The Portage Campus was one of the winning offices in 2018.
The December break is fast approaching but before you flip the switch to holiday mode, don’t forget to flip the off switches at the office and give our College’s electronic equipment and appliances a much-needed break too.
Red River College will be closed from December 24 at noon to January 2. During this time our buildings will go into “Un-Occupied Mode” which means lower temperatures, and less energy consumption. But we need your help! By participating in the Seasonal Shutdown Office Challenge your actions will help reduce the environmental and financial impacts of our energy use this break. Plus… by participating you could win a catered coffee break for your office (find out how to enter below).
Help us make sure that Rudolph’s nose is the only thing shining over RRC this holiday season with these three simple steps:
1. DISPOSE OF PERISHABLES
Remove perishables and clean fridges by December 24, 2019
Note: Offices at NDC will not be cleaned during the break. Please place all garbage in the hallways by 11 am on Dec 24th to make sure it is picked up before the the campus is closed.
2. TURN OFF ELECTRONICS & UNPLUG APPLIANCES NOT IN USE
Where it is safe and possible to do so. Please leave printers ON, they’ll go into energy saving mode on their own.
3. TURN OFF LIGHTS
Take the Seasonal Shutdown Office Challenge and Win!
The Library was one of the winning offices in 2018.
Before you dash away into the night this holiday, recruit your colleagues to participate in the Seasonal Shutdown Office Challenge. We’ve made a list and checked it twice, all you have to do is fill it out and shutdown unnecessary lights and equipment before you leave for the break and you will be entered to win 1 of 3 catered coffee breaks for your office!
Complete the Checklist Here
- What is an office? An office can be one person or multiple people in one office space, or across many offices, as long as you are in the same department. You can even challenge other offices within your department to participate as well. Please have just one person per office complete the checklist.
- When can I fill in the form? You can submit the form before December 24 as a pledge to do these actions. Anyone who submits a form before December 23 will receive a reminder email on December 24. You can also fill out the form anytime between December 24 and noon on January 3, 2019.
- Having trouble with the form? Contact Whitney for help.
- The more, the merrier! Recruit participants and help conserve energy at the College by printing and posting Seasonal Shutdown downloadable poster in an office common area.
SMALL ACTIONS CAN HAVE BIG IMPACTS
Institutional Analysis and Planning was one of the winning offices in 2018.
You might think that the few items in your office aren’t going to make much of a difference if they’re shutdown or unplugged for 11 days, but consider this: in the 2018 College-wide plug load inventory of more than 500 staff offices and common areas, we counted nearly 3,000 personal electronic items (i.e. computers, monitors, speakers, etc.), almost 600 personal appliances (refrigerators, microwaves, etc.), and over 450 lightswitches. That’s a lot of potential for unnecessary energy consumption, either through leaving items and lights on, or through standby (phantom) power that many electronic items draw even when turned off.
MORE SHUTDOWN TIPS
- Lab equipment: Together with your colleagues identify equipment that can be safely turned off, unplugged, or placed in standby mode over the break.
- Don’t forget to turn off lights and shutdown projectors and AV equipment in any meeting rooms or classrooms that you use.
- Do a department walk-through to ensure valuables are secured and cabinets are locked.
- Activate alarms if applicable before you leave.
- Set yourself a reminder in your calendar or on your phone (or even on a sticky note on the door) to remember to do your seasonal shutdown checklist before you leave.
- Set yourself a reminder for when you return from holidays to plug needed items in or turn them on.
- Don’t forget to water plants and feed and water vermicomposting worms!
HAVE A HAPPY AND SAFE HOLIDAY!
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Portage Campus was one of the winners in the 2018 Winter Seasonal Shutdown
Summer is finally on it’s way! You may be getting amped-up for beach days and drinks on the patio, but before you go into out-of-office mode let’s make sure the College’s electronic equipment and appliances are getting a much needed energy break.
In our 2018 Plug Load Inventory, we learned that there are many academic offices that are vacant over the summer months. That’s a lot of potential for unnecessary energy consumption, either through leaving items and lights on, or through standby (phantom) power that many electronic items draw even when turned off. But you can help! By participating in the Summer Seasonal Shutdown Office Challenge your actions can help to achieve energy savings. Plus… by participating you could win a catered coffee break for your office. Simply complete the checklist by June 30, 2019, perform the actions before you leave and you will be entered in the prize draw.
