By Marianne Théoret – Contributor

In the face of climate change, thinking of ways forward can often feel overwhelming. It can be hard to know where to start! 

While we absolutely need to keep pushing for change at the institutional level, small habits at the individual level can make a difference over time. From Monday, Feb. 3 to Feb. 7, the Bishop’s Sustainable Development Office, BU Environmental Club, BU Outdoors, Community Cupboard, Arches Brewery and Happy Hour Club will celebrate eco-week. Eco-week aims to celebrate sustainability through a variety of eco-themed activities. Let the upcoming eco-week be an opportunity to learn new ways of practicing sustainability and to solidify existing eco-conscious habits. Don’t know what sustainability is? No problem. This is the perfect time to learn! 

One event happening during eco-week is No (disposable) Cup Day on Wednesday, Feb. 5! No Cup Day aims to have Bishop’s students think about the waste they produce. Did you know that compostable cups can produce 52,000 tonnes of CO2 when breaking down? And that 99.75 per cent of paper cups cannot be recycled due to a plastic lining inside? Even if we are lucky that all disposable cups offered on campus are compostable, it is always better to go reusable! All day Wednesday, hot drinks served at each of Bishop’s beverage points on campus (the LLC, Bus Stop Café, the Pod, and Doolittle’s) will be served using reusable mugs. These mugs will be available for you to use and bring back at any of these points of service. You can also bring your own reusable mug for a $0.25 discount on your order.

Bishop’s students weighed in on what eco-week means to them: Mackenzie Moir noted that “Being sustainable is pretty important to me. I’m always looking for ways to do better for the environment”. Henry Micthell, 2nd year geography student, weighed in: “Reducing our environmental impact in our everyday lives is one of the most significant things we can do as individuals, and is greatly needed if we are to stave off the worst of climate change and environmental degradation”. He added that “while eco-week won’t save the planet singlehandedly (I wish it could!), there are fun and easy opportunities to try out environmentally friendly habits, like reusable cups or thrift shopping. My hope is we’ll walk away from the week with a couple of “green” reflexes.

Monica Beyere, head of the Environment club, told The Campus that “The environment matters to me because it’s our home, and it needs as much help as it can get. With climate change, overflowing landfills and a potential sixth mass extinction, sustainability and environmental advocacy matters more now than ever. That’s why I’m looking forward to eco-week as a chance to interact with BU students and highlight crucial issues that affect us all”. As part of eco-week, Beyere will be hosting a pop-up thrift store on campus on February 7. “I’m always happy to see sustainability initiatives on campus”, added Serena Dupperon.

Other highlights for eco-week include hikes organized by BU Outdoors, a thrift pop-up in the SUB by the Environmental Club, a documentary screening, a conference on climate change, and much more! To see the full schedule, check out the Sustainable Development office Instagram page