SP0337: Zero-Waste Zone

In order for McGill to reach its waste diversion and reduction goals, there is a need for innovative solutions to guide voluntary pro-environmental waste management behavior change among campus users. The solution this project presents is using a well-designed physical space, the “Zero-Waste Zone,” as a pedagogical instrument to educate the McGill community about McGill’s zero-waste target, the environmental and social impacts of waste, as well as best practices for waste reduction, reuse, and recovery to guide voluntary behavior change. This space will model an interactive museum exhibit and will be integrated naturally into a well-used campus space.

We aim to transform the ground floor of the McConnell Engineering building, a space that sees about 4,000 to 5,000 visitors a day when classes are in full session, into a Zero-Waste Zone. Several visual and interactive elements, complemented by infrastructure, will work together as a whole to create a space that shares a vision for what a zero-waste McGill looks like. People who interact with the space should feel empowered, motivated, and welcomed to take part in McGill’s zero-waste future and make it a reality. The elements in the Zero-Waste Zone will include (see Appendix B):

• Waste sorting stations with no landfill stream – The new waste sorting stations that were installed were designed with a feature that allows the signage on the front to be switched out. The two 4-stream waste sorting stations that are located in the hallway between the McConnell and Macdonald buildings will be converted into 3- stream sorting stations (compost, Plastic/Glass/Metal recycling, and paper recycling). SPF funding will be used to purchase the signage to convert 4-stream bins to 3-stream.
• A specialty recycling bin for items that are not accepted in McGill’s standard recycling stream, but that can be recovered (batteries, ink/toner cartridges, lightbulbs) – The McGill Hazardous Waste Management Unit already has processes in place for collecting and recycling batteries, lightbulbs, and ink/toner cartridges. For batteries, small red boxes, the size of a mailbox are located in several buildings. Lightbulbs and ink/toner cartridges can be sent to Hazardous Waste Management by internal mail, but no collection boxes for these materials exist on campus. A small battery collection box already exists outside the porter’s office on the ground floor of McConnell. After speaking to the McConnell porter and building director, the exisiting battery box is regularly overflowing and needs to be emptied once a week. According to the porter, campus users also have a hard time recognizing that the non-descript box is for battery recycling. Even though the box is located directly outside the porter’s office, he often has people asking him where they can recycle their batteries in the building. SPF funds will be used to purchase a 3-stream specialty recycling bin that is visually distinctive from the standard waste sorting stations on campus and clearly marked with what can be placed inside. The speciality recycling bin will be added to the custodian’s route who already collects batteries from the exisiting battery collection bin in the McConnell building. The batteries, lightbulbs, and ink/toner cartridges will be brought to the Hazardous Waste Management room in the McIntyre medical building weekly. The batteries will be sent to Call2Recycle for recycling, the ink/toner cartridges will be sent to Mira, and the lightbulbs will be sent to Recyc-fluo.
• An Electrobac - An Electrobac bin is a recycling bin for small electronic devices. Following collection, the items are recycled or refurbished responsibly, following environmental best practices. One Electrobac bin has been installed in the lobby of 680 Sherbrooke W. for the use of all McGill students, faculty, and staff. As part of an initiative being led by the IT and FMAS departments, 5 more Elecrobacs will be installed on campus. McConnell has been identified as one of the new locations. FMAS is funding this initiative in full.
• A Smart Waste Bin - The Smart Bin system was developed by a student group called the Recycling Pioneers and works by retrofitting a series of sensors that together provide the user with data about how full each bin is via a screen mounted above the waste sorting station. This project was already funded by SP0286. A Smart Bin has already been scheduled for installation on the ground floor of McConnell.
• Eco-friendly decals on the floor – These decals will clearly delineate the Zero-Waste Zone and will be a compelling visual that sensitizes users to waste issues. The decals will bring cohesion to the different elements in the zone.
• Informative graphic displays on the wall - Informative videos, graphics, reports, and images will be present throughout the space and will educate McGillians about key waste-related issues, such as: the lifecycle of an object; respecting the planet; rethinking consumption habits; refusing non-sustainable items; reducing the amount waste generated; reusing, repurposing, and repairing existing resources; and recycling objects responsibly to avoid landfill; McGill’s waste management targets, current contracts, and on-campus initiatives. These displays will be designed by McGill graphic design services so that the visual identity is consistent with McGill’s design standards and other zerowaste communications initiatives on campus. Design, printing, and installation will be funded by the SPF.
• Upcycled artwork – Eye-catching artwork made from upcycled materials will be included in the space. SEAM has committed to organize a competition for students to submit upcycled artwork in fall 2023. Students whose artwork is chosen will be compensated with gift cards to local zero-waste bulk stores.
• A Little Free Library (LFL) - McConnell does not currently have an LFL anywhere in the building. There is a group of SPF Ambassadors who are working on a project to revitalize the LFLs (SP0166) across campus. They have already agreed to identify an exisiting LFL that is being underutilized and relocate it to the McConnell building.

Monitoring impact: We will use data from the Smart Bin installed in McConnell to measure the tonnage of waste collected in the building before and after the launch of the Zero-Waste Zone. We conduct a waste stream composition audit of the waste bins on the ground floor of McConnell before and after the launch of the Zero-Waste Zone. We will conduct surveys before and after the installation of the zone to gauge the community's understanding of zero-waste principles and whether the zone has contributed to an increase in awareness. Surveys will be conducted in-person by the Zero-Waste Ambassadors and we will have a permanent QR code on the graphic display where campus users can fill out a survey.