Raquel Batoca
Nancy DiPaul
University of Guelph
Ruben Burga
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The sustainability office operates within the university of Guelph and works alongside the Physical Resources department. They focus on waste management, diverting organics from the waste system and composting to create soil. With initiatives such as recycling, composting, and reusing, the department hopes to prevent 60% of waste accumulated at the University from ending up in Landfills.
This innovation has been in process since 1997. Since then many aspects of the business have changed, however, the main purpose to improve waste management remains constant. Throughout the past 5 years, the department has been working towards developing a large scale system to simplify the waste management process and create better results.
The inspiration of this initiative it to view waste as a resource.
The innovation benefits the business as well as society and the environment. It benefits the business because it contributes to the goal of sustainability and creating future success while being considerate of the environment. It will benefit society because consumption at the university will be significantly reduced and will lessen the impact Guelph as a whole is making on the environment. Guelph will hopefully apply the system as well and that will influence others to utilize it as well.
This innovation and new system benefits the business, University of Guelph, because they are reducing the cost and altering the impact they are having on the environment.
The system of managing waste and finding an alternative use for it is extremely beneficial to society and the environment. This system manages waste produced by the University of Guelph and converts it into soil to be reused by a variety of people whether it be farmers or on campus by our fellow students and faculty. The soil is used to grow plants and food for further consumption, which is the cyclical trend and the goal of the system.
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Paul Curso, Recycling Coordinator
