Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
Research
Designing Out Waste Research Initiative
Designing Out Waste is the culmination of the inaugural Scholar-in-Residence program at the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape. The resulting publication from the initiative outlines the design of a workflow in which existing concrete building waste can be robotically processed and upcycled for use in an outdated building design transformation. Learn more.
Vet Med Student Research Turns Animal Waste into Fertilizer
Organic waste produced by animals at UCalgary's Faculty of Veterinary Medicine’s (UCVM) Spy Hill Campus contributes significantly to the faculty’s waste footprint and is expensive to remove, costing tens of thousands of dollars every five to six years. Rather than perceiving the waste as a necessary cost, graduate students applied entrepreneurial thinking skills to identify a potential revenue-generating opportunity. If successful, their project would divert funds from waste removal to large animal care by converting organic waste to nutrient-rich fertilizer – or cow crap to cash. Learn more.
Teaching, Learning and Student Experience
Diverting Waste from Landfills
Certificate in Sustainability Studies students completed an assessment of which waste-sorting process on the UCalgary campus is most effective at decreasing contamination in our recycling and compost bins. Learn more.
Campus Waste Collection
A student in the Sustainable Energy Development program devised a project to increase the efficiency of waste collection on campus. To optimize the processes, the project analyzed the economic, environmental and social aspects of UCalgary’s current waste collection methods and schedules, and compared them to waste-collection systems used at other universities. Learn more.
Suit Up!
This student club provides affordable professional apparel to students and challenges the fast-fashion industry while giving back to the local community.
Campus and Community Impact
Campus
UCalgary’s Eco Club is committed to making the community more sustainable by raising awareness for practical and cost-effective actions that can reduce our environmental impact. Through hosting zero-waste pop-up stores on campus and educating the student community about waste reduction initiatives and ethical consumerism, this club embodies the principles of responsible consumption and production.
Local
UCalgary received the Institutional Leadership Award of the Year from the Recycling Council of Alberta (RCA) at their annual R’s of Excellence Awards. The R’s of Excellence Awards recognize special contributions RCA members are making to promote and facilitate waste reduction, recycling and resource conservation in Alberta.
International
UCalgary’s bookstore has been a Fair Labour Affiliate for five years. Most of the apparel sold is purchased from companies that verify their supply chain, ensure local and international workers are safe, and are held accountable for their operating procedures. Recently, the Bookstore hosted Tentree co-founder David Luba to discuss sustainable entrepreneurship
