Education for a Sustainable Tomorrow
The School of Environment, Enterprise and Development (SEED) is unique in Canada, and possibly the world, in its focus on the intersection of environment and sustainability, on one hand, and business and development on the other. With programs in sustainability management, international development practice, environment and business, local economic development and social innovation, SEED is dedicated to developing the knowledge, tools and expertise to integrate business and development with environmental and social goals. Learn more about SEED!
Events
V2V Thematic Webinar in February
This talk provides a high-level overview of the various tools and perspectives for undertaking gender-focused or feminist analysis in resource sectors such as small-scale fisheries. Drawing from gender studies, feminist political ecology, feminist political economy, and political science, this talk will dispel the idea that gender analysis means only focusing on women. It will show how understanding the many dimensions of gender roles and relations can improve the analysis of resource management and economic activity, expand our understanding of vulnerability and empowerment, and advance policy-relevant outcomes.
Title of the Webinar: Tools for Gender Analysis: Understanding Vulnerability and Empowerment
Date: Feb 17, 2023 (Friday)
Time: 1:00 PM UTC to 2:15 PM UTC (8:00 AM EST to 9:15 AM EST - 6:30 PM IST to 7:45 PM IST - Convert to your local time here)
Speaker: Dr. Andrea M. Collins | Associate Professor in the School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability (SERS) and the Balsillie School of International Affairs (BSIA) at the University of Waterloo
YouTube link: https://youtube.com/watch?v=6oRJTYHa3eA (watch this webinar live and participate in its Q&A session)
News
New research could divert a billion pounds of clothes and other fabric items from landfills
Canadians trash about a billion pounds—nearly 500 million kilograms—of fashion and home items made of fabric each year, but a new grading system could help divert most of it from landfills.
In the first study of its kind to determine the quantity and quality of textile waste in Canada, researchers from the University of Waterloo and Seneca College developed the new method to evaluate an item’s quality from A to F and whether it can be resold, recycled or tossed. In testing this method, they found that more than half of textile waste in Canada could be reused and almost a quarter could be recycled.
“Fashion consumption is at an unparalleled high,” said Olaf Weber, University Research Chair and professor in the School of Environment, Enterprise and Development at Waterloo. “Consumers buy, use and dispose of new garments, which end up in the landfill, and less than one per cent of the materials are recycled. This new method is an important step to curbing our waste.”
Canada doesn’t have a standardized process for sorting textiles. The researchers used a broader definition of textile waste by recognizing accessories, shoes and soft toys, in addition to clothing and home textiles. They also used a team of Waterloo and Seneca students and professionals from the fashion industry to sort the materials to ensure consistency in grading and proper evaluation of the item’s condition. A pair of ripped and stained jeans might receive a D grade and be flagged for repair before being donated and resold.
Overall, this new comprehensive assessment delivers more data and insights into waste management and prevention. The study determined that items graded A to D made up more than half of our current waste stream, so could be resold or reused. This finding emphasizes that there are many opportunities to divert textile waste in Canada, yielding massive benefits.
“Reducing our waste is a crucial step to addressing climate change,” said Weber, co-author of the paper. “Avoiding the textile waste assessed in our study could conserve resources and divert a significant amount of greenhouse gas emissions — in just one year the equivalent of driving 310,000 cars, plus supplying energy to 218,000 Canadian homes and filling 35,000 Olympic pools of water.”
Textile recycling in Canada is still in its infancy and so more investigation into its feasibility in some communities is necessary.
“The tremendous benefits for the economy and environment make pursuing the method worth the effort,” said Weber.
The study, Textile waste in Ontario, Canada: Opportunities for reuse and recycling, appears in the Journal of Resources, Conservation and Recycling.
Congratulations to SEED Professor Marie-Claire Cordonier Segger
Congratulations to Professor Marie-Claire Cordonier Segger for her election to Fellowship of the Royal Society of Canada – Academy of Social Sciences
SEED Faculty receive an Outstanding Paper Award
Congratulations to SEED Faculty Dr. Amelia Clarke and ENV Alumni, Dr. Eduardo Ordonez-Ponce (PhD '18), and Dr. Adriane MacDonald (PhD '16) for winning the Outstanding Paper award from Sustainability Accounting Management and Policy Journal.