Sustainable Campuses: Sustainability at WLU

Created by Sustainability in Business | Published on November 16, 2022

Laurier’s Sustainability Office opened in 2010. Since its inception, the Sustainability Office has developed a strong strategy to help Laurier build an optimal sustainable campus.

What is a sustainable campus?

The concept of a sustainable campus is a vision that many educational institutions are beginning to adopt. A sustainable campus is typically one that has reduced its ecological footprint to achieve and surpass set goals. Sustainable campuses should be spaces where the community can learn and develop a culture of sustainability and stewardship of natural resources. This concept of a sustainable campus can be achieved through many different avenues. For example, many campuses bring the community together and promote sustainability through initiatives such as community clean-up days. These types of initiatives positively involve students in the school’s sustainable vision. Many schools have also begun building more sustainable infrastructure to reduce their footprints - whether that’s through building with responsible resources or employing more green energy sources like solar panels. Supporting sustainable transportation by providing public transit passes or promoting biking and walking is becoming increasingly popular.

Importance of sustainable campuses

So why are so many schools pouring money into developing sustainable campuses? Among many other reasons, studying at a sustainability-focused university means the school is continuously reviewing and renewing its practices, making sure that students are getting the best possible university experience while lessening the community’s impact on the planet.

In a world that is increasingly focused on sustainability, employers place value on graduates who can demonstrate environmental awareness and sustainability skills.

Sustainability at Laurier

What has Laurier’s Sustainability Office been doing since its inception in 2010? It remains committed to transforming Laurier into an institution that integrates sustainability practices into all areas of the university. Recently, the Sustainability Office has helped 10 new projects take root on Laurier’s campuses with funding support from the Sustainable Hawk Fund. This fund provides up to $30,000 per year to fund the integration of sustainability practices into campus life. Some of the 10 new projects that are now supported by this sustainability fund include:

1. FOOD JUSTICE GARDEN ENGAGEMENT CAMPAIGN

• The Food Justice Garden Engagement Campaign will create awareness about the Food Justice Garden initiative at Laurier’s Waterloo campus and focus on Indigenous ways of gardening to make the garden a learning space for the school community.

  
  

• This campaign will include drop-in planting days, walking tours, and educational opportunities

2. GREEN CAMPUS PROJECT

• The Green Campus Project will assess the feasibility, design, and implementation to create a more sustainable means of stormwater management at Laurier’s Waterloo campus.

• The project will introduce green infrastructure, including rain gardens and permeable pavement.

3. REUSABLE FOOD DISTRO BAGS

• The Reusable Food Distro Bags Project aims to reduce the number of plastic bags destined for landfills by providing the Laurier Students’ Public Interest Research Group with reusable tote bags for its weekly food distribution event at Martin Luther University College

4. APPCYCLE

• The Appcycle Project seeks to improve waste management systems in institutions, businesses, and public spaces. The project features two components: the development of an app to educate users about recycling streams and the creation of waste bins that scan items to determine their appropriate waste stream.

It’s clear to see that Laurier has taken big strides towards building the optimal sustainable campus. Stay tuned for our next post, where we’ll take a deep dive into some of the world’s most innovative and sustainable campuses.