Blog posts archive

The holiday season is a time when gifts are exchanged by many people. However, with this tradition comes a lot of waste! Shipping gifts, wrapping paper waste, packaging, and even those undesired gifts that we all inevitably get use resources, create emissions, and accumulate in landfills.

One way to reduce the environmental impact of exchanging gifts is to give memorable experiences instead of physical objects. Ideas include:

October is Waste Reduction month! It is a great time to think about how we can reduce our carbon footprint and work toward achieving SDG #12: Responsible Consumption & Production. Repurposing also contributes to SDG #13: Climate Action by diverting waste and reducing the amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced by landfills.

WAT's Sustainable, Waterloo? Welcome to the official Sustainability's Office's official podcast: WAT's Sustainable?

On episode 10, we chat with Murray Zink, a staff member at the University and founder of 4RepairKW, a community-based organization composed of volunteers passionate about repairing items and educating the public on how to be more responsible and skilful consumers. This conversation dives into the concept of repair and why fostering a repair culture in the community is important for sustainability.

References Resources

WAT's Sustainable, Waterloo? Welcome to the official Sustainability's Office's official podcast: WAT's Sustainable?

On episode 09, we hear from Brendan Schaefer from Reep Green Solutions. Join Jenna and Andrea Bale, the Sustainability Engagement Coordinator at the Sustainability Office, as they discuss sustainable transportation. The conversation explores why water conservation is important both globally and within Waterloo Region, opportunities to conserve water in affordable, low-maintenance ways at home and more.

Referenced Resources

In an Earth plentiful of space and natural resources, it’s easy to forget the environmental impact of something as small as plastic. Yet, we continue to use plastic every day. From plastic bottles, plastic bags, to plastic packaging, human beings consume an irrational amount of plastic waste. Where does it go? Well, no other than our waters leading to the topic of this blog: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The Sustainability Office is here to discuss what the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is, its effects on our environment, and the projects that are underway in solving this global mess.

In June, we asked the University of Waterloo community to participate in our Bike Month campaign, a four-week contest that encourages individuals to snap a photo of themselves on a bike ride or share their favourite cycling story. Although the Sustainability Office normally hosts its Bike Month activities in-person, Bike Month 2021 was designed to be entirely virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, this post briefly summarizes how active and passionate the community is for cycling in their day-to-day lives.

WAT's Sustainable, Waterloo? Welcome to the official Sustainability's Office's official podcast: WAT's Sustainable?

On episode 06, we talk about all things Bike Month! We explore the history of the month-long campaign, it's significance on an individual and community-wide scale, how it's changed over the years and what you can do to take part this year.

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Prior to COVID-19, zero-waste take-out was already challenging. The pandemic made it even harder, with restrictions on the use of personal mugs, take-out boxes and more for sanitation reasons. However, one company is beating the odds and helping local restaurants transform their practices towards circular systems. Today, we are sharing the story of A Friendlier Company, whose vision is to create a centralized, circular system across Canada.

In an age where several food options are available with a click of an UberEats delivery button, choosing what to eat can be quite unmotivating, costly, and, at times, difficult. For this reason, I aim to help you reinvent each meal in a manner that is amusing, creative, and healthy by providing you with a “What I Eat in a Day: Plant-based Edition.” I listed potential plant-based meals for you and your family to cook at home for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. In addition, I provided an assortment of snacks that are quick, affordable, customizable depending on your preference and style, and most importantly, plant-based!

This April, we asked the University of Waterloo community to take part in our Earth Month Challenge, a four-week campaign that encouraged individuals to take sustainable actions in their everyday lives to contribute to collective sustainability efforts.

WAT's Sustainable, Waterloo? Welcome to the official Sustainability's Office's official podcast: WAT's Sustainable?

On Episode 03 of the podcast, we answer the question: WAT is urban greenspace? We discuss the importance of greenspace in cities for your health, wellbeing and the planet, what challenges exist when creating urban greenspace in existing urban centres, and what you can do to promote urban greenspace in your community!

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WAT's Sustainable, Waterloo? Welcome to the official Sustainability's Office's official podcast: WAT's Sustainable?

Referenced resources

Can you believe that we are almost a quarter of the way through 2021? In honour of Earth Hour – taking place on Saturday, March 27^th from 8:30-9:30pm – this month’s focus is on energy conservation and how individuals can be sustainable through their energy habits.

What is energy?