Guelph Students for Environmental Change

Buy Nothing Day – Many Fun events in the UC today and all of it is FREE!

FREE Bands!
FREE STUFF SWOP
FREE MEDITATION
FREE DO IT YOURSELF SEMINARS
FREE ARTS AND CRAFTS
FREE FREE FREE FREE FREE

A Day when your not seen as a Dollar Sign, but as one involved in celebrating life!

EcoBit for 2005 Frosh Guide
The Great Greeness of Guelph
By: Lisa Woynarski and Jonathan Choquette

We are the eco-kids who cover the Guelph enviro beat. Get wise to the environmental-friendly ways. Here’s the word on the street:

Waste: not a waste of time.
If you learn one thing this year, let it be how to sort garbage.
ON-CAMPUS
There is a very dirty rumour that the University doesn’t recycle. It does! It’s actually cheaper to recycle stuff then send it to the landfill. Here’s how enhanced recycling works:
RECYCLING – Clear bag, items must be clean
glass, steel, aluminum
paper, boxboard, cardboard
plastic (Most plastics have a number on them inside a recycling sign. All numbers can be recycled, except 3 and 6 and any items not numbered.)
Please do not contaminate recycling with a. food waste or b. non-recyclables, because then the whole bag cannot be recycled.
GARBAGE – black bag
anything that can’t be recycled and is non-hazardous (Batteries can be conveniently dropped off at residence desks)
food waste, Styrofoam (Thanks to GSEC (Guelph Students for Environmental Change) Styrofoam is no longer served on campus.)
napkins, wrappers, coffee cups
mixed materials like waxed paper, plastic-backed paper or foil
While on campus, you can reduce your waste and save money by bringing reusable dishes and a travel mug. A plastic container in your backpack will always come in handy and there are even washing stations in the UC.
Questions: www.pr.uoguelph.ca/recycle or ask your RA they should know!

OFF CAMPUS
The Guelph wet/dry system can be kind of confusing. We’ll take you through it in the most non-threatening way possible:
DRY – Anything recyclable, in a blue bag. This is the same as ON-CAMPUS plus:
all numbered plastic containers (but not plastic bags)
Styrofoam (Clean!)

WET – Organic and compostable waste, in a green bag:
All food including meat, bones, dairy products, egg shells, gum
All cotton including napkins, tissues, diapers, menstruation products, coffee filters
Cigarettes, condoms
Hair and nail clippings, pet related feces

CLEAR – Waste that is not compostable, or recyclable, and NOT HAZARDOUS in a clear bag.
A lot of dyes, cleaning products and batteries are all hazardous so check before you put something “questionable” in the garbage. Hazardous waste has to be dropped off at 110 Dunlop Dr. And remember all bags must be transparent.
Any questions: www.guelph.ca/wetdry

Guelph students wonder: “Where did the trees go?”
Guelph students are concerned with the growing shortage of global greenery. A new easy to use, three step program has been introduced to save the forests. The first step is only print what you need and print double-sided. (There are instructions on the computers in the library about how to do it.) The next step is scrap paper, yes, you know what I’m talking about. Everybody makes printing mistakes so use this paper to print stuff or take notes or whatever really. There is loads of scrap paper in the copy rooms at the library if you’re ever in need. The third step involves being consumer savvy, but you’re in university now so there should be no excuse. When you buy paper, buy post-consumer recycled paper. It’s not hard to find, just check the back of notebooks. Or even better is paper made without trees. Hemp, coffee, tobacco, and fruit can all be used to make paper.

Fun things to do when the lights are out.
Attention all residence students: Turn off your lights! …and your computer screens and stereos and anything else when you’re not using it. Incase you didn’t know, saving energy is easy and fun and it all starts with you. If you save a little, and then that guy that lives down the hall who worships you starts to save a little too, the movement spreads; everybody together is saving a lot and the environment lives. See, easy right? Start conserving the school’s energy so you can use your own physical energy when the lights are out (wink, wink)….safely, and only if you want to.

“I just ate what??”
Students are becoming increasing alarmed with contents of their food. Chemicals, hormones, dyes and pesticides have students worried about the effects of their food on their bodies and the environmental damage it’s causing. Many have turned to vegetarianism or veganism to combat these problems. Thanks to the high demand there is a plethora of good meat-free food both on and off campus. Locally-grown and organic are two sought after qualities. This makes the Farmer’s Market downtown on Saturday morning very popular. Nothing helps a Saturday morning hangover better than fresh, organic produce. But don’t take our word for it…