Common Energy/Event Waste Session

UBC Common Energy Sustainability Workshop - October 26 & 27, 2011

Workshop on Waste Management

• Speaker: Darren Duff, Manager Municipal Services, UBC Building Operations (darren.duff-at-ubc.ca)
• Biggest sources of waste in clubs: cans, compost (because compost bins aren't close by), paper (in advertising, agendas, etc.), pizza boxes
• Reducing promotional materials: facebook, twitter, blogging, boothing, classroom announcements, costumes, list-serves, advertising on Irving TVs or big screen at Wesbrook and University
• Consider alternative mediums for advertising events that aren't paper-based, e.g. Twitter
• Bring your own reuseable cutlery, e.g coffee cups - 100,000 cups could be produced per day-- Give incentive to members to bring their own mugs and plates
• Buy in bulk to reduce packaging and waste
  • Coffee cups are a significant contaminant to waste
• Waste reduction aligns with UBC and Metro Vancouver's strategic waste diversion targets
  • Waste diversion - diverting waste from landfills that could otherwise be composted, recycled, etc. -- "it's not actual garbage; it's all reuseable"
• 32 cages of electronic waste that are 300-400 pounds per week, e.g. computers, toasters, etc
  • Return It on Broadway and 10th
  • University Services Building (across from CIRS) on the loading dock
  • Make sure to wipe sensitive data!
  • Contact Building Ops and they will provide bins for you to recycle, compost, etc. at events - everything is run by them (e.g. they will bring the bin and then clean it after the event) so you don't have to worry about it
  • Useful to run events near the end of the year
• Tetrapak boxes (milk, juice) goes into cans and bottles
• A little bit of contamination in recycling (e.g. beer) is fine
• Batteries recycling is run by Environmental Services: http://riskmanagement.ubc.ca/environment/battery-recycling
  • Small to big batteries
• Number 1-5 and 7 plastics can be recycled; Number 6 cannot (e.g. styrofoam)
  • Tim Hortons can be recycled, but not waxy paper
  • Pizza boxes that have significant food residue cannot be recycled
• Many chopsticks have a coating so it can't be recycled
• COmpostable cutlrey is compostable over time, requires specific temperature
• If you're not sure whether to recycle or not, put it in the garbage - but usually it should be clear enough if you look at labels
• Host events at places where you have access to kitchen supplies- like plates and mugs
• Use Recyclable or compostable plates if no other way
• Refer people to nearest water fountain instead of having plastic water bottles