Sustainability Tips – July
The UNA is committed to providing leadership, education and support services to promote a sustainable community life.
WASTE REDUCTION
Green Depot
The Green Depot offers an easy and accessible way for UNA and UBC Community members to responsibly dispose of a wide-variety of waste not accepted by residential waste recycling services.
Household Composting
All UNA residents are provided with household compost bins, as well as educational materials to encourage responsible behaviour and reduce the amount of food waste that goes into landfills.
The Annual Yard Sale
The UNA’s annual yard sale encourages community members to reduce unnecessary production and waste, by reusing and extending the life of material goods. The Yard Sale is one way in which the UNA builds community and reduces environmental and economic waste. The more hands an item passes through, the more environmental and economic value it provides. Reusing items keeps materials out of the landfills and oceans, and decreases costs associated with purchasing and disposing of multiple, new items.
SUSTAINABILITY TIPS
TRANSPORTATION
BIKE SHARE
A new bikeshare program is soon to launch at the university campus and neighbourhoods. The bikeshare company – HOPR – shares a parent company with Mobi by Shaw Go in the City of Vancouver.
The launch, which will be as early as next week, will start with 100 bikes and expand to 200 bikes in September.
Reduced rates for residents
HOPR’s pricing model includes monthly and annual plans with reduced rates for student/faculty/staff and residents. Residents will be required to submit their postal code to receive this rate.
- Monthly Plan: $15
- Annual Plan: $129
Restricted bike parking
Bike parking will be restricted, which will keep bikes in specific parking locations and prevent bike abandonment.
For more information, visit the HOPR website.
ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING
Free charging is available to all Electric Vehicle (EV) users, through the UNA’s collaboration with BC Hydro’s Electric Vehicle Charging Initiative. By providing this service, the UNA is making it practical to own an EV or hybrid vehicle, significantly reducing the production of carbon emissions.
CAR SHARE
The UNA has designated parking stalls for car share vehicles throughout its neighbourhoods. This priority parking encourages community members to participate in car share programs. This reduction in the number vehicles on the road reduces the community’s emissions of greenhouse gases.
Walk n’ Roll
Every year, the UNA and UTown@UBC team up to bring Walk’n Roll School Celebration week. Community volunteers lead a ‘walking-school-bus’ and a ‘bike train’ from each of the UNA neighbourhoods to the local elementary schools. These events encourage biking and walking to school and provide kids and parents with the education and the confidence to do so.
FOOD SUSTAINABILITY
The UNA has four community gardens, providing families and community members with the opportunity to produce their own food (as local as it gets!). Our gardens are 100% organic, which reduces harmful effects on the surrounding environment.
Mason Bee Project
Mason bee structures and nests have been installed at Rhodo Community Garden, Hawthorn Community Garden, as well as the Children’s Garden at Old Barn Community Centre. These nests were built by families who participated in the UNA’s Mason bee nest-building workshop, run by community members. With these nests, we are supporting the native pollinators and the local plant populations!
Collaboration with the UBC Seeds Lending Library
The Seeds Lending Library is a free resource that eliminates the need for gardeners to purchase new seeds. The Lending Library also provides opportunities to learn about gardening, seed saving, and agricultural research and teaching at UBC. The Lending Library has participated in UNA community events, offering its services and expertise to UNA gardeners.
COLLABORATION
Research and Education
The UNA has partnered with UBC Sustainability’s SEEDS program to advance UBC’s strategic plans and priorities.
Energy Reduction
The UNA’s collaboration with Strata Energy Advisory Program provides strata buildings the opportunity to receive a free building energy assessment and recommendations on how to reduce their energy use and associated costs.
People: Community is strengthened. Connectivity within a society increases at a local scale, while social conditions are improved, globally.
Planet: The natural environment is protected and enhanced. Environmental effects are considered within all decisions.
Profit: Economic prosperity increases. Financial success is not compromised, but supports and is bolstered by environmental and social priorities.
We are continuously working to advance our practices and services to reduce our environmental impact, while increasing the economic and social wellness of our community members. We strive to make it easier and more accessible for community members to incorporate sustainable practices into their own lives.
UNA follow the triple-bottom-line approach and considers sustainability as the balance between social, economic, as well as environmental factors.