Please note: at this time, the Summer Seasonal Shutdown Office Challenge is only open to academic offices. If you are in an administrative office that will be closed for some time over the summer, you can save energy too – use this handy checklist to help plan your own shutdown.
Shutting down for the holidays is as easy as 1-2-3:
1. DISPOSE OF PERISHABLES
Remove perishables and clean fridges
2. TURN OFF ELECTRONICS & UNPLUG APPLIANCES NOT IN USE
Where it is safe and possible to do so. Please leave printers ON, they’ll go into energy saving mode on their own.
3. TURN OFF LIGHTS & TURN UP THERMOSTATS
How it Works
If any portion of your academic office will be shutdown over the summer, recruit your colleagues to participate in the challenge. All you have to do is complete and submit our simple checklist to shutdown unnecessary lights and equipment before you leave for the summer and you will be entered to win 1 of 3 catered coffee breaks for your office! Over the summer, our team will be checking offices to confirm everything is shutdown as expected and we will leave a note confirming your entry into the prize draw, which will happen in September.
- What is an office? An office can be one person or multiple people in one office space, or across many offices, as long as you are in the same department. You can even challenge other offices within your department to participate as well. Please have just one person per office complete the checklist.
- We have some staff who work over the summer, can we still participate? Yes you can! Just do the things that work for your team. For some items like appliances, consider sharing these with other offices so you can still unplug some over the summer.
- When can I fill in the form? You can submit the form anytime before you leave as a pledge to do these actions and we will send you a reminder email before you leave. As long as the form is received by June 30, 2019, your team will be entered to win a prize.
- Having trouble with the form? Contact Whitney for help.
MORE SHUTDOWN TIPS
- Computers that are shutdown over the break will likely need updates when you return. This can be an opportunity to come in a little earlier, start your updates, grab a coffee and catch up with colleagues. You can find some information on how Windows updates work here.
- Together with your colleagues identify lab equipment that can be safely turned off, unplugged, or placed in standby mode over the break.
- Don’t forget to turn off lights and shutdown projectors and AV equipment in any meeting rooms or classrooms that you use.
- Do a department walk-through to ensure valuables are secured and cabinets are locked.
- Activate alarms if applicable before you leave.
- Set yourself a reminder to remember to do your seasonal shutdown checklist before you leave and another one to restart everything again when you get back.
- Don’t forget to make a plan for someone to take care of plants and vermicomposting worms while you’re away!
The Seasonal Shutdown Office Challenge is part of the Sustainability Office’s Resource Reduction Project.
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Power down at work and home for Earth Hour.
Take part in Earth Hour 2019 and help us in shine a light on climate change. Take the pledge and join millions of people around the world in powering down lights and electronics for one hour on Saturday, March 30 from 8:30 – 9:30PM local time.
Power Down at the College
Red River College is powering down for Earth Hour and we need your help. Non-essential lights will be turned off during the hour, and we ask that before you leave for the weekend you shut down your computers, unplug unnecessary electronics and turn off your lights.
Pledge to Power Down at Home (and Win)
Take the Earth Hour Pledg
Because Earth Hour is on the weekend, we can make a bigger impact if members of our College community pledge to power down at home. This year, all staff, students and faculty who take the pledge will be entered to win a Earth Hour Prize pack: Enjoy a candlelit game night with friends or family with a board game, handmade candles and some delicious sustainable snacks.
The pledge form is now closed. Thank you to everyone who pledged!
Participating in Earth Hour is not only a great way to show your support for a global initiative that is working to mitigate climate change, it really highlights how dependent we are on electricity by challenging us to find fun things to do without it! Some ideas of things you can do include:
- Play board games by candlelight
- Organize a candlelit (or no light) walk in your neighbourhood
- Go stargazing
- Host a sing-a-long with or without acoustic instruments
- Invite friends for a candlelit potluck
Power Down Year Round
Earth Hour is a symbolic event that sheds a light on a more serious issue. Our dependence on electricity and electronics is part of the problem leading to climate change.
Did you know that the College spends over half a million dollars annually to run lights and products plugged into AC outlets? Powering down lights and electronics when possible can make a big difference!
