Zero Waste Committee at Sheridan College

The Zero Waste Committee at Sheridan College believes the college can be waste free by 2020. The group discussed ways to make that happen at a meeting March 14 at Trafalgar Campus.

The meeting was a result of the committee realizing they need to focus on specific areas to research and achieve their goals. Compost, binning and communications are the three group branch offs.

“Each group is focusing on waste, like garbage, recycling, organics, that type of thing. There are other initiatives that the college wants to take on, like zero waste in regards to water, or carbon footprint energy, but we are starting with waste because I think that (the committee) felt it was a good place to start, and I agree,” said Pamela Shaw, a committee member and an academic database specialist at Sheridan’s Trafalgar campus.

The meeting was a stepping stone of what’s to come and was focused on raising general awareness of waste production, cross contamination and organics.

The end goal is for Sheridan to be 100 per cent waste free.

“So what if it takes until 2020, the point is getting there, and progressing along the way. I say we shoot for the moon,” said Clair Ironside, one of 14 members at the meeting.

Students are encouraged to become involved in this project. Currently, the committee is made up of just faculty.

“We are a design school, we should utilize our students to design,” William Farkas added at the meeting.

Posters, maps and other printed material designs are one way students can do their part. Bins and environmental graphics (signage), and web, video and game designing are other ideas on how to help as well.

“We want it to be a positive thing, saying that we can make a difference,” said Angela Iarocci at the meeting.

One message that the communications group wants to covey is the idea that if you make it beautiful, you make it positive.

“We could show people landfills, and say look at what we are doing to the world. And we can show people negative images, and make them feel guilty. But is that going to motivate them to action? Or is that going to make them close their eyes and move on? So if we make it positive, then people feel good about what they just did, and maybe people are more likely to respond, as opposed to something negative. So foster positivity, and hopefully motivate action,” said Shaw.