Waste and Recycling

Recycling at Camosun

Ever wondered what you should be putting in which bin? Here's a handy guide.

Blue bins: Mixed paper and cardboard

• newspapers
• magazines
• office paper

Green bins: Plastic and tin

• plastics # 1 through 7
• beverage containers
• clamshell food packaging
• milk cartons
• tetra paks
• coffee cup lids
• light metals
• aluminum foil and containers
• tin cans 
• glass (not broken glass)

Grey bins (black lid): Waste – landfill

• chip bags
• bar wrappers
• non-compostable food waste

Composting at Camosun

Return your waste to the earth! Here's your guide to Camosun's compost bins.

• Food waste
• Teabags
• Fruit peels and pits
• Compostable cutlery
• Bones
• Wood stir sticks
• Paper towel

CAMpost: Vermicomposting

In 2012, the E.A.R.T.H Gardening and Employment Training and Preparation (ETP) programs won funding from the Camosun College President's Fund to create an on-campus vermi-compost project. Through the raising and use of worms, the collection of compost from offices at Interurban, and the selling and use of the vermicompost, students gain skills in composting and customer service.

Cone digesters project

After two years of hard work involving Environmental Technology students and faculty and Facilities Services staff, several green compost bins have been installed in most buildings around campus. All types of food waste including meat, cheese, bread and cooked leftovers can be dropped into these bins. Camosun has hired two students part-time to collect the waste daily and redistribute it into 16 new cone-shaped anaerobic organic waste digesters. An educational component of these projects will soon be developed to help explain and teach the new composting system at each campus.

Learn more about vermicomposting or green cone digester composts from the Victoria Compost Education Centre.

Diverting other materials from the landfill

Writing instruments

Through the Staples Canada and Terracycle® recycling program, interested departments or individuals can collect pens/markers and bring them to any Staples store, where they are then sent to Terracycle for recycling. Get your program going in three easy steps:

• Set up your collection box – DIY with this handy resource kit.
• Drop off old writing instruments.
• Take the full box to Staples for recycling. Please note, this is a voluntary program with sponsor offices responsible for their own take back.

For students, collections boxes are located at the Student Society offices.

Styrofoam

• College use only. Items bagged in clear bags and stored in Recycle Storage Area until collection.
• Items collected: Rigid, popcorn and soft styrofoam collected.

Soft Plastics

• Items bagged in clear bags and stored in our Interurban or Lansdowne Recycle Storage Area.
• Items collected: All types of soft plastic and plastic bags.

Washroom Paper Towels

• Currently from Fisher Bldg., PISE, expanding to all other buildings.
• Collected by Custodial staff from washrooms in separate containers.

Batteries

• Collection Boxes (via Call2Recycle) are located in the Receiving Department at each campus at Interurban and Lansdowne.
• Items collected: Encompasses all Dry cells, "D", "C", "AA", "AAA" and 9-volt. Larger wet cell/vehicle batteries are handled as a hazardous waste, stored in our chemical storage bunkers and disposed of through the year.

Did you know?

• The plastic forks/knives/spoons you get from Urban Diner and Campus Caf are totally compostable! You can toss them in any of the compost bins around campus.
• Don't like the idea of how much paper resources go into the publishing of textbooks? The bookstore offers some textbooks in ebook format.
• Receive $0.25 off drinks when you use a reusable mug at the Campus Caf, By the Books, Java Express, and Urban Diner.