Through a month-long campaign, Queen’s Facilities is spotlighting sustainable living by by focusing on initiatives that range from reducing e-waste to fast fashion.
Every October is Circular Economy Month, a time used to bring awareness to ideas of a circular economy, encouraging individuals to make sustainable choices. Queen’s Facilities, in charge of constructing, operating, and maintaining the grounds and infrastructure at the University, is responsible for facilitating Circular Economy Month, using X and Instagram to raise awareness.
Circular Economy Month, led by the Circular Innovation Council, is a national campaign promoting an economy that values people and protects the planet. Established in 1978 as the Recycling Council of Ontario, the organization initially helped Ontario’s recycling operators market collected materials like newspapers, glass, and metal cans.
According to Splinter, a circular economy is a system that encourages reusing, sharing, recycling, and refurbishing, to limit our waste. Currently, most people don’t champion these ideals and live in a linear economy where something is bought, used, and then thrown away, the University’s Manager of Energy and Sustainability, Nathan Splinter, said in an interview with The Journal.
Splinter noted the greatest challenge Queen’s University Facilities faces in promoting Circular Economy Month is capturing students’ attention and helping them grasp the importance of the initiative.
“I think the biggest difficulty is getting people’s attention and finding a platform and a communication style that’s going to provide valuable information in a way that’s going to stick around and have a long-lasting impact on their decision-making process,” Splinter said.
Splinter explained various ways Queen’s advocates for sustainability, such as food composting, and Secondhand Shuffle, where students donate their unwanted goods before moving out to other students on campus. Splinter cited the ASUS Sidewalk Sale as one event where he thinks improvements can be made.
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“We would love to see no handouts being done there at all. The education and the outreach on this are really about trying to convince people to do something a little bit differently during those kinds of events. Don’t just give stuff out, maybe try and have a different experiential option that creates a lasting memory, but not with stuff,” Splinter said.
Splinter added that Queen’s University Facilities aims to provide enough education around these issues so that people will begin to consider the environmental consequences of their actions, ultimately encouraging more sustainable choices.
Each week in October will highlight a theme related to the circular economy, beginning with an introduction to its benefits, followed by strategies for waste reduction and job creation. The month wraps up with a celebration of the successes achieved during the campaign.
In an interview with The Journal, Resource and Recovery Specialist for Queen’s Facilities, Llynwen Osborne, went into more detail about waste reduction week, outlining each day’s purpose in addressing sustainability needs.
The week begins with Repair Monday, promoting waste reduction by encouraging people to fix items rather than discard them. Textiles Tuesday highlights the environmental impact of fast fashion, advocating for thrifting, repairs, and donations. E-Waste Wednesday emphasizes the importance of proper disposal of electronics, followed by Plastics Thursday, which focuses on reducing single-use plastics.
The week wraps up with Food Waste Friday, where Osborne emphasized Queen’s efforts to combat food waste on campus. Initiatives like the PEACH Market redistribute untouched meals from Queen’s food locations to those in need.
“Hospitality services have a number of different ways of making sure consumable foods gets to students that are in need as well as beyond into our community,” Osborne said.
Osborne encourages students to check out Collective Closet, a thrifting location where individuals can trade a personal clothing item they no longer want for a different article of their choice.
Tags
Circular Economy, fast fashion, Sustainability
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