Building a Greener Victoria University

By Dan Blackwell and Leslie Shepherd

Photos by Will Dang

Vikas Mehta can talk about sustainability for hours— and he just might, given the chance. As interim chief operating officer at Victoria University, he’s on a mission to make the campus greener, one eco-friendly project at a time.

From cutting single-use plastics to harnessing geothermal energy, Mehta’s team has big plans.

The big project heading into 2025 is to develop a Victoria University-specific plan to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, by either emitting no greenhouse gas emissions or offsetting them.

Environmental consultants will be hired to go through each building on campus, looking at what kind of energy they use and how much, and develop a 20- to 30year physical and financial plan to achieve net-zero. This could include harnessing the geothermal energy field under Margaret Addison Hall or other renewable resources such as solar panels.

“We all need to address climate change,” said Mehta. “We are seeing evidence of this everywhere,” including the fact the university didn’t switch from air-conditioning to heating buildings until just before Thanksgiving this year—about a month later than it used to.

Mehta’s team completed several sustainability projects this year including adding more energyefficient LED lighting in Old Vic and Emmanuel College, a more efficiently insulated roof to the E. J. Pratt Library, and more efficient windows at Lower Burwash residence.

But some of the most visible changes are unfolding in Hospitality Services, where sustainability has become part of the everyday experience.

“There’s been a strong push to bring sustainable practices to Vic,” says Ajay Sharma, the university’s associate director of Hospitality Services, who is leading the charge to make both the Burwash Dining Hall and Ned’s Café greener. “People are more determined than ever to shrink their carbon footprint.”

One of the priorities for Sharma’s team has been to eliminate single-use plastics. Plastic water bottles are no longer sold on campus, plastic cutlery and plates have been swapped for biodegradable alternatives and there is a new reusable container system for takeaway meals.

“U of T has a notoriously large campus, and when students are rushing between classes they don’t often have time to sit and enjoy a meal,” says Sharma, who estimates that around 40 per cent of the food served at Burwash Dining Hall is taken out.

Burwash now provides students with durable, eco-friendly reusable containers for a $10 deposit. After each use, students can exchange their used container for a clean, sanitized one. At the end of the year, students return their containers to receive their deposit back.

Substantial efforts also go into reducing food waste, says Evan May, Vic U’s lead hand, Food Services, who emphasizes that students and staff can work together to help reduce food waste.

Evan May

“We encourage students not to scrape their plates into garbage cans before placing them on the conveyor belt,” he says. “The conveyor belt in our cafeteria leads directly to the dish room, where we have a team of two to four staff members who are trained to sort the waste.”

Every year the university receives an independent audit of this process of sorting compost, recycling and garbage, offering valuable insights to help further reduce food waste.

May also stresses the importance of everyone selecting only the food they intend to eat. “We all have eyes that are bigger than our stomach, but we see firsthand all the food that goes to waste,” he says. “The biggest difference students can make is taking only what they can eat.”

Sharma emphasizes that his team also focuses on reusing as much food as possible through creative meal planning. Instead of discarding uneaten food from the buffet, rice can be transformed into rice pudding or fried rice and spaghetti sauce can be refreshed as chili.

Sharma notes that his team’s decision to prioritize local produce not only supports the university’s goal of reducing its carbon footprint but also delivers fresher, higherquality food to customers.

“It’s a win for both the environment and the people we serve,” Sharma says. “The food is fresher because it has less distance to travel and we’re supporting local businesses. The costs are also generally lower and it’s a savings we aim to pass on to our customers.”

Sharma’s team has also joined forces with local organizations dedicated to food sustainability.

“This year, we’re working with The Better Food Co., Greener by Default and the Canadian Humane Society to enhance our menu with more vegetarian and vegan options,” Sharma says, including on World Vegetarian Day, Oct. 1.

“We’re all on the same side here,” says Sharma. “We need to convey to students the importance of being mindful of what we eat and how we dispose of it. Together, students and staff can make Vic’s food service as sustainable as possible.”