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Office of Sustainability

Past projects, campaigns and events

2018/2019 Projects, campaigns & events 

A quick overview of the projects, campaigns, and events that were planned for 2018/2019

  • Energy Wise Network
    • Student Resident Energy Efficiency
    • Sweater Week (February 11 - 14, 2019)
    • Energy Challenge (November 2018)
  • Ban the Bag – The bookstore has agreed to discontinue using plastic bags once a suitable alternative is found. (August 2018)
  • Increasing composting on campus: Paper towel composting in washrooms & compostable packaging awareness (September 2018)
  • Waste Audit 2018 (October 2018)
  • Reducing single-use coffee cups, water bottles
  • Sustainable Events
  • Waste Reduction: New Student Orientation events, Back to Work BBQ
  • Develop targets and policies around waste and single-use plastics

2017/2018 Projects, campaigns & events

Spring 2017: Clothing Recycling – Waste reduction project

To continue the momentum of the Fashion Revolution campaign, SustainableUFV championed the addition of clothing donation bins at both main campuses, in ABB Lot 10, and next to CEP Building A.

May 2017: Bike to Work Week – Energy efficiency event

SustainableUFV partnered with Athletics and Student Life to provide bicycle maintenance and demonstrations highlighted by Kyle Baillie’s tune-up expertise, and Pat Harrison’s unique Elliptigo bike. UFV continues to support low-carbon transportation initiatives. Each BtWW, there are lots of prizes to win for participating, once, twice, or all week long!

Bike_to_work_week_2017

August 2017: Welcome Back BBQ – Waste reduction event

The welcome back barbeque attracts upwards of 600 employees from all campuses to connect on the green for an afternoon of good food, conversation, and offers the opportunity to soak your boss in the dunk tank.
This event historically has generated a significant amount of unsorted waste destined for the landfill. In advance of the official roll-out of the Sustainable Waste Station project, the BBQ was used as a pilot. 5 stations were set up around the green at strategic locations to ensure that waste was not only disposed of, but done properly. Members of SustainableUFV monitored the stations and answered any questions that arose. The inclusion of the waste stations at this event not only familiarized a large portion of staff with the new method of waste distribution, but also ensured that the event decreased it’s environmental footprint.
It should be noted that this was the first Welcome Back BBQ to be supplied by Dana Food Services (Cafeteria), much of the materials were compostable.

2018’s event will feature 100% compostable plates, utensils, and napkins, as well as a significantly reduced volume of water bottles and packaged beverages.

Blair_Zac_welcome_back_BBQ

September 2017: Sustainable Waste Stations – Waste reduction project

A new waste collection plan has been drafted, and the summer of 2017 will see the initial implementation of this audit, with two waste audits planned, one at the beginning of the roll-out, and a second audit after significant education and training has been afforded to the end-users. For more information on the plan we have developed a short presentation (link below) outlining the what, when, where and how.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xh0xx17FcUg

Sustainable_waste_stations

September 2017: Sustainable UFV Meeting

A group of nearly 35 gathered to discuss plans for the 2017/2018 academic year, and also discussed what big-picture projects could be looked at and implemented in the near future. Some of the topics included:

  • Increased campus connector options
  • Employee shuttle
  • Bees
  • Turn off the lights campaigns
  • Digitizing paper documents
  • Sustainability mentorship program w/School Districts

Pizza was provided, and great connections were made between students, staff, and faculty.

September 2017: Residence Sustainability - Energy efficiency campaign, waste reduction campaign

In an effort to increase awareness of sustainability on campus, who better to involve than those living on campus? The Energy Efficient Residence campaign was designed to start to connect students to the campus, and begin to participate in the increasing sustainability culture that is being developed. In coordinating with the Housing operations staff and management, there was an immediate enthusiasm and commitment to participate in the campaign. They provided valuable insight not only into how to communicate with the residence, but also the particular behaviors that have been observed. The Energy Wise Network was instrumental in developing a framework to approach the residence staff with, providing them with an idea of what success looks like and options for how to get there. The staff enabled and set in motion the action portion of the project. In each resident pod, next to the door, a notice of sustainability and energy efficiency do’s and don’ts were posted. This is just the beginning of a push for increased sustainability at Baker House.

