A robust disposal system has made its way to the University Centre food court at Carleton in an effort to improve the school’s recycling efforts, according to Sandra Nelson, the director of strategic procurement with Carleton’s Purchasing Services.
Nelson said the university underwent a waste audit earlier this year and the results showed that only 12 per cent of waste produced in the food court was going into recycling. She added that of the other waste generated, 73 per cent should have entered recycling instead of being sent to landfill.
The new four-step disposal station in the University Centre, which was implemented by the school in partnership with MASS Environmental Service, allows for the separation of liquids, food, recyclables, and garbage.
“The main goal of the new recycling station is to simplify the recycling process and to encourage students, staff, and faculty to take the time to separate [recyclable] and waste materials. By doing so, we will decrease cross-contamination in the recycling streams and increase the overall diversion rates from our food court,” she said.
While disposal systems similar to this one have been employed by other institutions, Nelson said as far as she is aware, Carleton’s new system is unlike any other as it allows consumers to empty leftover liquids into a sink, which reduces cross-contamination.
Students and staff who visit the food court can learn more about the disposal process and City of Ottawa recycling codes by visiting the station and talking with members of the Recycling Ambassador program, who are there on behalf of MASS Environmental Service.
In the future, Nelson said a second disposal system of this sort will be put in place on the other side of the food court as well. Meanwhile, Nelson said the university is also working to improve the disposal process in the Fresh Food Company (FFCO) in Residence Commons.
“The [FFCO] will be a zero-waste facility by the end of this month, pending results from the waste audit. As our diversion rates improve, we will use this pilot station as a model while we begin looking at how to enhance the recycling efforts in other dining locations,” Nelson said.
So far, she said, many food court goers have already picked up on the procedures of the new system, and Dining Services has seen positive results in the amount of materials recycled.
“[W]e are eagerly awaiting our next waste audit so that we can report back to students about the impact their support has had,” Nelson said.
Photo by Meagan Casalino
