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Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

You can help to increase Dalhousie's diversion rate

Reduce

  • Think before you print, print double sided or consider not printing at all. Refer to the Sustainability Policy and Paper Purchasing and Usage Guidance (login required) to learn Dalhousie's standards for electronic business processes and green meetings.

  • To reduce paper, Dalhousie does not provide paper phone books unless a specific request is made. To have your contact added or make changes to the Dalhousie’s online directory of faculty and staff, e-mail directory.changes@dal.ca .

  • Bring your own mug! Efforts have been made to reduce disposable cups, and food service providers on campus offer discounts for bringing a reusable mug.

  • Note that the Dalhousie Campus Bookstores do not provide plastic bags. Dalhousie has banned the use of plastic bags, straws, and Styrofoam in food services on campus. 

  • Custodial teams are reducing the use of harmful cleaning chemicals used on campus

Reuse

  • All goods are redistributed at the university through an internal notification as outlined in the university’s policy on disposing of surplus goods. Materials such as furniture that are not used on campus are often given to non-profits through the Procurement Department.

  • At the end of every academic year, student groups help operate the "Dump and Run", a large indoor yard sale, that donates items from residences to local charities.

  • Donate your unused clothing and household items by calling Clothesline®. They will come to your place of residence to pick up the items. All funds raised from resale will go toward the Canadian Diabetes Association.

  • Dalhousie's Environmental Health and Safety Office (link to EHS site/page) is purchasing a chemicals database to improve the efficiency of our chemical exchange program.

Recycle

Recyclables are collected by Facilities Management staff from the interior and exterior four-bin systems on campus, which support the proper sorting of recyclables.  

In Halifax, recyclables are brought to Youth Live, a provincial ENVIRO-Depot 10 km away, where the material is sorted for recycling. Recycling is then sent to the Municipal Recycling Facility (MRF) in Bayers Lake, 15 km away.  

On our Agricultural Campus in Truro, recyclables are brought to the Colchester Materials Recovery Centre approximately 20 km from campus.

Recyclable materials:  

  • all beverage containers except coffee cups

  • all plastic containers

  • glass bottles and containers

  • tin, steel and aluminum cans

  • Tetra Pak juice containers and mini sips

  • clean aluminum foil and plates

  • all plastic bags

  • Styrofoam at the AC campus and in pilot lab buildings in Halifax

Unacceptable materials:

  • coffee cups

  • non-container plastics such as straws and plastic cutlery

  • Styrofoam

  • broken glass

Paper and cardboard

Paper is sent to a local paper recycler Scotia Recycling. Cardboard is picked up by REGroup for transport to the MRF. On our Agricultural campus located in Truro, paper and cardboard are brought to the Colchester Materials Recovery Centre approximately 20 km from campus.

Paper and Cardboard recyclable materials:

  • dry and clean paper (white or coloured)

  • newsprint

  • envelopes

  • glossy flyers and magazines

  • books (with covers removed from hardcover books)

  • paper egg cartons and drink trays

  • corrugated cardboard including pizza boxes (must be flattened and placed beside the paper bin)

  • boxboard (cereal boxes, pizza slice trays, etc.)

Unacceptable materials:

  • coffee cups

  • carbon paper

  • soiled paper

More to explore

Waste education and additional resources