Using recycling stations gives material another life, separate from the landfill.
Avoid the Landfill
Did you know that UBC Okanagan campus’ 2020 waste diversion rate was 57%? This means that over half of the 1.13M tonnes of overall waste generated by the campus in the last year was sent to a recycling facility instead of to the landfill.
A thorough one-day inspection of the campus’ waste habits, undertaken during the 2018 Bi-Annual Waste Audit, identified that 81% of the audited waste generated by the campus was not ‘true’ waste and contained recyclable, refundable and compostable materials. All this material ends up in the landfill where the risk of soil, water and air pollution increases and the greenhouse gas methane (CH4) is created.
Practicing good sorting habits is simple and also supports to reduce the campus’ carbon footprint. Many recycling programs already exist on the campus, including:
| § Lab Plastics Recycling Program | § Pipet Tip Box Recycling Program |
Visit the UBC Okanagan A-Z Recyclepedia for a complete list of what’s recyclable on campus and available programs. Click here for Sorting Guide information.