HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA | CANADA B3H 4R2 | +1 (902) 494-2211
Frequently Asked Questions
(Please click on a question below for more information)
SUSTAINABILITY OFFICE INFORMATION
What is the mission of the Sustainability Office?
Who is the Sustainability Office?
Where are you located?
How can I contact you? General Inquiries.
How can I keep up to date on Sustainability Office news, events or job opportunities?
Who else works on sustainability at Dalhousie?
GETTING INVOLVED
I am a student, how can I get involved in sustainability on campus?
How can I get more information about jobs and volunteer opportunities at the sustainability office?
I am an undergraduate student at Dalhousie, and want to create a new environmental program/campaign (e.g. to stop car idling, promote double-sided printing, etc.). What do I do?
WASTE & RECYCLING ON CAMPUS
I want to know more about Dalhousie's recycling/organics collection program and what I can recycle.
Where can I pick up/drop off used clothing?
SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION AT Dalhousie
What kinds of sustainable transportation are available to students at Dalhousie?
Where can I find out more about biking to school?
What is the U-PASS program?
SUSTAINABLE FOOD & BEVERAGE AT Dalhousie
What is Dalhousie doing to encourage people to use reusable mugs for their coffee?
Where can I find sustainable food on or around campus?
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SUSTAINABILITY OFFICE INFORMATION
What is the mission of the Sustainability Office?
The mission of the University Office of Sustainability is to create campus solutions that support positive ecological, social health, and economic outcomes. We will focus on individual and organizational change and physical system upgrades. Key functions of the office include policy and planning, communication and learning, and project development and management.
Who is the Dalhousie sustainability office?
Where are you located?
The Dalhousie Office of Sustainability is located at 1226 Lemarchant Street, Halifax Nova Scotia directly across the street from Risley Hall. For further information on how to contact the Office, check out the “contact us” section.
How can I contact you? General Inquiries
For general inquiries, please contact the Director of the Office, Rochelle Owen, at rjowen@dal.ca. You could give the office a call at 494-7448, or drop by the office at 1226 Lemarchant Street.
How can I keep up to date on Sustainability Office news, events or job opportunities?
To keep updated on initiatives, events and job opportunities that arise, join our listserv and our facebook page here! Also, keep checking back on the website as we will be updating it throughout the year.
Who else works on sustainability at Dalhousie?
Want to get involved but not sure where to go? Check out the “Who’s doing what on campus?” section. There are various main university groups working towards creating a more sustainable community. These groups include the DSU Sustainability Office, Eco-Efficiency Centre, College of Sustainability, as well as other programs including Environmental Studies, School for Resource and Environmental Studies, Biology, International Development, etc.
Student Societies working on sustainability at Dalhousie include Sustain Dal, Dal Environmental Law Society, School for Resource and Environmental Studies Student Society, Environmental Programmes Student Society, Dal/Kings Oxfam Society, Society for Corporate Environmental and Social Responsibility.
HOW TO GET INVOLVED?
I am a student, how can I get involved in sustainability on campus?
As there are many different programs and organizations working on sustainability on campus there are numerous ways to get involved. Firstly you could join the Office’s listserv and facebook group to stay updated on issues and events around campus. Secondly, go to the “Who’s doing what on campus?” section of the website to educate yourself on various groups that exist and which one might best suit you. You can follow the links to the organizations websites to learn more about what they do and how to contact them.
If you are looking to reduce your impact on the environment through a variety of different activities, we suggest you join or create a Sustainability Team and participate in the Rethink! campaign.
How can I get more information about jobs and volunteer opportunities at the sustainability office?
Keep checking back on the “Employment & Volunteering Opportunities with the Office” section of the website for updates on positions and opportunities to work on projects.
I am an undergraduate student at Dalhousie, and want to create a new environmental program/campaign (e.g. to stop car idling, promote double-sided printing, etc.). What do I do?
Join Rethink! - This new program provides plenty of support for starting new initiatives.
I want to know more about the waste program at Dalhousie and how to properly sort my garbage in the HRM.
Nova Scotia is a leader in recycling, sending less waste to landfills than any other province in Canada. Dalhousie has also had significant success with on-campus waste reduction programs. Check out the “Waste” section of the website under Programs to further read about the sorting system at Dalhousie and initiatives the university has taken to reduce its impact through effective sorting and waste diversion.
The Resource Recovery Fund Board (RRFB) provides information on recycling other (hazardous) products in Nova Scotia. For example, used oil should be dropped off at your nearest oil retailer, or to an alternative location within 5 km of the retailer. Leftover paint should be returned to an ENVIRO-DEPOT™. Sharps (needles) should be placed in a sharps container and returned to a local pharmacy. The RRFB also runs other programs such as tire recycling and a derelict vehicle recovery program.
Visit the Garbage, Recycling and Composting section of the Halifax Regional Municipality’s Naturally Green website for extensive information on recycling and disposing of other products.
Where can I pick up/drop off used clothing?
For information on where you can pick up/ drop off used clothing, check out page 7, in the 'reduce, reuse, recycle' section of the Campus Green Guide.
SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION AT DALHOUSIE
What kinds of sustainable transportation are available to students at Dalhousie?
Dalhousie and Metro transit have partnered to provide students with a U-Pass to board metro transit buses throughout the school year through the use of their student ID. Dalhousie also runs a RideShare Program, which offers reserved parking to individuals registered with the program. More information is available through Security Services at 494-6400. Active transportation including walking and cycling is quite common and encouraged at Dalhousie. More sustainable transport programs are being developed.
Where can I find out more about biking to school?
Students are encouraged to use other forms of active transportation including cycling, and walking as healthy alternatives to motorized transportation. Check out the Campus Green Guide to discover cycle shops in the city, and where the bike racks on campus are located. The HRM has also created a bike map to help guide you through the city on a bicycle as easily as possible, highlighting busy roads, hills, bike lanes, etc. This map can be found here. Dalhousie will be opening a Campus Bike Centre located in the Studley Gym Fall 2009.
U-Pass is a special transit pass specifically designed for Dalhousie and King's students. If you're a full time student, the U-Pass lets you ride Metro Transit buses, ferries, and Community Transit buses from September to April. The U-Pass is a mandatory program for all full time students. It costs $118 per year and is automatically assessed in September with your incidental fees. Your U-Pass sticker will be placed directly on your DalCard. For more information please visit the Dalhousie U-PASS site.
SUSTAINABLE FOOD & BEVERAGE AT DALHOUSIE
What is Dalhousie doing to encourage people to use reusable mugs for their coffee?
There are many reminders of this around campus. One example is that on every Monday, in the Student Union Building you can find SustainDal members giving away FREE fair trade and organic coffee and tea to everyone who comes by with a reusable mug. The goal is to bring awareness to simple choices everyone can make to reduce wastefulness... and to caffeinate your Monday morning, of course. Please visit the SustainDal website for more information.
What are some of the sustainable food initiatives taking place at Dalhousie?
The Campus Green Guide has highlighted some of these initiatives.