The dust has settled from RRC Waste Reduction Week which was held October 24-28 and once again, we had a very successful event thanks to all of you! Below is a summary of the week.

Special Waste Depots/E-Waste Drive

We were very excited to partner with MMSM and Winnipeg Harvest this year as part of their Bag it Forward program. Over the week, we collected 286 plastic bags which will be used to deliver Winnipeg Harvest’s emergency food kits. Due to a great deal of interest, we are working on creating a permanent collection for the Bag it Forward program at RRC.

In the meantime, drop off gently-used plastic bags at our office (C519, NDC) from now until December 1. We will drop off all the collected bags to Winnipeg Harvest on December 2. If you have plastic bags but can’t make it to our office, contact Whitney to arrange something.

We also collected 180 used writing instruments (pens, markers, highlighters, and mechanical pencils) which will be dropped off at Staples for recycling as part of their partnership with Terracycle. Many of you expressed an interest in making this a permanent program. We heard you loud and clear and are working on it. Stay tuned!

Finally, about 2,262 kg of e-waste was collected for recycling, including 200 kg of used batteries. Many of your asked what happens to these items. Read More →

Sara and Whitney — waiting to catch the LRT to the airport. For all you baseball fans, that’s Camden Yards in the background.

Last week, Sara and Whitney (RRC’s Sustainability Office) left family and pumpkin pie meals at home and spent four days in Charm City to attend North America’s largest sustainability conference for higher education. More than 1800 of our post-secondary counterparts, faculty, students, administrators (and even a few College Presidents) descended onto Baltimore to gain lessons and tools, be inspired to advance sustainability initiatives at their own institutions, and form important relationships in a rapidly growing post-secondary sustainability network. Read More →

Fair Trade Campus Week is September 26-30

Fair Trade Week will soon be upon us, and there are a lot of fun activities planned (did someone say “free ice cream”?) to help raise awareness about Fair Trade, to learn about Fair Trade options on campus, and to provide updates on our efforts to become Manitoba’s first Fair Trade Campus.

When you purchase a Fair Trade product, you are ensuring that farmers and workers in developing countries that helped bring that product to market are receiving adequate compensation for their hard work, that they have safe working conditions, and that environmental standards were met in its production.

Fair trade is a true embodiment of sustainability – working to address economic, social and environmental issues of our globalized economy.  This is why Red River College is working to become the first Fair Trade Campus in Manitoba. Some of our efforts can be readily seen when you enjoy De Luca’s Fair Trade coffee from Food Service locations; purchase a Dairy Milk Fair Trade chocolate bar from the Ox, the Mercantile or a vending machine; or participate in Fair Trade Campus Week. Read More →

Label prototype of “Bijou Urban Honey”. Get yours at the market!

The idea to hold a Farmers Market has been buzzing in our minds since Chris and Lindsay from Bee Project Apiaries installed three hives on our Paterson GlobalFoods Institute in early July. They told us that at the end of the season we could expect to receive about 75 kilograms of honey.

“75 kilos of honey?!” we thought to ourselves. “What are we going to do with all of that golden goodness?” And just like that, our Farmers Market idea was born.

Students, staff and members of the community are invited to attend the Farmers Market on Friday, September 9th from 11-2pm on the Plaza level in between buildings DEF.

Our local line-up is growing everyday and includes vendors such as:

• Hearts & Roots
• Bramans Greens
• De Luca’s
• Nosh on This – gluten-free baked goods
• Red River College Bijou Urban Honey

We hope to see you there!

Hi, my name is Whitney Crooks and I am thrilled to be Red River College’s new Sustainability Coordinator. I’m really looking forward to getting to know and working with all of you. I bring with me a fair amount of experience and a lot of enthusiasm! Here is a little bit about me and how I came to be here.

Environmentalism has always been a part of me and my life, however until about 10 years ago, I had no idea that you could turn that passion into a career! In University, I originally studied sciences, earning a BSc in Mathematics and Physics and an MSc in Applied Meteorology and Climatology.

I enjoyed my studies, but quickly learned that I didn’t want to be a meteorologist. I began looking into my options and found the Masters in Environmental Studies program at York University. In this program, I found my place and I earned my MES with a focus on community engagement around environmental issues.

Read More →

Every year coinciding with Earth Day, the Sustainability Office invites students and staff to attend our State of Sustainability. Now in its 6th year, this lunchtime event is an opportunity to review highlights and discuss the setbacks of our campus sustainability journey.

When: Friday, April 22nd from 12pm – 1pm
Where: Notre Dame Campus, Room A137
What to bring: Yourself and a bottle or mug for something to drink.

This event will also be live-streamed. We hope to see you there!

Source: http://bit.ly/1KKSzpA

Congratulations to all RRC staff who helped us take GOLD in last months Commuter Challenge! Read More →

Are you wondering what can be recycled on campus, what to do with old office equipment or where your shredding or battery bins are located?

Visit RRC’s NEW Sustainability SHARE site and you will find those answers and much more. You can also save the NEW Recycling 101 card to your desktop for easy reference!

View our site and complete our SHARE Site Search Quiz between May 11-31 you will be entered to win a Camelbak water bottle, value $25.

For the fifth year in a row, Red River College has been recognized as one of Canada’s Greenest Employers. This award acknowledges RRC’s sustainability policies and programs that effectively engage staff and students in the social, economic and environmental aspects of sustainable living.

We are included amongst only a hand full of elite organizations across Canada who have won this prestigious award five years in a row!  We receive these accolades not only because of the hard work and commitment of the Sustainability Office but through support from the Recycling Team, active and engaged staff and students and our Leadership Community and Executive Team who champion this work.

Read the full story.

Red River College’s 5th annual State of Sustainability also shares Earth Day’s 45 birthday! Hard to believe how far we (the planet) has come in support of environmental protection since its launch in 1970.

Today, institutions like Red River College (RRC) lead the way in innovation and action that support a culture of sustainability on campus and in our community. RRC boasts being one of Canada’s Greenest Employers four years in a row, (we hope to make it 5, nudge-nudge-wink-wink). We receive these accolades not only because of the hard work and commitment of the Sustainability Office, but through the support of active and engaged staff and students, who participate in the many recycling programs we offer, and our Leadership Community and Executive Team who champion this work. Read More →