Below are some tips for how you can reduce your load at the College:
- Turn the lights off when you leave a room
- Power down before every weekend and holiday – set a reminder in your calendar or put a sticky note on the door to help remember
- Unplug battery chargers once your device is fully charged
- Unplug non-essential electronics when not in use: i.e. toasters, kettles, etc. – these items still use electricity even when turned off
- Keep another sweater at your workspace instead of using a space heater
- Learn more about what the College is doing to reduce plug load energy consumption on Campus.
For tips on reducing your energy use at home, as well as information on rebates and other incentives visit Manitoba Hydro’s site.
]]>
The hustle and bustle of the holidays requires a lot of energy! But while you’re amped-up getting everything done, let’s make sure the College’s electronic equipment and appliances are getting a much needed energy break.
Red River College is closed from December 21 to January 2. During this time the College’s major building systems will run in “Un-Occupied Mode”, which means lower temperatures and, in most cases, minimal ventilation. This will help reduce our energy consumption, and our environmental footprint. But you can help too! By participating in the Seasonal Shutdown Office Challenge your actions can help to achieve higher energy savings. Plus… by participating you could win a catered coffee break for your office.
Shutting down for the holidays is as easy as 1-2-3:
1. DISPOSE OF PERISHABLES
Remove perishables and clean fridges by December 20, 2018
2. TURN OFF ELECTRONICS & UNPLUG APPLIANCES NOT IN USE
Where it is safe and possible to do so. Please leave printers ON, they’ll go into energy saving mode on their own.
3. TURN OFF LIGHTS
Take the Seasonal Shutdown Office Challenge and Win!
Before you dash away into the night this holiday, recruit your colleagues to participate in the Seasonal Shutdown Office Challenge. All you have to do is complete and submit our simple checklist to shutdown unnecessary lights and equipment before you leave for the break and you will be entered to win 1 of 3 catered coffee breaks for your office!
Access the Checklist Here
- What is an office? An office can be one person or multiple people in one office space, or across many offices, as long as you are in the same department. You can even challenge other offices within your department to participate as well. Please have just one person per office complete the checklist.
- When can I fill in the form? You can submit the form before December 21 as a pledge to do these actions. Anyone who submits a form before December 21 will receive a reminder email on December 21. You can also fill out the form anytime between December 21 and noon on January 2, 2019.
- Having trouble with the form? Contact Whitney for help.
- The more, the merrier! Recruit participants and help conserve energy at the College by printing and posting this poster in an office common area.
SMALL ACTIONS CAN HAVE BIG IMPACTS
You might think that the few items in your office aren’t going to make much of a difference if they’re shutdown or unplugged for 11 days, but consider this: our office recently led a College-wide plug load inventory and in the more than 500 staff offices and common areas we entered we counted nearly 3,000 personal electronic items (i.e. computers, monitors, speakers, etc.), almost 600 personal appliances (refrigerators, microwaves, etc.), and over 450 lightswitches. That’s a lot of potential for unnecessary energy consumption, either through leaving items and lights on, or through standby (phantom) power that many electronic items draw even when turned off.
MORE SHUTDOWN TIPS
- Lab equipment: Together with your colleagues identify equipment that can be safely turned off, unplugged, or placed in standby mode over the break.
- Don’t forget to turn off lights and shutdown projectors and AV equipment in any meeting rooms or classrooms that you use.
- Do a department walk-through to ensure valuables are secured and cabinets are locked.
- Activate alarms if applicable before you leave.
- Set yourself a reminder in your calendar or on your phone (or even on a sticky note on the door) to remember to do your seasonal shutdown checklist before you leave.
- Set yourself a reminder for when you return from holidays to plug needed items in or turn them on.
- Don’t forget to water plants and feed and water vermicomposting worms!
The Seasonal Shutdown Office Challenge is part of the Sustainability Office’s Resource Reduction Project. To find out more about the Plug Load Inventory, including some of the results and what we’re planning to do next, check out the archived version of our lunch and learn presentation from November 27, 2018.
