Environmental Stewardship: from the ground up

The Mount has made a commitment to reducing its environmental footprint by improving upon and creating new environmental initiatives and sustainable policies as part of a Facilities Improvement Plan (FIP). The Mount’s Facilities Management team, working closely with the student-led Environmental Committee, has taken the lead on the Mount’s Sustainability initiatives.

Events

Earth Day and Earth Hour – held each spring and involving a campus-wide grounds clean-up & barbeque, along with promoting awareness and energy conservation initiatives.

Recycling

The Mount has implemented a recycling program for kitchen and residence organic waste, and paper and cardboard are collected from every building on campus, reducing our landfill impact.

Water bottles – we have added spigots to some of our water fountains on campus, allowing for an easy refill to your reusable water container and reducing the impact or need for bottled water.

Paper – we purchase paper through a tender process with a requirement that the successful bidder belong to SFI and we recycle over 30 tonnes of paper and cardboard annually.

Battery and ink cartridges – the Mount has placed bins for recycling batteries and ink cartridges on campus. Recycling bins are located in the Library, outside the Seton Café and across from the RBC banking machine in Rosaria Student Centre.

Community Initiatives

Atlantic Colleges and Universities Sustainability Network (ACUSN) – A network that was established through partnership with other post-secondary institutions. The Mount is able to share information on what’s going on at each campus, along with developing a common ground for developing best practices.

Environmental Awareness Series – student led event first held in 2010 that included presentations and discussions on waste management, food supply issues, government initiatives and watershed management. Series was co-hosted by the University and the Mount’s student environmental society.

Community Garden – is a joint initiative of the Mount and several supporting organizations.

Waste and Emissions Management

Reduction of emissions – we have developed an idle-free policy and introduced “idle-free” zones on campus. We also eliminated second daily campus mail pick-up and delivery in an effort to reduce emissions.

Environmentally friendly cleaning practices – We use specialized cleaning products designed to work using cold water. We also practice portion control and use scent-free cleaners wherever possible. We’ve also eliminated the practice of waxing tile floors, reducing the amount of chemicals used to keep our facilities clean.

Grounds maintenance – only organically-formulated pest control products are used on our grounds and when dealing with issues of pest-control.