Sustainable Futures

Researchers are using bacteria that eat food scraps to create a new kind of fully biodegradable plastic that reduces waste and could be less expensive to manufacture than current plastics are.

The team from the University of Waterloo says this new method produces plastics that are soft and flexible, leading to many potential applications such as food wrap, drug delivery and in the repair of damaged tissues and organs.

By 2040, 2 billion people living in cities are likely to be exposed to the impacts of climate change. It’s a reality that

Since 1970, the University of Waterloo has hosted a thought-provoking public lecture series: The Hagey Lectures. This premier invitational lecture invites a wide range of celebrated scholars and artists to challenge, stimulate and enrich faculty, staff, students and members of the Waterloo community.  

For Global Entrepreneurship Week, we’re spotlighting some incredible University of Waterloo entrepreneurs making a difference for humanity and our world.

Julia Baribeau (BASc ’23) is advancing her career with a unique twist on entrepreneurship as part of her journey in tackling environmental challenges. Rather than jumping into creating her own company, she’s working as an intrapreneur, bringing an entrepreneurial approach to her role within an existing organization.

On November 14, the University of Waterloo’s Faculty of Environment and Waterloo Climate Institute co-hosted Walking the Path of Hope: Climate Anxiety and the Healing Forest, a thought-provoking event that explored the intersections of climate change, Indigenous healing, reconciliation and Land Back. 

For Global Entrepreneurship Week, we’re spotlighting some incredible University of Waterloo entrepreneurs making a difference for humanity and our world.

Kwaku Owusu Twum’s (PhD and MBET in progress) entrepreneurial journey from Ghana to Waterloo is nothing short of inspiring. Alongside his co-founder, Daniel Buston Yankey, Twum is building Mapmate, a digital platform transforming the agricultural landscape for small-scale farmers.

Nine researchers at the University of Waterloo have been awarded $7.5 million in funding to support their research as part of the illustrious Canada Research Chairs (CRC) program.  

Each year, the CRC program invests up to $311 million to attract and retain some of the world’s most accomplished and promising minds.  

Splashing through a creek in her rubber boots. Creating leaf pattern transfers with crayons. Enjoying the outdoors with friends. These are just some of the happy memories University of Waterloo staffer Sophia Diebold has of her childhood experiences at the rare Charitable Research Reserve.  

Research led by the University of Waterloo has found new critical insights into how climate change threatens the future viability of hosting the Olympic Winter and Paralympic Games (OWG and PWG).

The thrill of same-day delivery, binging Netflix or having food delivered straight to your door is satisfying and a perfect dopamine hit in the digital age. It is also a form of happiness rooted in consumerism, where convenience is everything. However, these quick fixes come at a cost: our deeper well-being and the collective health of society and the environment.