Green Committee

About

The AC Green Committee is a group of staff, faculty, and students who work together to increase environmental awareness at Alexander College while creating events and leading initiatives in order to decrease our environmental impact.

Alexander College Sustainability Mission Statement

Alexander College strives for sustainability through education, community engagement and modelling waste reduction best practices. We aim to produce environmentally responsible global citizens and contribute to the overall health of the communities in which we live.

Green Committee Core Themes and Objectives

Education

Increase student, staff, and faculty awareness of the importance of implementing sustainable practices in the school environment and beyond
Serve as a resource on recycling and waste management questions, energy and water conservation, environmentally preferable purchasing, and other initiatives

Sustainability

Collect, measure, and report on AC’s environmental performance in order to initiate alternatives to existing practices that will positively affect the environment Foster individual growth and development by supporting each student’s academic achievement and involvement in the community life of the College.
Institute energy and water conservation strategies, as well as environmentally friendly purchasing strategies, including a preference for reusable and compostable materials
Promote AC as an environmentally conscious institution and cultivate sustainable habits that have widespread effects for the community

Waste Management

Improve the effectiveness and accessibility of AC’s waste management system by implementing multi-waste sorting bins in common areas and classrooms
Communicate and model best practices for sorting and disposing of waste, recycling, and compost
Increase and promote recycling and composting while contributing to larger regional waste diversion goals

Community Engagement

Create and facilitate frequent green events, including: beach and park clean-ups, gardening events, and lunch-and-learn sessions
Create and promote ongoing volunteer and educational opportunities for all members of the AC community to take part in eco-friendly initiatives and events

Events

The Green Committee hosts events regularly both on and off campus, including: beach and park clean-ups, gardening events, and movie viewings.

Stay Updated
Check in regularly with Alexander College’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts for updates about upcoming events and other opportunities!

Initiatives

Alexander College maintains a commitment to Green initiatives across its campuses and is continually, actively seeking to inform and put into practice sustainable alternatives for our students, staff, and faculty.

Multi-Waste Sorting Bins
One of the key missions of the Green Committee is to improve the waste management system at AC and to find ways to divert recycling and compost from going into the garbage.

In February 2018, we acquired new cross-campus sorting bins for recycling, compost and trash, staffed by student volunteers in the first week of their launch to explain the importance of these efforts and educate our staff and students in how to sort their waste.

Watch the video below for some helpful tips in order to make environmentally friendly choices!

Pledge for a Sustainable Community
Alexander College has taken the Pledge for a Sustainable Community through the Burnaby Board of Trade. By taking this Pledge, AC has joined an ever growing community of businesses who are committed to – and taking steps towards – reducing their environmental footprint.

We have committed to a variety of actions related to environmentally-conscious purchasing, conserving water and energy, and reducing waste. For example, with a wide variety of campus events involving food, we’ve built into our practice the usage of compostable plates and cutlery.

Committing to small actions such as going paperless when possible and turning off lights add up to having significant impacts!

How to get Involved

As part of the Green Committee, you can involve yourself in opportunities such as:

Event planning
Promoting environmentally-friendly practices
Creating activities that help students positively impact the environment
Helping to enhance the student experience and the overall sustainability of AC

In addition to getting involved with the AC community and helping the planet, students will receive recognition through a certificate with each volunteer opportunity completed. This may be used for future employment or educational opportunities.

If you are interested in joining the committee, volunteering at an event, or have any questions/suggestions, please email Olivia at o.gordon@alexandercollege.ca