St. George campus recently introduced a new compost bin program to work towards a more environmentally friendly version of itself. The program saw green bins set up around the downtown campus to encourage students to compost instead of throwing their leftovers in the trash. Meanwhile, St. George students helped promote the program by handing out bookmarks with relevant information.
The goal of the introducing green bins and composting to U of T’s St. George campus is to create new ways to reduce the amount of garbage production and allow students to live a greener life. Last year alone, 1,200 tons of garbage was turned into compost with the help of the U-Compost team at U of T.
Jacob Locker, a chef and director of Food Services at U of T, oversaw the implementation of green bins around campus. He had for some time wanted to see them spread in smaller on- and off-campus locations. However, a private contractor hired by U of T to pick up the compost from the green bins required a minimum amount to be picked up in each location—an amount that less frequented parts of the campus were not as likely to achieve.
The program, according to the volunteer students, has been a success. In an interview with News@UofT, Green Team member Ioni Waislguess called the bins “little green beacons of self-questioning and social questioning,” arguing that they are not just a good alternative to throwing out garbage, but also get “people thinking about what garbage is.”
Other students who participated in the U-compost effort at the downtown campus were quoted saying that the program was not only educational, but inspiring. Waislguess describer the work as easier than expected, adding that he got to meet many interesting people.
For more information about the U-Compost program at the St. George campus, students can visit http://blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca/.
