Zero Waste Week 2020: Home Edition

Monday, October 19, 2020 (all day) to Friday, October 23, 2020 (all day)

Hand holding up mason jar against greenery background

The Sustainability Office invites you to participate in Zero Waste Week 2020: Home Edition! From October 19-23, we encourage you to take the zero waste mason jar challenge to get a better understanding of how much waste you generate in one week - you might be surprised! We'll also be sharing other exciting activities and resources on our social media throughout October, on topics such as:

Strategies for reducing food waste
Waste sorting guidelines (on campus and in Waterloo Region)
Specialty recycling programs and donation guidelines during COVID-19
Repairing and upcycling clothing and textile waste
And much more!

To learn more about Waterloo's commitment to becoming a zero waste campus by 2035, check out our Shift Zero Action Plan.

Read more about the challenge and supporting activities below:

Zero Waste Challenge | Activities | FAQs | Terms and conditions

Zero Waste Challenge

Are you ready for the mason jar challenge? The rules are simple:

Register your jar on the zero waste challenge registration page
Collect your waste destined for landfill in a mason jar (or similar-sized container) for one week
Recycling and composting do not count toward your jar
Complete the follow-up survey (which will be sent to your email if you registered) by Monday, November 2, 2020 at 11:59pm
BONUS: Share your progress on social media using #WasteWeekUW and #JoinTheShiftUW to help inspire others

By completing the steps above, you will be entered in a random prize draw to win one of these amazing prizes (see terms and conditions):

$100 gift card to Zero Waste Bulk
1 of 5 $50 gift cards to Zero Waste Bulk
1 of 10 $10 WatCard top-ups

Note: There is no 'winning' or 'losing' the challenge at the end of the week. The goal of the challenge is to bring awareness to how much and what kind of waste we produce in a week and to reflect on opportunities for more sustainable swaps. We encourage you to try to keep your jar as empty as possible for the week, though we acknowledge that COVID-19 presents unique challenges to waste reduction.

Activities

We want to make sure you're equipped with all the tools you need for the zero waste challenge! Here are a number of activities we'll be offering leading up the Zero Waste Week to help you out:

Activity	Details	Date/Location
WORKSHOP: T ACKLING FOOD WASTE	Learn about strategies for reducing food waste, including how to extend the life of produce, how to preserve produce before it goes bad, how to regrow from food scraps, and some delicious recipes to use food scraps up! All attendees will be entered in a random prize draw to win a microgreen starter kit ($50 value) (see terms and conditions)	Wed, Oct 21 \| 7-8pm
WASTE WARRIOR QUIZ	Test your sorting smarts and find out if you're a Waste Warrior or a Recycling Rookie Participate for a chance to win: 1 of 3 $50 gift cards to Zero Waste Bulk 1 of 5 $10 WatCard top-ups One entry per person (see terms and conditions)	Open online between Mon, Oct 19 at 9:00am and Fri, Oct 30 at 11:59pm
SHOW US YOUR SUSTAINABILITY CHALLENGE	Submit a photo or video of how you're taking action on our weekly Sustainability Tips for a chance to win a weekly $50 WatCard top-up All tips shared in October are related to waste reduction Tips are shared Monday mornings on the Sustainability Office Instagram and Twitter accounts (@uwsustainable)	Weekly, Sep 14 - Nov 30

FAQs

We've compiled a list of frequently asked questions to help you prepare for Zero Waste Week. If your question wasn't answered here, please reach out to the Sustainability Office.

1. How do I register?

Visit our zero waste challenge registration form to register for the challenge.

2. What kind of jar can I use?

Feel free to use a mason jar, pasta jar, or any similar-sized jar or container you already own.

3. What goes in my jar?

Use your mason jar (or similar-sized container) to collect your waste destined for landfill. Place any recyclable or compostable material into the appropriate bin (e.g. recycling, green bin).

If you aren't sure where an item goes, start by checking out our A-Z Sorting Guide if you are on campus or the Waste Whiz for the Region of Waterloo. If you are living outside of Waterloo Region, please check your municipality's recycling guidelines. If you still have questions, you can reach out the Sustainability Office!

Please note: We do not recommend collecting personal hygiene products or biomedical waste in your jars; rather, dispose of those items in regular garbage bins. Feel free to make other exceptions as necessary.

4. How do I complete the follow-up survey?

If you provided your email on the registration form (and consent to email you), the Sustainability Office will send the link to the follow-up survey directly to your email.

Otherwise, the link will be posted on this webpage and the Sustainability Office social media channels (@uwsustainable on Instagram and Twitter).

Terms and conditions

Zero Waste Challenge

Eligibility:

You must be a student or employee at the University of Waterloo, aged 18 years or older and residing in Ontario to be eligible for the prize draw.

Challenge Details:

The challenge starts on Monday, October 19, 2020 and runs until Friday, October 23, 2020. (Registration will open on Monday, September 28, 2020 at 8:00am.)
The follow-up survey will be open until Monday, November 2, 2020 at 11:59pm.
Completion of both the registration form and completed follow-up survey will enter participants into the prize draw.
One entry per person.
No purchase is necessary. Participation is voluntary and may be withdrawn at any time. Alternate entry can be arranged by emailing Andrea Bale (abale@uwaterloo.ca)

Winner Selection:

The winners will be selected by random draw and notified by Tuesday, November 3, 2020.
The selected winner must answer a skill testing question correctly and complete a Gift Reporting Form before obtaining the prize and being declared winner. If incorrectly answered, another entrant will be selected randomly.
Selection of winners is randomized, where chances of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received.

Tackling Food Waste Workshop

Eligibility:

You must be a student or employee at the University of Waterloo, aged 18 years or older and residing in Ontario to be eligible for the prize draw.

Challenge Details:

All workshop attendees with a @uwaterloo.ca email address will automatically be entered into a random prize draw.
One entry per person.
No purchase is necessary. Participation is voluntary and may be withdrawn at any time. Alternate entry can be arranged by emailing Andrea Bale (abale@uwaterloo.ca)

Winner Selection:

The selected winners will be notified by Tuesday, November 3, 2020.
The selected winner must answer a skill testing question correctly before obtaining the prize and being declared winner. If incorrectly answered, another entrant will be selected randomly.
Selection of winners is randomized, where chances of winning depend on the number of eligible participants.

Waste Warrior Quiz

Eligibility:

You must be a student or employee at the University of Waterloo, aged 18 years or older and residing in Ontario to be eligible for the prize draw.

Challenge Details:

The quiz will be available from Monday, October 19, 2020 at 8:00am until Friday, October 30, 2020 at 11:59pm.
Completion of the quiz and provision of a @uwaterloo.ca email address will automatically enter the participant into the prize draw.
One entry per person.
No purchase is necessary. Participation is voluntary and may be withdrawn at any time. Alternate entry can be arranged by emailing Andrea Bale (abale@uwaterloo.ca)

Winner Selection:

The selected winners will be notified by Tuesday, November 3, 2020.
The selected winner must answer a skill testing question correctly and complete a Gift Reporting Form before obtaining the prize and being declared winner. If incorrectly answered, another entrant will be selected randomly.
Selection of winners is randomized, where chances of winning depend on the number of eligible participants.

Event website

Zero Waste Challenge registration form

Cost

Free

Event tags

waste week

zero waste

waste reduction