Red River College’s 5th annual State of Sustainability also shares Earth Day’s 45 birthday! Hard to believe how far we (the planet) has come in support of environmental protection since its launch in 1970.

Today, institutions like Red River College (RRC) lead the way in innovation and action that support a culture of sustainability on campus and in our community. RRC boasts being one of Canada’s Greenest Employers four years in a row, (we hope to make it 5, nudge-nudge-wink-wink). We receive these accolades not only because of the hard work and commitment of the Sustainability Office, but through the support of active and engaged staff and students, who participate in the many recycling programs we offer, and our Leadership Community and Executive Team who champion this work. Read More →

Rethink Your Drink

These are the words you might see on your next stop at one of Red River College’s re-usable bottle fill stations! Read More →

Get spotted carrying your EcoMug at NDC and EDC and you’ll win a fair trade chocolate bar and be entered to win FREE coffee for a month!

All campuses can participate, just email us a photo of you and your reusable mug by Feb 13 and you’ll be entered to win!

Winners will be announced in All Staff News, on our Facebook Page Sustainability @ Red River College and posted in the “mug shot” line up in the NDC Library hallway.

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Throughout my life, I have always been eager to create positive environmental change and have searched out opportunities to become involved in causes related to sustainability. My journey has included stops that have shaped my knowledge of sustainability, as well as my approach to accomplishing my goals. Along the way, I met amazing people who influenced my views and helped me navigate the world of environmentalism.

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When I think of waste reduction, I think of the three rules I learned in grade school – reduce, reuse and recycle.  Today, waste reduction has become much more sophisticated and those three rules have expanded to rules four and five – rethink and recreate. Read More →

Last week was Waste Reduction Week and Canadian’s across the country took steps to cut waste and improve the environment.  At Red River College we reduce waste every day, about 9 tonnes every month, but even we lost a few “extra pounds” this week.

During our fall e-waste round up, staff and students recycled more than 2.3 tonnes of electronic waste. Everything from home computers, printers, microwaves and overhead projectors were responsibly recycled.

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Waste Reduction Week happens the third week in October each year.  It’s your chance to join hundreds of Canadian’s across the country taking steps to cut waste and improve the environment.

At Red River College we tackle waste reduction every day!  In fact, we collect and recycle over 9 tonnes of paper, food and beverage containers and cardboard each month.  We can also proudly say that our College’s diversion rate is over 50%.  This is a huge accomplishment considering that Winnipeg’s residential diversion rate is about 28%.

During Waste Reduction Week, we want to encourage you to take action, rethink, reduce, reuse and recycle this week and every week on campus!

Here’s 3 ways you can participate: Read More →

Sue Hayduk – RRC’s Sustainability Coordinator

This week, Red River College held a little hallway shindig to participate in Fair Trade Campus Week 2014. This event is an opportunity to raise awareness about the Fair Trade movement and eat way too much Fairtrade-certified Camino chocolate. (Eating Fairtrade chocolate supports an important social movement, therefore I should eat lots of chocolate, right?)

Fair Trade Manitoba was on hand to educate our students (many of whom were just hearing about Fair trade for the first time).

The lovely ladies from RRC’s Bookstore set up a table to show off all the Fair trade and ethically-sourced items they sell – dresses, scarves, jewelry and more. Take a trip to one of the Bookstores to check it out!

They told me the story behind these beautiful made-to-order bracelets from a company called Wakami – a social enterprise from Guatemala that connects artisans from remote villages with urban markets around the world. Read More →

Just a few of our sustainable commuters from Roblin Centre.

Red River College has a long history of success in the Commuter Challenge competition. For the 4th year in a row, the College has earned a 2nd place finish for our workplace category. This impressive result comes from the enthusiasm and participation from staff across all of our campuses.  A total of 186 staff actively commuted  during the week and we had great attendance at our many Commuter Challenge events. You can review Winnipeg’s workplace results here. Read More →

For years the dedicated staff in the Pavement & Grounds department have worked tirelessly to make the Notre Dame Campus grounds a beautiful space for students and staff to enjoy.

Over the years, as health and environmental concerns around the use of conventional pesticides have increased, the College has taken steps to dramatically reduce the use of conventional pesticides on campus. Now, just in time for the 2014 growing season, we are happy to let students and staff know that the Notre Dame Campus is entirely eliminating the use of conventional pesticides! Read More →