This year, the University of Toronto is number one when it comes to green campuses. U of T received an A- on the 2011 College Sustainability Report Card, making it the leader of over 300 schools surveyed in Canada and the United States.
“I hope it will make students and faculty and other members of the U of T community more aware of the fantastic things the university has been doing in this area for a very long time,” said Vice President of Business Affairs, Cathy Riggall. “Too many people are not aware of our leadership in this area and are not aware that we have been a leader for so long.”
The report, prepared by the Sustainable Endowments Institute based out of Cambridge, Massachusetts, uses seven categories to evaluate how well an institution meets its own needs without compromising the ability of future generations to do the same. In administration, food and recycling, student involvement, endowment transparency, and shareholder engagement, U of T achieved As. The remaining categories — climate change and energy, green building, transportation, and investment priorities — yielded Bs.
“There are a lot of really cool initiatives coming out of the university,” said President of the Arts and Sciences Student Union, Gavin Nowlan. “And there are a number of campus groups that are really pushing for a more sustainable campus.”
Specific programs that add to the University of Toronto’s green image have come from both the administrative and student bodies. These include the Lug a Mug program, which saves students $0.25 at participating coffee shops on campus when they bring their own mug, trayless dining at New College, and post-consumer composting which was introduced in cafeterias last winter. Last year’s sustainability office piloted a project that encouraged paperless teaching. “Faculty members signed on to a pledge to reduce paper consumption in their offices,” explained Nowlan. This fall, the eco-tray program was launched in an effort to replace disposable takeout containers with reusable ones.
“Many of our programs have been in place for a number of years,” expressed Anne Macdonald, director of ancillary services. “So in some ways it is a little surprising that we were not recognised with higher scores in previous years.”
Under the leadership of Director Jaco Lokker, U of T’s food services increased their emphasis on sustainable food procurement. Having been in partnership with Local Food Plus since 2006, food services have striven to increase the amount of local, organic, and vegetarian-fed products used on campus.
According to Macdonald, the Chestnut and New College residences stand out as having especially sustainable cafeterias when it comes to both local procurement and waste reduction. Along with University College and Aramark locations, these cafeterias also have organic and vegetarian-fed options.
Riggall assures students that the administrative team is always investigating new technologies and methods to keep U of T eco-friendly. The university hires managers to look after their investments, but U of T’s Responsible Investing Committee is currently considering how to encourage managers to take sustainability into account in their decision-making processes. The administration plans to maintain a focus on options that make financial sense, such as installing interactive displays and other modes of promoting awareness. Currently, there is a display up in the lobby of the exam centre on McCaul Street that shows the history of sustainability at U of T.
Nowlan thinks the university needs to tackle other concerns such as waste disposal on campus.
“This is an issue we’ve brought up with the admin before,” he said. “Many students don’t know that the university doesn’t use the city’s garbage services. The university has its own garbage service.” He went on to explain how improper recycling increases waste disposal costs, which is ultimately felt by the students. “We’re continuing to put pressure on the university to tackle larger issues like [this].”
