Sheridan has made some significant progress in waste reduction and diversion since we introduced the Zero Waste program across the campus in 2014. Last week, we talked about the Zero Waste bin system in the office areas. This week, we are going to highlight the classroom areas.
In an effort to keep the learning areas clean and hygienic, Zero Waste stations are available in the hallways outside the classrooms. Everyone is asked to bring their waste to the ZW stations before they leave the classroom. Below are a few common questions about waste sorting at the ZW station
When waste bins contain waste of the wrong materials, will the cleaning staff remove them from the bins?
No, the cleaning staff are responsible for emptying the waste bins not sorting the waste. They collect the waste bags from the ZW stations and drop them off at the various waste collection containers where different waste, i.e. Organics, Mixed Recycling, and Landfill, will be picked up regularly by the waste collection trucks.
What happen to the waste materials collected in our Zero Waste stations? What happen to those waste materials placed in the wrong bins?
Within the Zero Waste program, when the waste materials are collected in the right bin, they will be converted to useful resources at the waste processing facilities. For example, our food waste is converted to electricity and fertilizers at an anaerobic digestion plant, and our recyclable waste (cans, paper, bottles and glass) are sorted at a material recovery facility (MRF) and sent to the waste processors to produce recycled products.
When waste materials are put into the wrong bins, the bins will be contaminated. The waste facilities are generally able to handle shipments of slightly contaminated waste. But when the recyclable materials collected in our Mixed Recycling bin (blue) are mixed with a large amount of non-recyclable materials (such as food waste and plastic bags), the waste facility (MRF) will instead reject the whole shipment and transport it to a landfill site for disposal. The same will happen to our Organic waste stream. Often, the contaminated waste bins contains food waste and recyclable materials, which means these potential valuable resources are lost.
What can you do to help Sheridan turn waste into resources?
To make sure that you are putting waste into the right bin, please take a minute to look at the ZW signage located at the station and follow the guidelines to sort your waste. Please encourage your students and peers to do the same.
Where on the website can I find further info about what goes where?
Please visit our Mission Zero website FAQ Section.
To continue to improve the results of our Zero Waste program, we need the support from every Sheridan member. If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at MissionZero@SheridanCollege.ca .
