October 25th, 2022 by Abby Brewer
4-minute read
This past week, I volunteered for the campus-wide waste audit. I got dressed up in a full-body Hazmat suit and gloves, then dove right in. Each day, waste from a new building was collected, and it was our job to open up the bags, pull each piece of garbage out and divide it into bins according to its classification. For example, if there were coffee cups in the garbage, the lid would go into the plastic recycling bin (further specified according to the type of plastic), and the cup would go into a bin for papers. Once we emptied the entire garbage bag and everything was correctly sorted, we would weigh each bin to determine how much of each type of waste was improperly thrown out. The GFL (auditing organization) then prepares a report for Queen’s with a breakdown of how much trash was improperly thrown out, and even offers tips to reduce overall waste.
It was definitely an eye-opening experience.
I was shocked and appalled by the amount of food waste in particular. Some of the bags I sorted through were filled with food containers that looked like someone had barely touched their food. There were endless amounts of fries, napkins, and OH MY STARBUCKS CUPS. Overall I found that a large portion of the contents of each bag was organic food waste or food packaging (see images below).
These images have been gathered from the GFL 2021 Report. Many of the bags we sorted through this year were filled with food waste, takeout containers, and soiled napkins.
“The annual cost of avoidable food loss and waste in Canada is $1,766 per household.” As more than half of all food produced in Canada is wasted according to an article done by CBC News. Not only are we wasting food, leaving it to sit in landfills and hike up Greenhouse Gas emissions, but this is also taking a toll on our bank accounts.
Key Takeaways
One of the biggest takeaways I had from this experience, is that we all need to do our part to reduce our food waste, but the question you are probably asking yourself now is how exactly do we do that? Here are a few ideas I have thought of, but please feel free to comment on our Instagram post if you have any more :) Also, be sure to stay up to date with the Waste-Free & Tasty Blog posts for new ideas weekly.
3 Easy Tips for Reducing Food Waste:
Only ask for what you can eat
If you know you are not hungry, ask for a smaller portion, this is especially relevant in University Dining Halls
Save it for later
If you accidentally grabbed way too much food, can you keep it sealed in an airtight container to eat later? Leftovers will save you money and help reduce your waste.
Bring your own [container & utensils]
Why are containers you use once designed to last forever? The next time you go to Starbucks, consider bringing your own cup, or bring a reusable container when buying food
Another key takeaway is that: it only takes a few seconds to properly sort your items. The correct recycling bins are found all across campus at Queen’s University, and are likely right next to each other. Take a second to look at the pictures on the signs to see which items go into which bins.
But I get it, Grey, Blue, Black,Green.. So many options to choose from. If you feel overwhelmed or confused about what items go in which bins - Check out this resource for more information on recycling in Kingston: City of Kingston Waste Guidelines
GFL = Green For Life Environmental - the external auditing entity that completed the Queen's Waste Audit.
Curious on the results of the waste audit in the past? Feel free to browse the 2021 Waste Audit Report from the GFL, it covers all their findings from 2021.
What is the Waste Audit?
Roughly every six years, Queen’s University is required to complete an audit of the waste on campus. Trash from the waste bins across all buildings on campus are collected, and then sorted to see how much of the waste thrown into the black bin is improperly sorted. For example, how much of the waste in the trash should actually go into recycling or the compost. An external auditing company to come in to ensure that the process is completed accurately, they report their findings and offer suggestions on how to reduce waste on campus. This tells Queen’s how they are doing in terms of proper recycling, and allows them to improve their waste management plan to do better moving forward.
Hazardous Materials Suit aka Hazmat Suit
Is a form of PPE - Personal Protection Equipment. It usually covers a person’s whole body and it is meant to keep them safe from any materials or toxic products they may be working with.Here is a picture of me rocking the Hazmat suit. We wore these to keep us protected from any toxic waste that may be in the bags, and in general keep us clean from all the grossness.
Comments