McMaster Sustainability Report 2021-22 celebrates campus initiatives

McMaster’s second annual Sustainability Report celebrates the voices and accomplishments of students, faculty and staff who are collaborating to create a more sustainable future.

Their accomplishments include the launch of the community fridge, new accessible sustainability-focused courses, a plan to install electric boilers on campus, and world-class research that uses machine learning to map carbon storage across Canada.

With students actively partnering in sustainability on campus, McMaster’s Office of Academic Sustainability’s new annual report is full of examples of  student-led initiatives that minimize waste, support pollinators, address food insecurity and make a positive impact on campus.

Get involved with sustainability on campus

It’s Campus Sustainability Month and there are plenty of ways students, faculty and staff can help better our community and environment in meaningful ways. Pick one, get involved and make a difference:

• ACCESS Tech Donation Drive – Sustainability students are asking all McMaster community members to donate gently-used technology, like laptops, computers and smartphones, at the ACCESS Tech Donation Drive. Bring used technology for donation on Thursday, Oct. 27 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. to the lawn of the Burke Science Building. Gently used technology is sanitized and provided to Hamiltonians in need through the help of Empowerment Squared. The first 50 people to donate will receive a treat from Donut Monster.
• Tree Planting and Official Launch of the McMaster Carbon Sink Forest – The McMaster Centre for Climate Change in collaboration with Nature at McMaster, the Academic Sustainability Programs Office, Trees for Life, and Trees for Hamilton, are developing a Carbon Sink Forest that will sequest carbon by planting trees to help mitigate climate change. The event takes place on Saturday Nov. 5 from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the forest, located at 1221 Wilson St. E. Register for this tree planting event on Eventbrite. Half of the 250 trees that will be planted are thanks to the thousands of people who of viewed McMaster’s Sustainability Strategy in spring.

• Plant Upcycle Event – The Interdisciplinary Minor in Sustainability Student Committee invites community members to bring a used container and they will provide the dirt, plants and instructions on how to care for your new plant. Get your hands dirty on Thursday, Nov. 10 from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. near Union Marketin the McMaster University Student Centre.

In the next few weeks, more information will be shared about new and evolving sustainable collaborations on campus, ways students and staff are working together to encourage water-bottle refilling and a new compost initiative.