September 2017: CEP A LEED Gold celebration - Energy efficiency event

UFV is home to two LEED® Gold certified buildings.

Canada Education Park Building A was built in 2012, and emits 68% less carbon per m2 annually than other non-certified buildings at UFV. On September 26th the plaque was unveiled with speeches and cake. 

 

October 2017: Waste Audit - waste reduction project

The third annual waste audit, or "Garbage on the Green" was held on OCtober 18. See the results and details for the Waste Audit 2017.

2017_waste_audit

November 2017: Sweater Week - Energy efficiency campaign

November 20-24th, 2017, the annual Sweater Week was run, building on successes from the 2016 event. From an operational level, this year it was decided that temperatures would be lowered by 2c (to a minimum of 19.5c). These reductions would be realized across all academic buildings and offices at both main campuses in Abbotsford and Chilliwack for the entire week, rather than administering a progressive reduction of temperatures, as was done in 2016. This reduced GHG emissions more significantly than the previous strategy and created more talking points, affording more opportunities for participation.

Again, the main source of engagement was a social media contest, in which students, staff, and faculty were encouraged to post Sweater Week selfies on social media (Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram), or email selfies to the Sustainability Coordinator. Furthermore, volunteers formed the “Sustainable Selfie Squad,” which set up a daily station in the cafeteria during the coffee time and lunch time rushes to further drive engagement and get people talking about greenhouse gas emissions and sustainable practices as a whole.

$200 in prizes were handed out, including 5 $20 Campus Card fills to use at any food establishment on campus, along with 2 $50 grand prize gift cards to Valhalla Pure Outfitters, for “Best Overall Selfie” and “Most Dedicated Sweater Weeker.”
With an increased Selfie Squad presence and momentum from last year, Sweater Week 2017 saw a 15% increase in engagements from 79 to 91. Additionally, a 24% increase in unique engagements, from 38 to 47.

The most successful Sweater Week to date.

Sweater_week_selfie_2017

January 2018: ABB S LEED Gold Celebration

UFV is home to two LEED® Gold certified buildings.
Abbotsford Building S, the Student Union Building, was built in 2014, and achieved a 67% reduction in natural gas use per m2 compared to other non-certified buildings during the cold winter of 2016/2017. As mechanical staff become increasingly acquainted with the building, energy efficiency too has increased. On January 8th the plaque was unveiled with speeches and cake.

January 2018: NSO Waste Talks – Waste reduction initiative

New Student Orientation emerges as a leader in eco-friendly major events, promoting re-usable water bottles, and low-waste healthy snacks, and of course – the appropriate use of waste stations. A big thanks to Belinda Karsen and her team at Student Life for being sustainability champions and leaders!

January 2018: Sustainable UFV Meeting

A group of 10 students, staff, and faculty met to discuss the progress of projects and campaigns since the previous meeting in September. There were discussions of work-study students, low-carbon commuting options, and innovative technologies.

February 2018: Sustainable Waste Stations Observations – Waste reduction initiative

In an effort to better understand the results of the Waste Audit, volunteers observed waste stations to measure and analyse compliance.

See the results of the Waste Station Observations. Common mistakes were compiled and used to improve waste station signage (In progress with Community Engagement.)

March 2018: Sustainability Case competition

Coordinated by the Faculty of Business, 9 groups of students came together to compete to solve a real-world sustainability problem: “The overall growing population and increase in housing prices in Abbotsford”.

 

2016/2017 Projects, campaigns & events

Summer Shutdown – Energy efficiency campaign

This campaign began in June with publications the SustainableUFV blog, UFV Now, and signage on the SustainableUFV bulletin boards. The premise of the event was to reduce phantom energy consumption in individual offices while occupants were off campus on summer vacation. Outlined were suggestions for how to reduce energy waste including: turning off lights and computers, unplugging chargers, refrigerators, etc., and setting thermostats to reasonable ambient temperatures to reduce cooling load. A social media contest was also included as part of this event, where participants sent in selfies of them unplugging or shutting down for the summer. 10 entries were received, and due to the low number of entries, all received prizes. SustainableUFV and the Facilities Department plan to increase engagement and participation for this campaign in the summer of 2017.

