoors and outdoors. All garbage and recycling bins were removed from classrooms and lecture theatres a couple years ago, forcing students to take their waste with them and drop off in one of the recycling sorting stations in the hallways. The types of materials that can be recycled has increased, and now people can drop off soft plastics, batteries, Styrofoam and personal cell phones at locations across campus, and our regular bottles & cans recycling stream can now accept tetrapaks and milk cartons. Once or twice a year, e-waste recycling events are hosted where students and staff can drop off all types of electronics for recycling at no charge (usually timed with student move-outs). Used clothing drop boxes are set up year round in the student residence areas. Our industrial composting system accepts all food waste, paper-based cups, take out containers and napkins, plus plant-based cups and cutlery. The voluntary office composting program is extremely popular with an estimated 70% of offices now participating. There are now a total of 39 convenient outdoor compost totes placed around campus in the past couple of years. The staff in the kitchens of all dining outlets compost all left over food waste from food preparation. Staff in the student dining halls compost all food waste, napkins, compostable cutlery from the food trays left by customers in the public areas.

UVic is prohibited from donating leftover or surplus food by local food regulations, although some is informally donated at Christmas before university facilities are closed until the new year.. We do, however, donate large amounts of refundable beverage containers to local charities throughout the year. See: http://ring.uvic.ca/news/recycling-caf for details. The students society also runs a campus emergency food bank with food donated from local grocery stores and run by volunteers. See: http://uvss.ca/sub-services/services/food-bank/.

UVic's Food Services and other food outlets compost as much food waste as possible in the kitchens during food perparation and leftover prepared food. Coffee grounds from coffee urns and machines across campus are also composted. These efforts by staff are largely responsible for our 74% food waste diversion rate as per our Waste Audit report. See: https://www.uvic.ca/sustainability/assets/docs/WasteAudit2011.pdf. See also: http://www.uvic.ca/services/food/home/sustainability/initiatives/index.php.

UVic is a leader in food waste composting with an estimated 74% of all food waste on campus being composted. See our Waste Audit Summary Report: https://www.uvic.ca/sustainability/assets/docs/WasteAudit2011.pdf. This high diversion rate is largely due to the efforts of our Food Services staff who compost all food waste left over food on food trays, and students and employees who take advantage of our many food waste collection bins across campus, inside buildings and on the campus grounds. See: https://www.uvic.ca/sustainability/operations/waste/composting/index.php. UVic's Degrees Catering which provides food for meetings and conferences, also composts food waste as much as possible. See: http://degreescatering.ca/sustainability/index.php

Plastic pens, personal cell phones, Styrofoam, wood and all electronics.

There are many factors that have contributed to UVic's acheivements in waste diversion. The Office of Campus Planning and Sustainability, the Waste Reduction Unit of Facilities Management and Food Services have worked together to provide more convenient and better labeled recycling and composting bins across campus, indoors and outdoors. All garbage and recycling bins were removed from classrooms and lecture theatres a couple years ago, forcing students to take their waste with them and drop off in one of the recycling sorting stations in the hallways. The types of materials that can be recycled has increased, and now people can drop off soft plastics, batteries, Styrofoam and personal cell phones at locations across campus, and our regular bottles & cans recycling stream can now accept tetrapaks and milk cartons. Once or twice a year, e-waste recycling events are hosted where students and staff can drop off all types of electronics for recycling at no charge (usually timed with student move-outs). Special messaging and bins are set up to collect the extra waste generated during studetn move-ins and move-outs (including packaging, appliances, clothing, bedding, electronics). Used clothing drop boxes are set up year round in the student residence areas. Students host a "stuff swap" each semester where they can trade or donate used clothing, books, electronics and appliances. Our industrial composting system accepts all food waste, paper-based cups, take out containers and napkins, plus plant-based cups and cutlery. There are now a total of approximately 40 convenient outdoor compost totes placed around campus in the past couple of years, and some indoors in the food service areas. The staff in the kitchens of all dining outlets compost all left over food waste from food preparation. Staff in the student dining halls compost all food waste, napkins, compostable cutlery from the food trays left by customers in the public areas. The voluntary office composting program is extremely popular with an estimated 70% of offices now participating. The UVic surplus asset coordinator oversees the collection and disposal of used furniture and electronics on campus. Items are assessed for re-use, sale, donation or recycling.