Waste Management

Waste Management at Confederation College is undergoing an overhaul! Based on recommendations from our most recent Waste Audit we are taking steps to reduce waste stream contamination (when waste ends up in a stream that it shouldn’t be in), increase our waste diversion rate (the amount of waste that we divert from the landfill through recycling or reusing), and provide new opportunities for waste diversion across our campus.

 

Current Initiatives

General Waste Disposal

We separate our waste on campus into three main streams:

  • Containers: plastics 1-7, juice boxes, milk cartons, pop and metal cans, glass, plastic clamshells
  • Fibre/Paper: magazines, newspapers. Notebooks, used paper, soft cover books, egg cartons, clean cardboard
  • Landfill: single-use cups, food waste, food wrappers

Follow signage near bins to determine where your waste should go.

Reuse Initiatives

Ongoing reuse opportunities are hosted and available throughout each semester, keep an eye out for these opportunities:

  • The Free Stuff Station is available outside the Library on the second floor, providing school and office supplies to anyone in need in the college community. Items can be left on the table or cart at any time.
  • Trash to Treasure Day is held near the beginning of the start of each semester to allow staff and students to bring in gently used home and kitchenware items. Items left of the designated tables during the day are available for anyone to take and reuse in their home. Any items left over at the end of the day are donated to a community organization.
  • Clothing Drives are held throughout the year to allow staff and students the opportunity to donate unwanted clothing items for students to rediscover.

Textile Recycling 

Textile recycling is available on the Thunder Bay campus. We work with Sic Sox Circular Ltd. to provide a drop off location for: household and industrial textiles in all conditions; bedding, towels, and pillows in all conditions; clothing in all conditions; gently used shoes and handbags; and stuffed animals. Gently used donations will be cleaned and resold online or at the Sic Sox thrift store location while landfill quality material will be diverted to a shredder to break down textiles into usable fibers with the goal of turning these fibers into an industry approved housing insulation product.  

The Sic Sox box is located in Parking Lot M by the McIntyre Building. 

Battery Recycling

Battery recycling is available on each campus. At the Thunder Bay campus, battery recycling is available in each building near the primary entrance(s). Battery recycling is available for all students, staff, and the public. We collect single-use and reusable batteries that weigh less than 5kg including alkaline, lithium primary, lithium ion, nickel cadmium, small-sealed lead acid, nickel metal hydride, and nickel zinc. 

PPE Recycling

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Recycling is available in the Health Centre and in Health Labs on campus. Items such as disposable gloves, masks, safety glasses, and COVID suits are collected in the designated bins and either recovered or recycled to avoid going to the landfill.

Cigarette Butt Recycling

We participate in cigarette butt recycling to reduce the number of butts that end up in the landfill or on the ground. Cigarette butt disposal units are located at designated smoking areas and near main walkways across campus – your butt belongs in one of these units and not on the ground!

 

Upcoming Initiatives

Exterior Recycling

We will be adding exterior recycling bins across the Thunder Bay campus to divert containers from the landfill bins. Exterior recycling will collect plastic (#1-7), glass, and aluminum containers.

Organics Separation

Our three-bin system will soon be expanding into a four-bin system to incorporate organic (food) waste separation. Our four streams will be: Containers, Fibre/Paper, Organics, and Landfill.

Centralized Sorting

In the future, we will be phasing out waste and recycling containers from all classrooms and offices to facilitate easier, more efficient waste sorting and collection. This approach will reduce waste stream contamination and will be supported by the addition of numerous new hallway bins. Waste and recycle bins will be allowed in offices but the person in the office will be responsible for emptying their bin into a centralized bin.

Ryan Hall Waste Sorting Station

To maximize waste reduction and decrease contamination in one of our highest volume areas, we will be adding an easy to use and dedicated waste sorting station in Ryan Hall. This sorting station will make recycling and organic separation simple!