Curtis Aab & Michael Judge

Over the past year, RRC Instructors Michael Judge (Chemical & Biosciences Technology) and Curtis Aab (Pharmaceutical Manufacturing) spent their spare time investigating how to reduce the negative environmental impacts of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

[**Author’s disclaimer – The last time I thought about chemical compounds was in Mr. Valentin’s grade 11 chemistry class, so for you White Coats out there, please excuse the elementariness of these scientific descriptions.] Read More →

One of 16 fancy new fountains on campus.

Last year we asked RRC students about their “top of mind” sustainability issues for the College.  Full results from that study can be found here, but those interested in the Coles Notes version need to know that installing more bottle fill stations ranked in the sustainability top-three.

The Notre Dame Campus now has 16 chilled, filtered bottle fill stations located in every building and on every floor on campus. Bottle fill stations can also be found at the Portage Campus and are planned for the Paterson GlobalFoods Institute (under construction). Sorry Roblin Centre, because the taste and temperature of your fountain water is p.d.g. (pretty darned good), we did a quick retrofit of your fountains with goose necks. Read More →

Did you know that Red River College offers “top of the lot” parking spots for students who carpool? Carpooling is a great way to save money on parking and gas and reduce your environmental impacts. But did you know that carpooling can also help to relieve stress?

“Top of the lot” spots for student carpoolers at the Notre Dame Campus.

At the Notre Dame Campus, students who team up to carpool can receive preferred ‘top of the lot” parking spots. It’s a nice perk that becomes even perkier when the temperature dips to -30 outside. To register or for more information, visit the Parking Services Office. And not to fear, carpool spots will not run out. Parking Manager Socrates Papadopoulos will continue to add carpooling spots to meet the demand… so team up!

Looking for a carpool buddy? Red River College is one of 9 Winnipeg employers that subscribes to carpool.ca. This ride-matching service helps you find fellow Red River College carpoolers in your area. Happy commuting.

RRC Polytech’s recycling program accepts these materials, and more!

What do yogurt containers, fresh fruit “clamshells” and frozen food trays have in common? They are now accepted in RRC’s recycling program!

Thanks to our new recycling hauler, Phoenix Recycling Inc., RRC has expanded the types of allowable materials into our recycling program. Read More →

Have you been thinking about leaving your car at home? Not sure what to do without it? Let the 2012 Commuter Challenge be the time to give it a try!

RRC is taking the Challenge and we encourage you to join in! During Environment Week, June 3^rd to 9^th, join the more than 7,000 Manitobans who will cycle, walk, run, skate, bus, carpool or telecommute their way to work!

The Commuter Challenge is a friendly, national competition that encourages daily commuters to choose greener modes of transportation. Whether you ride Transit on a regular basis, or cycle to work for the first time ever, you qualify as a Commuter Challenge participant. So register for the Challenge and be counted – the more of us that participate, the better our chances of winning! Read More →

Sustainability – There’s a lot of talk about it, but how much do students and staff really know?

Sustainability: the three-legged stool

To gauge ‘sustainability literacy’ of Red River College students and staff we set out to:

– measure knowledge of general sustainability concepts
– determine which College sustainability programs were having an impact
– and, to seek feedback on sustainability priorities for the future.

Student and staff surveys were conducted online in the Fall and Winter terms using random, representative samples.

Not only is measuring sustainability literacy one of the credits in STARS, but it’s also an important action in the RRC Strategic Plan.

Full results from the student and staff literacy surveys are here. For those looking for the highlights, check it out…. Read More →

Students and staff at Red River College pledged to continue serving as sustainability leaders this week, during activities timed to coincide with Earth Day celebrations around the world.

On Monday, April 23 (one day after the actual Earth Day), RRC held its second annual “State of Sustainability” celebration to inform the College community of the results of a recent environmental assessment.

Over the past year, RRC became the first Manitoba institution to take part in the Sustainability Tracking Assessment and Rating system (STARS), a comprehensive process to measure post-secondary sustainability performance — including operations, academics, social outreach and long term planning — and to benchmark those results against other post-secondary institutions. Read More →

The annual Greenspace Management Plant Sale at Red River College Polytechnic.

Red River College has again been recognized as one of Canada’s sustainability leaders, having been named one of Canada’s 50 Greenest Employers for the second year in a row. Read More →

A trio of Red River College grads have teamed up to launch a new company that could soon become the leading distributor of specialty foods in Central Canada.

Chris Boreski (Business Administration, 2004), Wayne Doerksen (Red Seal Chef, 2001), and Brennan Taniguchi (Business Administration, 2010) are the driving forces behind World Wise Distribution, a new Winnipeg-based company that was launched to meet the growing demand among retailers and restaurants for natural, organic, gluten-free, kosher, vegan, locally-grown and other specialty food products. Read More →

March 31st marked the day the lights went out at Red River College — as staff and students joined in Earth Hour activities taking place throughout the world.

At 8:30 p.m., RRC turned off all non-essential lighting, joining the millions of individuals and organizations who unplugged to show their commitment to environmental sustainability.

“Sustainability is an important concept at RRC, and it continues to be a significant focus in our new strategic plan,” says RRC President Stephanie Forsyth. “It’s about taking measures that enhance the viability of our institution, our environment, and our community.” Read More →