]]>But before we begin this next phase, we want to share our findings with the College community and provide some information on what we plan to do next to help RRC reduce our plug load energy consumption. Please bring your lunch and join us at our:
Lunch & Learn: Inventory Unplugged
Tuesday, Nov. 27, 12-1 pm
eTV Studio (GM33), Notre Dame Campus
Livestream: live.etvlabs.com
— Refreshments provided —
This presentation will highlight some of the inventory findings and present strategies we’ll employ to engage staff and students in plug load energy reduction. These strategies will involve working with key stakeholders and will focus on the following areas:
- Developing policies and guidelines to provide consistency and support for College departments to embed energy reduction into their day-to-day operations
- Engaging staff in campaigns and programs focused on plug load energy reduction (such as the Seasonal Shutdown)
- Engaging students through their academic programs (such as Refrigeration and Environmental Engineering) to help assess and recommend ways to reduce energy consumption at the College
We look forward to seeing you there!
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Since the 1950’s 8.3 billion tonnes of plastic has been generated globally. Only 23% of those plastics have been recycled, and it is estimated another 12 billion tonnes of plastic will end up in the landfill by 2050.
About 40% of all waste produced at RRC is diverted from the landfill through reuse, recycling or composting. This is our chance to mindfully take a look at our behaviors, actions and habits and evaluate what we are doing well and what we need to change.
Join in on our events this Waste Reduction Week to learn more about yourself and your consumption habits, and make some easy changes with a BIG impact. RRC offers a variety of waste reduction programs available to all staff, faculty and students, so take a look and make sure you’re using them all!
Here are a list of the events happening:
Get Caught in The Act – Use your Reusables!
Monday, October 22 – Friday October 28th | Mystery | NDC & EDC
Get Caught in the Act reducing your waste by using reusable materials such as reusable cutlery, water bottles, coffee mugs, bags or containers, and WIN! The Sustainability Office will be trolling the NDC and EDC hallways between Monday October 22 and Friday October 26 waiting to catch you using your reusable items and handing out some great prizes. But why wait, start now! #CaughtInTheActMB
Zero Waste Challenge – Live Waste Free for a Week!
Monday, October 22nd |Registration 11:00 – 12:00 pm | Library Hallway (NDC)
Do you know how much waste you create a day? Challenge yourself and your colleagues and try to do everything you can to live as waste free as possible and collect ALL your waste generated on campus in ONE jar for a week. Register and enter to win both a great prize pack AND office bragging rights. Here’s how it works:
- Register at our Zero Waste Challenge table and receive your free mason jar and be entered to win a great waste free prize pack. Use #ZeroWasteRRC to show off your efforts!
- Start with using less. Make conscious decisions on the products you purchase and consume. How much packaging is there? Can this be avoided? Minimize what you send to the landfill as much as possible. Check out our resources below for ideas, tips and inspiration.
The journey to Zero Waste starts with using less
- Recycle what you can. Take a good look at our Pitch-In signs and see what goes in the Container bin and Paper bin.
- Compost what you can. Collect and drop off all organic food waste DAILY in our designated compost drop off location (location provided when registering).
- Collect ALL landfill waste you create on campus in your mason jar over the one week period.
- Take a good hard look at what you’re consuming — and what you could do without. Could it be reduced even further? What changes can you make to send less to the landfill every day?
Want to extend this to your home or family? Check out these resources for tips and food for thought:
- Zero Waste in 5 Steps, Top 10 Tips, On Campus, On a Budget, Reducing Plastic, When Shopping
- Food Waste in North America – Discussion Paper
Pop the Top and WIN! – Reduce, Reuse, Recaffeinate
Tuesday, October 23rd | 7:30 – 8:30 am | Tim Hortons NDC & Friday, October 26th | 7:30 – 8:30 am | Tim Hortons EDC
Every year, RRC sends around 40,000 disposable coffee cups to the landfill. Let’s reduce this and buy your RRC ecomug or reusable straw for only $5. To make the deal even sweeter, pop the top and see what prize awaits inside. Prizes include vouchers for Campus Store items, including an Under Amour hoodie of your choice!
Already have an ecomug? Remember, you save 10 cents at all RRC Food Service locations when you use it. That’s almost $30 a year, and a ton of cups NOT piling up in the landfill.
Pulp Non-Fiction – Come check out the life-cycle of paper!
