Camosun Green
Camosun is its people—students, faculty and staff—and while we all want to do the right thing for the environment, it can be complicated because Camosun is also a small city! We have 38 buildings with 800,000 square feet of work/study space spread over 120 acres. We have 2,300 parking spaces, 85,000 light bulbs, 2,400 rooms, 12,000 students, 1,000 staff and faculty, countless deer, ducks, frogs, two child care centres…
Making wise choices about our how we effect the environment isn’t always easy. Sometimes it costs more, or means a significant change in the way we do things. Sometimes it isn’t even clear what the wisest choice is.
Some of the ways we are currently working to reduce the environmental footprint of the college are listed below. What can you do to help?
Energy Management
The Camosun Energy Management Program is a five-year project designed to reduce electrical and natural gas energy consumption by 10% of our 2005 levels, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 8.5% (200 tons!) by the year 2012.
We’re now in the second year of the project. We’re going to achieve our goals through a combination of quantitative energy savings, such as more efficient heating, lighting, and air conditioning equipment; and qualitative changes in policies, practices, and procedures, such as energy conscious purchasing policies, employee and student energy awareness, and sound operating and maintenance practices.
BC Hydro, through its Power Smart Partner Program, provides the program framework, and also funds a professional Energy Manager position at the college, ably provided by Victoria’s Avalon Energy Management.
We’re looking forward to our energy management program helping to fix the climate change problems we all face together. Of course, we’re also looking to reduce college operating costs, improve indoor lighting and air quality for students and faculty, and to lower demand on community energy and water infrastructure.
Visit Camosun's Energy Project for more information.
Batteries
Used "office" batteries (AAA, AA, A, B, C, D and smaller batteries) are removed from our general waste stream by our Physical Resources staff, then stored in a chemical bunker until there is enough material to be disposed of in accordance with legislation. Our Automotive and Heavy Duty Mechanic programs have contracts in place with their suppliers to look after the safe disposal of large, industrial batteries.
Building Fabrics and Paints
Wherever practical, Camosun purchases carpet that has both long life expectancy and includes recycled materials. Switching to carpet tiles where possible allows us to replace only tiles that are worn out and not the whole room. Areas in corridors that are carpeted and prone to require frequent replacement are gradually being replaced by hard surface tile which will last longer and is easier to maintain. We are testing a kind of rubber flooring at Lansdowne's daycare facility and in the Paul Building corridor - it's a natural product that does not require floor finishing which is less desirable for the environment.
We use environmentally friendly paints and adhesives, and in our general painting contract we specify low odour, highly user- and environment-friendly products be used. Oil based products are only used when absolutely necessary and we no longer store any paint from left over contract work on site.
Chemicals
Camosun’s Custodial Services team uses leading technologies to prevent the use of excessive chemical concentrations, thus minimizing environmental impact. We purchase user- and environmentally-friendly products, and do not use chemicals with known toxic components.
Chemistry and biology labs use a variety of chemicals and compounds under regulation, including safety requirements for their use and safe disposal. For example, all chemistry and biology lab sinks have traps for sediment and some chemicals; Visual Arts labs have sediment traps, as does the dental building (for silver nitrate and sediment).
All parking lots have catch basins to stop oils and fluid leaks from vehicles from entering our storm drains.
Cool Carpets
In June 2009 Camosun tendered for our annual flooring replacement and upgrades. We selected carpeting that promotes leading environmental technologies that help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Interface’s Cool Carpet program is “climate neutral” in that greenhouse gas emissions during production are offset by purchasing Emission Reduction Credits. Companies must demonstrate “outstanding performance” within their own operations in order to purchase additional credits. Interface has achieved this by investing in emerging technologies, switching to renewable energy sources, reducing the use of fossil fuels and planting trees that absorb green house gases. Interface, working with partners Invista, Blue Source LLC and Meridian Energy, are able to provide third party certification by an independent organization that the Cool Carpet project covers all of the CO2 emissions associated with the life cycle of carpet sold. The college is required to comply with government set goals to become carbon neutral by 2010 – this choice of carpeting supports that goal. “One more step in the right direction!” says Mike Nunn in Physical Resources.
Furniture and Equipment
Deconstructing and recycling old furniture (metal components being recycled) at Interurban Campus.
Wherever practical, Camosun repairs furniture and equipment, restores/reupholsters/fixes but when necessary, disposes of it in a green way.
In 2010, Camosun will be buying some new furniture for the Learning Commons/Library projects. We will however be saving money and the environment as we reuse some very functional furniture that is only 15 years old along with possibly re-upholstering many of our chairs.
When our tables and chairs and desks from classrooms and offices are no longer useful, we donate or sell them if possible. If they are past their useful life, we deconstruct them and recycle as many of the elements as possible.
This approach is just good practice for any institution but industry and our procurement practices may also be moving in this direction of the concept of Cradle to Cradle!
Hazardous Waste
Occupational Health and Safety arranges for hazardous chemicals no longer needed to be taken away and disposed of in accordance with legislation. This process was increased from once a year to three times a year, meaning we store less hazardous waste. Chemical resistant totes are in the process of being installed so that, should an earthquake occur, hazardous chemicals would be less likely to spill and would be contained if they do.
Lighting
A number of steps have been taken to reduce the overall consumption of energy from lighting, including several major retrofits to replace older T12 (F40) tubes with T8 (F30) tubes and to replace magnetic ballasts with and electronic ballasts. Incandescent bulbs have been replaced with low energy compact fluorescent lights, and occupancy sensors installed in almost every building, whose job it is to shut off lights when rooms are unoccupied. Direct Digital Control is used for much of the lighting across the college, allowing for control of lighting on a time schedule. Lastly, evening security guards and custodians turn off lights when and where appropriate.
Printing and Duplicating
In August of 2006 the College in collaboration with the Student Society switched from 30% recycled paper to 100% recycled paper that is Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified in all its copiers, printers, and duplicating machines. This decision saves over one thousand trees a year and reduces the “carbon footprint” by 44 tonnes. The College also recycles all the used toner bottles and any off-cuts or waste produced in the Printshops on both campuses.
Camosun Imaging Centres echo the commitment of Random House publishers:
“We are committed to implementing policies that will facilitate the conservation of ancient forests around the world and ensure that we are not contributing to the destruction of irreplaceable natural treasures.”
Waste and Recycling
In January 2003 the college implemented a composting program in the Fisher Building Cafeteria, at Interurban’s Helmet Huber Cook Training Centre and at the Urban Diner Coffee Shop. This results in a waste reduction of one 6-cubic-yard bin’s worth of waste every week—which adds up to 51 metric tonnes diverted annually from both campuses!
Composting of yard waste (e.g. grass clippings, small branches) has been practiced for many years. Currently there is a pilot program at the Lansdowne campus to compost washroom paper waste.
Recyclable materials (paper, newspaper, cardboard, plastics, tin and light metal) are collected and removed for processing from both campuses in significant quantities (4,679.9 cubic yards in 2004/05).
Fats and grease waste at Interurban are collected and removed for recycling (they are used in the production of dry pet food!).
Wood Waste from various carpentry programs at the Interurban campus are made available free to the Camosun community and general public.
Water Consumption
Reductions in water consumption have been achieved across the college by retro-fitting bathrooms with low flow toilets and fixtures. Some men's washrooms have been converted to waterless urinals, and others retrofitted with sensors/auto "flushometers".
