April 4th
The sustainability office did a surprise waste audit on the Facilities Department. This audit entailed going through the various waste bins, and seeing whether the different forms of waste, landfill, recycling, and compost, were placed in the correct bin. This initial audit found that only 78% of waste was diverted from landfills. These results were shared throughout the Facilities Department and disappointment was abundant. Everyone was determined to make improvements going forward.
April 19th
A follow up audit was done in order to see if improvements have been made, and the results blew everyone away. Over 95% of waste was diverted from landfills, which means that the Facilities building is the first ZERO WASTE building on campus. Everyone was ecstatic that just a dramatic change can occur in such a short period of time.
Going Forward
This waste audit will be used as a model to be done on other departments throughout Carleton. Audits will be done to see how effectively different departments are managing their waste. The hope is to bring more attention to the disposal waste, and get every building and department on campus to be at zero waste.