Bow Valley College has been awarded a campus sustainability achievement award by The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). It’s the only Canadian post-secondary institution to win the international award.
The AASHE Sustainability Awards provide global recognition to the individuals and organizations leading the higher education sustainability movement.
The college was recognized for its innovative recycling program and high compliance rate. Traditional recycling and composting programs, and special programs for fabric, plastic gloves, batteries, pens, IV bags, cooking oil, and electronics recycling enabled the college to increase its recycling rate from 19 to 76 per cent in only four years.
“Our initiative was launched in 2016 in conjunction with the City of Calgary’s recycling and composting bylaws,” said sustainability co-ordinator at Bow Valley College, Amy Spark who helped launch the initiative. Spark received the award on behalf of the college and was also a guest presenter at the annual conference in Pittsburgh, Pa.
“We are trying to recycle not just easy items, but as many items as possible. The goal is to be a leader in waste and recycling and inspire other post-secondary institutions to follow suit,” Spark said.
Spark said her plan for a more environmentally friendly campus is to maintain momentum, further education, and move toward waste prevention.
Other winning colleges and universities are from such countries as Cameroon, Israel, Sweden, France, and Britain.
To learn more about sustainability at Bow Valley College, visit their website.