Get Your Fleece On – Energy efficiency campaign

Beginning in October, Get Your Fleece On was designed to reduce the number of space heaters throughout the Abbotsford and Chilliwack campuses. With the support of BC Hydro, the Facilities Department was able to acquire 125 UFV-branded fleece blankets to distribute. The intended result was to reduce the number of work orders placed as a result of heating deficiencies, and to educate staff and faculty on the benefits of passive personal heat regulation. Additionally, this campaign was intended to address the significant energy consumption used by these small appliances. Blanket priority was given to those who were utilizing space heaters as a means to stay warm(er) during the winter months. In exchange for a blanket, users were requested to sign a pledge to reduce space heater usage or to utilize blankets in place of heaters during the colder months.

The results were a distribution of 87 fleece blankets to the Abbotsford campus, and 38 to the Chilliwack Canada Education Park campus – a full subscription (14% of full time employees) with additional demand exceeding the inventory. Of the 125 blankets distributed, 68 pledges were received with a commitment to reducing the reliance on space heaters or turning up the thermostat. Of the 89 space heaters counted at UFV, 40 blankets were requested by space heater users.
With the resoundingly positive feedback from this campaign, it is expected to be refreshed again for the winter of 2017/18.

Small Appliance Audit – Energy efficiency project

The Facilities Department conducted a small appliance audit in December 2016. It was found that there were 377 small appliances throughout the Abbotsford and CEP campuses. These small appliances use an estimated 84,600 kWh/yr, costing the University $8,554/yr (based on $0.101/kWh). The prevalence of blown breakers throughout the campuses can be attributed to a number of factors including constantly changing spaces through renovations and space utilization, as well as aging infrastructure and the increase in dependency on electronics in the workplace (plug load). During the April 1, 2016 – March 31, 2017 timeframe there were 60 work orders placed to the Facilities Department to reset blown breakers. This survey provided a map of where education could be best used to reduce energy consumption and increase awareness of wasted energy. The causes of blown breakers were identified, and education to the occupants of that space was provided on how to better manage the plug load and reduce the number of hours building maintenance workers spend on resetting breakers.

Waste Audit - Waste reduction event

The second annual waste audit occurred on October 6th, 2016. Considering the event had to be postponed for a week due to a power outage, then experienced pouring rain on the revised day, it was nothing short of a brilliant success.

See more about here 

2016_waste_audit

NSO Waste talks - Waste reduction event

SustainableUFV partnered with Student Life as well as the Student Union Society to be involved in New Student Orientations (NSO) as well as U-Join events respectively. Involvement at these events had two goals:

  1. To engage with students regarding responsible waste disposal behavior, and 
  2. To have students get involved with SustainableUFV through signing up to the email list and hearing about future events.

To increase the quality of interactions a small challenge was conducted at NSO events which consisted of having students sort through a variety of common trash items and place them into proper disposal categories (Compost, Recycling, and Garbage). Upon completion, waste stream selections were reviewed and basic education was offered on the proper waste stream for each of the items. At U-Join events, waste bins were gathered at the table in an effort to have one-on-one conversations with anybody disposing of garbage or trash. This yielded many positive conversations and gained a great number of allies. At both events there was a tablet available for efficient SustainableUFV sign-ups.

2016_NSO_waste_talks

Sweater Day - Energy efficiency campaign

November 2016 - Sweater Week - Turning Down the Heat, Turning Up the Style!

From November 14-18, Sweater Week was held on the Abbotsford campus. The event was centered around energy reduction on a natural gas level. Building set temperatures were lowered from the winter standard 21.5°C to 20°C, and participants were encouraged to wear sweaters to mitigate any adverse effects of the temperature decrease. “Sustainable Selfie Stations” were set up at 5 locations around campus, and a selfie contest was run throughout the week, with daily prizes of $20 gift cards, and a grand prize of a UFV hoodie and bookstore gift card.

  • During the week, there were 40 unique participants, with a total of 79 entries on 4 channels: Email, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Stripe Wednesday had the most submissions (21). Daily and grand prizes were handed out for submissions via twitter and Instagram @sustainableUFV, facebook.com/SustainableUFV, and using the hashtag #UFVsweaterweek2016.

Fashion Revolution - Waste reduction campaign

In 2016, UFV joined an international organization called Fashion Revolution to bring awareness to UFV on the impact of the fashion and textile industries. 

Did you know? The Fashion industry is the second largest polluting industry, after Oil & Gas. 

