McGill Desautels has become the first Faculty to have composting bins in place across its buildings. The bins are now available on every floor, ensuring broader participation and convenience.
The effort began with the Armstrong Building’s composting program in January 2024, which quickly achieved a 40-per-cent diversion rate, meaning nearly half of the building’s total waste was redirected from landfills to composting. The program expanded with the addition of 50 locations in the Bronfman Building last fall, significantly increasing composting access.
With this program, McGill Desautels aims to model a scalable framework to further the University’s sustainability efforts, which include a commitment to achieving zero waste by 2035.
Education is central to the initiative. Students and staff are learning to sort waste using four-stream sorting stations for compost, recycling and landfill. By addressing common mistakes and clarifying what can and cannot be composted or recycled, the program aims to make proper waste sorting a habit for the McGill community.
“We want to encourage everyone to take the extra time to sort their waste correctly,” said Wesley McCoy, McGill Desautels’s Sustainability and Events Supervisor, who spearheads the project. “This is more than a composting project; it’s a pilot for behavioural and sustainable transformation. We hope this will inspire students and staff to adopt more sustainable practices both at home and within their communities.”
Toward a zero-waste McGill
The project builds on the University’s 2022 composting framework, developed by the Buildings & Grounds team. Building Services Supervisors and custodial teams have helped Faculties in optimizing sorting stations and composting initiatives, working closely with the McGill Office of Sustainability (MOOS) to integrate these efforts across campus.
George Lazaris, Director of Buildings and Grounds, noted that waste management is a fundamental aspect of McGill’s operations and plays a key role in McGill’s zero-waste journey.
“We’ve collaborated on waste audits and supported data-collection efforts, such as those conducted by the Faculty of Management, to monitor and improve the campus waste diversion programs,” Lazaris said. “Despite inherent challenges, I prioritize a strong partnership with MOOS, as we work together toward achieving McGill’s zero-waste goal.”
McGill’s Sustainability Projects Fund (SPF) has also been instrumental in bringing this initiative to life. The McGill Desautels composting initiative secured funding from the SPF by meeting a key criterion: active student involvement. Student groups like the Management Undergraduate Society (MUS) and the Integrated Management Student Fellowship (IMSF) have helped amplify the initiative’s impact through tabling, conducting waste audits and generating social media campaigns.
“In a world of many materials, achieving zero-waste is not a simple feat. Desautels’s leadership in expanding zero-waste education and infrastructure is inspiring,” said Peter Garber, Sustainability Officer at the McGill Office of Sustainability (MOOS).
Lowering McGill’s carbon footprint
The initiative aims to achieve a 90-per-cent diversion rate, but behavioural change takes time. Sustained education and clear communication will be needed to shift attitudes and behaviours. A recent Desautels waste audit showed that 47 per cent of waste previously sent to landfill is now being diverted to compost, translating to an estimated 7,250 kilograms of waste diverted annually. Reducing landfill contributions cuts methane emissions and lowers McGill’s overall carbon footprint.
The initiative’s ultimate success will hinge on achieving key targets, including developing guides and education materials and reaching more than 2,000 students and 300 staff. Waste audits will play a crucial role in measuring sorting accuracy and identifying areas for improvement. This data-driven approach ensures the initiative remains adaptable, which will allow it to better meet its targets. As the initiative progresses, the guides and materials developed will be useful in scaling up sustainability efforts across McGill.
“Our goal is for the Faculty to be a key supporter of McGill’s Climate & Sustainability Strategy,” McCoy said. “Continuous education and innovation will be essential to achieving this vision.”