Sustainable Waste Management

By keeping track of the different wastes created by our operational and academic activities, we can work on reducing the amount that ends up in landfills, staying in line with the first objectives of our Sustainable Development Plan.

Waste Management Program

Bishop’s Waste Management Program was adopted on February 2, 2018, and is to be revised every five years. Based on the 3R Principle (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle), the program aims at reducing the amount of waste that goes to the landfill up until only the ultimate waste remains, that which cannot be reused, recycled, or composted.

Institutional Waste Management Program (PDF)

Waste Disposal Guide

On campus, our bins have 3 options: compost, recycling, and trash.

Compost poster that shows the items that should be composted: food waste, paper tissues and napkins, soiled paper and cardboard, containers identified as compostable.

Recycling posters that shows the various materials that can be recycled, such as cardboard, metals, plastics, glass, paper, drink boxes.

Please note that all food-to-go containers served in the Purple Pod, LLC, and Bus Stop Café are compostable. The food-to-go containers in Tim Hortons are recyclable. Make sure to put your food scraps and containers in appropriate bins!

A visual showing that hand paper can be composted.

A visual showing that gloves, masks, and hair nets can be recycled.

In the bathrooms, you can find compost bins for brown hand paper and other compostable materials. Bishop’s also take part of the local Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) recycling project initiated by MGA Environnement and Université de Sherbrooke. You can find PPE recycling bins at the science labs, at the food service points and in every building on campus.

Discount for Reusable Mugs

Bring your reusable mug and save .25 cents.

Did you know that every time you bring your reusable mug, you get a 25-cent discount on your coffee or tea? We want to encourage everyone to bring their own mugs and to decrease the waste generated by disposable coffee cups.

La Tasse Project

If you forgot your own reusable mug, we have the solution! In partnership with Sodexo, reusable and refundable La Tasse blue mugs are available on campus. La Tasse participants pay a $5 deposit to get a mug which they can swap for a clean mug the next time they purchase a beverage at most campus food service points or at any participating establishment. The returned La Tasse mugs are washed and put back into circulation.

If you forget your reusable mug – here are three easy steps to remember:

Get a La Tasse reusable cup in exchange for a $5 deposit.
Bring your La Tasse mug back to any participating establishment.
Receive a clean La Tasse mug for your new drink or get a reimbursement of your $5 deposit.

Learn more about the La Tasse project on their website.

Tray-less Cafeteria

This student-led initiative with the support of Sodexo (the on-campus catering service), removed trays in Dewhurst Cafeteria. This initiative means a reduction in energy used to clean the trays and without a tray, students are forced to make thoughtful food choices, instead of filling their trays with food that might go to waste. This project has reduced food waste and reduced water and energy consumption.

Campaign to Ban the sale of Single-Use Bottled Water

In 2010, Bishop’s University became the first university in Quebec to Ban the Sale of Single-Use Bottled Water. The initiative of a campus free of plastic water bottles was spearheaded by the Environmental Club and supported by the Sustainable Development Action Group. The plastic bottled water-free team informed Bishop’s students of the social, environmental, economic, and health outcomes that accompany the production, consumption, waste, and policies of bottled water.

The Water Bottle Free commemorative art mural in the S.U.B.

The Environment Club wrote and implemented a 2-year plan for making Bishop’s a bottled water-free campus. The plan was launched with a campaign that included a presentation given by students and guest speakers, many informative posters and booths, and finally a Rock-4-Water concert.

Thanks to the support of Bishop’s student body and community, we were able to achieve our goal of banning the sale of single-use plastic water bottles on campus.

The Green Team

Bishop’s students who have an interest in sustainable development can join the Green Team to help the Sustainable Development Office educate campus employees and students about proper waste management and sustainability initiatives at the University on a day-to-day basis and during special events. We hire students every semester and the schedules are flexible.

Community Cupboard’s Thrift Store

For more than 20 years (until 2021), Bishop’s held an annual garage sale which involved many members of the Bishop’s and Lennoxville community. The 2022 version hosted by the Sustainable Development Office had many positive impacts on the 3 spheres of sustainability. Since the fall of 2023, the project has been transformed into a thrift store on campus, now managed by the Community Cupboard team. At the end of each semester, clothes, office furniture, and small items left in good condition by students are collected by the Residence team and brought to the Community Cupboard’s Thrift Store, which holds pop-up events and varying opening hours. This way, we promote a culture of reuse and sharing!

For more information, see the article Community Cupboard’s thrift store promotes sustainable fashion in The Campus.

Follow them on Instagram.

Contact the Community Cupboard at: communitycupboard@ubishops.ca.