Open Collections

Abstract

In the past 10-15 years, the idea of circular economies has gained traction among policy makers, the media, researchers, and the general public. Maintaining resources and materials in circulation has the potential to reduce emissions, reduce waste and regenerate nature. In fact, circular economy strategies aimed at reducing production are critical to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. UBC has formally prioritized circular economy in its Zero Waste Action Plan 2030, which established the following target: by 2030, UBC will apply a circular economy lens to enable a 50% reduction in operational waste disposal. Tracking UBC’s progress and highlighting key gaps is critical to achieving this target. To this end, the current project assessed the status of circularity at UBC by reviewing reports in the SEEDS Sustainability Library, available on the UBC sustainability website. We specifically reviewed reports released after the 2014 ZWAP, from January 2015 to June 2024, that pertained to the following priority topic areas: 1) materials’ reuse within food systems, 2) initiatives for improving waste sorting accuracy, and 3) materials’ reuse within other areas including furniture and lab equipment. Descriptive findings illustrated the relative popularity of food materials reuse, which accounted for 49% of reports on priority topic areas (waste sorting, 38%; other reuse initiatives, 13%). Examination of research trends showed that food materials reuse gained popularity after the release of the ZWAP 2030 in 2023. Narrative findings showed that campus-goers generally prefer lower deposits for container/mug- sharing, along with loyalty rewards, and there is a need for greater advertising and awareness-raising with regard to food materials reuse initiatives. For waste sorting, findings indicated that contamination rates have generally been high, with problematic items including plastic cutlery, compostable food containers and composite items like paper pastry bags with plastic lining. Reports also noted the beneficial impact of door-to-door canvassing in promoting better waste sorting. Regarding other reuse initiatives, findings demonstrated the feasibility and environmental benefit of a formal wear rental program, the high favourability yet low awareness of lab reuse programs, and the need for a standardized system of furniture reuse that includes storage space, a website, delivery and pick-up services, marketing campaigns, support for people to consult with an expert, and rules and standards governing quality. Of all recommendations made, 31% have been met or partially met. 28% remain to be acted on and 41% are difficult to assess—their status remains unknown. Notably, recommendation status appears to relate to the number of times a recommendation has been made, with recommendations made multiple times more likely to have been at least partially met. Based on student recommendations and findings made in the current report, we suggest a number of key recommendations for action: 1) improve the search capabilities of the SEEDS Sustainability Library, 2) improve tracking of UBC Mugshare Mugs or implement a new system for mug reuse with superior tracking and retention, 3) improve access to and convenience of composting and multi-stream recycling in student housing, 4) expand the reach and impact of the furniture reuse program, and 5) improve Sort It Out stations to increase sorting accuracy. This study is supplemented by 3 separate “backgrounder” documents, one for each priority circular economy topic area (i.e., food materials reuse, waste sorting, other reuse initiatives). These documents provide a review of key findings and recommendations made in student reports and are meant to be used as a resource to inform policies or programs for circularity on campus. Disclaimer: “UBC SEEDS provides students with the opportunity to share the findings of their studies, as well as their opinions, conclusions and recommendations with the UBC community. The reader should bear in mind that this is a student project/report and is not an official document of UBC. Furthermore readers should bear in mind that these reports may not reflect the current status of activities at UBC. We urge you to contact the research persons mentioned in a report or the SEEDS Coordinator about the current status of the subject matter of a project/report.”