Sustainable Concordia Initiatives

Currently, I am a student of Concordia University.  Since I began studying there, I have come to know a small amount about Sustainable Concordia.  Sustainable Concordia (SC) is Concordia’s community facilitator on sustainability.  They have many projects and keep growing, which is great for Concordia, as the university seeks to have a sustainable image.  With the help of SC, community members are able to achieve goals of improving the institutions level of sustainability.

One particular initiative that is very tightly related to WaPreG is the R4 initiative.  The mission of the initiative includes educating the Concordia community about waste prevention, which is WaPreG's goal for Ghana.  A simple summary of the components of the R4 campaign:
 ≈ Rethink: Before committing any action, we must think about what impact that action will have.  By doing so, we reduce the need for waste management
 ≈ Reduce/Reuse: The best way to have less waste is to reduce the amount we produce.  To do that, we must consume less, so as to reduce the use of resources, which will become waste.  From there, those products we do acquire, we must reuse.  There are numerous ways to reuse items, which in itself will reduce our consumption.
 ≈ Recycle: Recycling, the last of the four R’s, is our last chance at reducing our waste impact.  Some products can be recycled indefinitely without loss of quality (for example metals), while others may need an amount of the raw material to compensate for degradation of the product (for example paper products).  Despite this, energy consumption is greatly reduced.
 ≈ Compost: About 50% of the waste stream could be composted, so this is a crucial part of waste reduction.  This is nature’s way of recycling and it is much better than human recycling, since it not only recycles the materials, but also takes from those materials nutrients that are much needed for the earth

Within R4 is the Zero Waste Campaign.  This campaign has the goal of reducing waste on campus.  By checking out their blog, you will be able to check out the most recent of their activities.  Every March, members of the Concordia community pledge to make an effort to produce zero waste.  The goal is to find uses for what we would otherwise call waste.  This is a goal that is meant to be aspired to year-round.  The annual month of zero waste however, is a great way to maintain awareness about the problem.  Also, members are encouraged to interact with each other about their experiences throughout the month, increasing dialogue about successes and challenges.

Now, here is a quote by Imelda Marcos:
People say I’m extravagant because I want to be surrounded by beauty. But tell me, who wants to be surrounded by garbage?