Wednesday, October 24th | 11:00 – 1:30 pm | Library Hallway
Did you know that a piece of paper can only be recycled between 4-7 times? Join us in the Library Hallway to find out more fun facts about how pulp becomes paper, and what happens to your paper after you throw it in the recycling bin!
E-Waste Drive* – Recycle your e-waste from home and work!
Monday, October 22nd to Friday October 26th | Shipping and Receiving at NDC and Roblin Centre (Please note Shipping & Receiving closes daily from 12:00-12:45PM. Collection closes on Friday at noon)
Electronic waste ready to be picked up for recycling.
Now’s your chance to properly dispose of electronic waste from home and work in an environmentally responsible manner. Allowable items include: computers and computer equipment, printers, stereos, speakers, cellphones, microwave ovens (for a complete list click here, or contact us).
Please note: College assets must be accepted by someone at Shipping and Receiving to ensure they’re disposed of properly.
* Please ensure that private data is removed prior to dropping off personal equipment that may contain confidential information. Red River College and Powerland do not accept liability for data or any other digital content left on your device.
]]>e-Waste Drive* from Home and Work
Drop off your e-waste (including old bacti-cinerators) for recycling
Monday, April 16th to Friday April 20th (noon) | Shipping and Receiving at NDC and Roblin Centre
Springtime means spring cleaning. Now’s the time to securely dispose of electronic waste in an environmentally responsible manner. Allowable items include: computers and computer equipment, printers, stereos, speakers, cellphones, microwave ovens (for a complete list click here, or contact us).
Please note: College assets must be accepted by someone at Shipping and Receiving to ensure they’re disposed of properly.
* Please ensure that private data is removed prior to dropping off personal equipment that may contain confidential information. Red River College and Powerland do not accept liability for data or any other digital content left on your device.
Watt’s your FootPRINT?
Wednesday, April 18th | 11AM – 1PM | NDC Library Hallway | Refreshments Provided
The Resource Reduction Specialist, is hard at work developing strategies to help the College reduce paper and plug-load energy consumption. But it can’t happen without your help! Drop by our first consultation session to learn more about where we are, what are plans are going forward, and share your ideas.
8th Annual State of Sustainability
Friday, April 20th | 12PM – 1PM | eTV Studio (GM22, North Gym Hallway) | Lunch Provided
It has been another exciting year at the Sustainability Office! Come to find what we’ve been up to this year and what’s in store for the future.
Can’t make it? Stream it live?
I ❤ My Bike Day
With Winter hanging on longer than anticipated, we’ve decided to postpone this event until we all thaw out and it starts to finally feel like Spring.
Stay tuned for for the new date and details soon!
Other events happening around RRC during Earth Week:
I Be-Leaf in Protecting Mother Earth
Thursday, April 19th | 12PM – 2PM | Library Hallway
Did you know, the New Zealand Government has acknowledged a river as a living entity and a park as having Human Rights? Let’s jump on board and Be-Leaf in our abilities to help Mother Earth!
Students in the Aboriginal Program for College Enrichment and Transition will be offering staff and students the opportunity to plan how to help Mother Earth. Participants will write their idea on a paper leaf and attach it to the APCET idea tree.
The tree will stay up in the hallway until Friday April 20th. When the foliage is removed and recorded, it will be forwarded to the RRC All-Staff News and the RRC newspaper; The Projector.
RRC Greenspace Horticulture Plant Sale and BBQ
Thursday, April 19th | 11AM – 1PM | Greenhouse Complex. NDC Campus
There will be trees, shrubs, perennials, prairies, tropicals, desk gardens, succulent gardens, terrariums, edibles and annual plants for sale. Cash only please – we cannot take debit or credit cards. Please bring your own boxes and bags to transport plants.
RRC Library Earth Day Resources
The Library has pulled together some great resources for Earth Day to help you learn more and take action on various sustainability issues.
Some other events you may find interesting include:
The Downtown BIZ is hosting a Downtown clean up: Team Up to Green Up on Monday, April 23. Sign up as a team to help clean up downtown and win prizes!
FortWhyte Alive has a full day of family activities planned for Earth Day on Sunday, April 22. Admissions is free all day.
]]>On Saturday, March 24 we joined millions of people around the world in powering down lights and non-essential electronics for Earth Hour 2018 from 8:30-9:30 PM.
