By Karen Halliday – Contributor
In honour of Waste Reduction Week in Quebec, which took place from the 21st to the 27th of October, the Sustainable Development Office has a number of waste management practices on campus to remind the Bishops community how you can help to support our waste management efforts.
You may have noticed on walks around campus that compost bins are available everywhere! The larger bins are brown, but the smaller bins (like those in the Purple Pod, Bus Stop Café or LLC café) have a compost sticker on them. All of these locations use compostable “to-go” cups and containers: they are identified by a recycling symbol with the tag PLA-7 on it, or they mention “compostable” Additionally, if you bring your own mug instead of using a compostable one, you can claim a 0.25$ discount. For those of you who frequent the residences, all residences are equipped with compost bins that can be emptied into the bigger compost bins outside of the Paterson and Johnson buildings. And, even better, those in Little Forks also have access to compost now! A bin has been placed in the parking lot by Optimist Park and the skate park. If you’re curious or confused about what goes into the compost you can visit the Ville de Sherbrooke, Services à la population / Compostage: trucs et astuces page.
Bishops is also equipped with various recycling practices, and recycling bins can also be found throughout the campus! These bins are blue or are identified with blue stickers. You can put all items identified with a recycling symbol and the numbers 1-5 in them. You may be surprised to find out that Bishops also recycles the masks and gloves which are used in labs; there is a pilot project that MGA Environnement and Université de Sherbrooke is doing that turns these masks and gloves into bricks for construction! In addition, Bishops and/ or the Lennoxville community also recycle glass, styrofoam and foil wrapping. If you’re looking to recycle glass, there is a grey bin outside of the Gait labelled “glass only” as well as another container behind Paterson. There is also a new glass-only collection container in front of Clarke & Sons as part of Sherbrooke’s glass collection pilot project. With regards to the styrofoam collection, make sure to bring any styrofoam products you may have to the bin by the reception desk at the Mail & Print Services (that way it stays out of our oceans. And lastly, foil wrapper disposal bin are located in the SUB lobby.
CANS!… If you’re wondering what to do with those, Bishops actually has multiple can collection bins all around campus! These bins are green and white and can be found in the SUB lobby, Gait, SRC hallway, LLC near the ITS desk, Purple Pod, Paterson main lobby and assembly room, Sports Centre near the vending machines, Johnson 2nd floor, Cleghorn, Abbott, Munster, Kuehner, and Mack main lobby. However, please don’t crush them. However enticing it may be, cans can’t be recycled if they’re crushed.
Last but not least on our list of sustainable waste management practices, Bishops also has a campus thrift store! The Community Cupboard is an awesome spot to buy or donate clothes, and not only is thrifting super cool and trendy these days, it is also a sustainable practice! So thrift on, thrifters! And check out The Community Cupboard’s instagram @bucommunitycupboardxthrift.
The Campus 