On a typical weekday at Brock University, thousands of students, staff and faculty make sure there’s no shortage of coffee consumption.<\/p>\n
But do you ever wonder what happens to your coffee cup, and the thousands of others, after you\u2019re done with it?<\/p>\n
Just 2.1 per cent of them are properly recycled at Brock University on an annual basis, which means the remaining 97.9 per cent (totalling 41.8 metric tons) end up in a landfill.<\/p>\n
Brock\u2019s annual waste audit took place over a two-week period in October, which included a physical analysis of solid non-hazardous waste generated at the University. The audit examined representative samples of waste (trash and recyclables) from the entire campus, including satellite sites.<\/p>\n
The overall purpose of the audit is to identify, quantify and analyze the composition of the waste stream to ensure compliance with the requirements outlined by the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) under Ontario Regulations 102\/94 and 103\/94.<\/p>\n
Some other benefits to the audit include pinpointing new recycling opportunities, improving initiatives already implemented at Brock and finding potential cost savings associated with the disposal of solid waste materials.<\/p>\n
Jay\u00a0Ismailovic,\u00a0Manager of Custodial Services, says the University has used the waste audit as an opportunity to make improvements over the years.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to engage the Brock community so we can improve the environment we live, work and study in,\u201d said Ismailovic. \u201cI look forward to this every year because it\u2019s like a report card. We always want to do better.\u201d<\/p>\n