For more information, check out Fashion Revolution's website or our blog post on Fashion Revolution 2016. The CFS will be hosting more events related to sustainable and ethical fashion. If you're passionate about fashion, sign up to volunteer!

Buy_less_quote

Sustainability essay competition

In 2017, the UFV School of Business partnered with SustainableUFV to host the UFV Sustainable Development Essay Competition. This competition was designed in support of the UN’s Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME), which the School of Business has been a part of since 2015. The purpose of this essay competition was to have students think critically about what UFV and the Fraser Valley community could do to implement one or more of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals put forth by the UN in creative, collaborative ways. SustainableUFV leveraged its social media presence to offer a campaign for the competition, posting 2 Tweets per week and approximately 1 Facebook post per month. As part of the campaign, SustainableUFV and the School of Business also hosted a Sustainability Morning, where it was discussed how to make UFV and the Fraser Valley as a whole more sustainable over coffee and Timbits in front of the Library.

2015/2016 Projects, campaigns & events

UFV's Summer Shutdown 2015 -Waste reduction project

Heading out on vacation? We bet you're excited! 

We want to remind staff and faculty (and students!) to shut down all of your appliances before you leave, whether you're heading out for a month or just a long weekend. Every little bit helps. Whenever possible, please unplug your appliances as well. 

Not sure what to unplug? Take a look at our nifty check list! Feel free to email alyssa.bougie@ufv.ca with any further questions. 

More info can be found on our blog: http://blogs.ufv.ca/sustainability/

Have a great summer! 

Low-Impact Events: We can Help - Waste reduction project

Creating a successful event can be challenging, and creating a sustainable event can be even more difficult. Facilities and the Centre for Sustainability is here to help, though, so don't worry!

We are able to assist with planning zero or low impact events, coordinating recycling and composting bins, and volunteering at events related to sustainability. 

Let us know how we can make your event eco friendly. Send us an email at least 3 weeks in advance to ensure assistance is available. 

UFV Reaching Out Together: Connections Through Social Work - Waste reduction project

The first international conference at UFV had the opportunity to set the bar high for sustainability. Conferences traditionally have a relatively high impact, and it can be difficult to reduce it. 

Some of our changes: 

  • No disposable waterbottles were used during the conference. Instead, jugs and reusable waterbottles were available.
  • All 250 participants received programs printed on recycled paper
  • Composting & recycling encouraged and promoted throughout the conference, and at shared meals
  • Buses were used to transport participants to and from the hotel each morning and afternoon
  • Minimal packaging on food provided during the conference
  • Re-use of decor available

Thanks to the Social Work department for reaching out to us.

Read more here.

2014/2015 Projects, campaigns & events

Give Energy a Break -Energy efficiency campaign

One of the GreenTeam's latest endeavours of the 2014 year has been about energy reduction in our offices. UFV currently uses around 10.75 million kWh of electricity every year-- enough to power 977 homes for 1 year! That is a lot of energy. There are lots of little ways around office spaces that can help contribute to a total campus energy reduction.

Switching off lights as you leave rooms is one of the easiest and most effective way to reduce energy at UFV and it only takes a second of your time. Switching off all electronics when not in use (such as T.V's, computers, laptops etc.) are also good ways to reduce energy.

If you are curious as to how much electricity certain products in your office space consume, available to sign out at Facilities are meters that are designed to read out wattage consumption, cost and carbon dioxide emissions.

If you want your department to receive a short energy presentation please contact Facilities Sustainability Coordinator (Alyssa.bougie@ufv.ca) and learn how to reduce your energy consumption in the workplace.

energy pledge

 

Computers Need Sleep Too! - Energy efficiency campaign

As a part of UFV's energy conservation efforts, Computers Need Sleep Too was launched in late 2014, particularly to target staff and faculty. 

The poster and media announcements were put out a week before the interesting part of the campaign. In the late evening, when most staff and faculty had left, members of the greenteam checked to see if computers were shut off. If they were, the owner was rewarded with a sweet treat. 

We had surprisingly positive results! 

  • Building A had 16% of the computers left on 
  • B Building had only 9.5% left on 
  • C building had 17.6% of the computers on

Since campus has so many computers, it was difficult to get even those ones done. We hope to continue next fall with other parts of campus. 

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