ENSURE SUSTAINABLE CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION PATTERNS
Reducing and managing waste while promoting sustainable consumption and production is the focus of SDG 12. This includes thinking about resource use as part of a circular economy, where extraction and processing is limited, and the embodied resources find new applications at the end of a product’s life. Waste reduction and sustainable procurement are priorities at the University of Waterloo.
Shift: Zero
In 2017, the University committed to becoming a zero waste campus by 2035. The Shift: Zero campaign focuses on five key areas to support the transition and make behavioural change convenient and impactful: engagement and training, reducing and eliminating waste, maximizing recycling, capturing organics, and expanding reuse programs. Examples include major expansion of standardized waste receptacles, an improved sorting guide, and regular waste-related events and campaigns.
WUSA Thrift
WUSA Thrift is a space where students can purchase or obtain clothing that’s better for the planet and their wallets. The WUSA Sustainability Project aims to address the fast fashion crisis, reduce waste, and improve access to affordable clothing through a student-run thrift store.
Institute for Polymer Research
The University of Waterloo's Institute for Polymer Research has earned an international reputation for making research initiatives pay off for a wide variety of companies. More recent initiatives include the development of sustainable solutions to generate polymers from renewable sources such as starch, cellulose nanocrystals, and cellulose-based materials (cardboard, sawdust). These polymers have the potential to either replace existing plastics obtained from petroleum or create new products for new applications.
Sustainable Procurement Guide
The University has a Sustainable Procurement Guide, which provides key information and resources to build awareness of sustainable procurement, to inform about the sustainable options available, and to empower staff and faculty to take sustainable actions in their own departments. The guide includes specific information on a growing list of common items purchased at Waterloo, and covers disclosure, lifecycle costing, commodity targets and other dimensions of sustainable procurement for each.
