Changes coming to office recycling

Facilities Management, in collaboration with the Office of Campus Planning and Sustainability, is pleased to announce the implementation of a sorting-at-source recycling and waste station system in all office areas on campus, starting in January 2016. 

Sorting-at-source recycling is widely accepted as the most effective way to prevent banned recyclable material from being sent to a landfill. It builds on the University’s commitment to sustainability and will assist the university with being compliant with provincial and local regulations as expected in the University’s Sustainability Policy GV0800. It also provides an opportunity for individuals to collectively take responsibility for reducing waste that is created in the workplace and reducing the amount of waste that is sent to a landfill.  It will further assist the University in achieving its goal of a 75% diversion rate as outlined in the Sustainability Action Plan.

The new system will replace large deskside landfill bins with smaller ones and require office occupants to empty their deskside recycling and landfill bins into centrally located recycling stations in each building.  This initiative is the result of three years of planning. A 2012 campus waste audit indicated that the office landfill diversion rate was 45%, compared to the overall university rate of 68%. To explore the feasibility and effectiveness of a sorting-at-source recycling system, Facilities Management commissioned a pilot study in four office buildings in September of 2013. During the pilot study, a significant amount of recyclable material was diverted from the landfill.  In a follow up survey the majority of participants indicated the new system was easy to use, well accepted and resulted in improved recycling in their offices.

Extensive consultation is currently underway with all office groups on campus, to ensure sorting stations are placed in convenient locations for all employees. For the most part, the initiative has been well received and most questions and/or concerns have been addressed on the sustainability website.

UVic is a recognized leader in developing and implementing sustainable operating practices that reduce the overall impact to our environment. With this in mind, we look forward to your support on this important initiative and invite you to contact Lynn Bartle, Implementation Project Lead (lbartle@uvic.ca) regarding any questions or suggestions you may have to ensure this this project has a successful rollout.  

Please visit the sustainability website for more information.