And we couldn’t have done it without your help! Many of our RRC community helped by ensuring that lights were turned off, computers were shut down, and unnecessary electronics were powered down and unplugged before the weekend. Not only that:
106 RRC staff, faculty and students
pledged to participate in Earth Hour at home!
Thank you to everyone who participated for continuing to show your support for sustainability and for climate action. And congratulations to Lindsay who won the draw for an Earth Hour prize pack.
One way RRC is taking action to reduce our environmental impact is to engage staff, faculty and students in reducing plug load energy consumption.
Stay tuned for announcements coming soon on how you can learn more about what we are planning and how you can share your ideas for reducing energy consumption at the College.
]]>Join us in shining a light on climate change for Earth Hour 2018. Millions of people around the world will power down their lights and electronics for one hour on Saturday, March 24 from 8:30 – 9:30PM local time.
Red River College is powering down for Earth Hour and we need your help. Non-essential lights will be turned off during the hour, and we ask that before you leave for the weekend you shut down your computers, unplug unnecessary electronics and turn off your lights.
Did you know that the College spends about $555,935 annually powering products plugged into AC outlets and lighting? Powering down lights and electronics when possible can save a lot of money!
Pledge to Power Down and Win
Because Earth Hour is on the weekend, we can make a bigger impact if members of our College community pledge to power down at home. This year, all staff, students and faculty who pledge will be entered to win a Earth Hour Prize pack: Enjoy a candlelit game night with friends or family with a gift certificate to a A Muse N Games, locally-made candles and some delicious organic snacks.
Earth Hour is done for this year. Thanks to everyone who pledged!
Participating in Earth Hour is not only a great way to show your support for a global initiative that is working to mitigate climate change, it really highlights how dependent we are on electricity by challenging us to find fun things to do without it! Some ideas of things you can do include:
- Play board games by candlelight
- Organize a candlelit (or no light) walk in your neighbourhood
- Go stargazing
- Host a sing-a-long
- Invite friends for a candlelit potluck
Power down year-round
Earth Hour is a symbolic event that sheds a light on a more serious issue. Our dependence on electricity and electronics is part of the problem leading to climate change. Below are some tips for how you can reduce your load at the College:
- Turn the lights off when you leave a room
- Power down before every weekend and holiday – set a reminder in your calendar or put a sticky note on the door to help remember
- Unplug battery chargers once your device is fully charged
- Unplug non-essential electronics when not in use: i.e. toasters, kettles, etc. – these items still use electricity even when turned off
- Keep another sweater at your workspace instead of using a space heater
For some tips on reducing your energy use at home, as well as information on rebates and other incentives visit Manitoba Hydro’s Power Smart site.
]]>The United Nations Association of Canada’s (UNA-Canada) Canada Green Corps program connects un- and underemployed youth with employers in the green sector. Participating employers receive a subsidy to hire youth who bring their talents to the table and gain meaningful work experience, gain new skills, and make valuable connections to help kick start their green careers.
Here at the Sustainability Office we’re excited to be participating in the Canada Green Corps program. The Resource Reduction Assistant will play an essential role in establishing baseline data and developing programs and strategies that engage staff and students in campus sustainability. Over a six month term, the work will focus mostly on plug load energy and paper reduction interventions, however there will also be waste reduction and diversion components and an opportunity to work on other sustainability issues at the College. This position provides an exciting opportunity to be part of the planning and creation of sustainability programming at a large institution named one of Canada’s greenest employers. Read more about the position here.
Eligible youth should apply to the Canada Green Corps program. To be part of the Green Corps, youth must
- be between the ages of 18 and 30 (inclusive) at the time of intake/selection;
- Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or persons who have been granted refugee status in Canada;
- be legally entitled to work according to the relevant provincial/territorial legislation and regulations;
- not be in receipt of Employment Insurance (EI) benefits at the time of the placement;
- not be full-time students or co-op students;
- not have participated in a youth project or programme funded by the federal government within one year;
- must be able to commit to a full-time job placement;
- be unemployed or underemployed.
Note: Underemployment exists when employed persons are A) working part-time, or B) working in a field that does not utilize their academic qualifications, thus, not attaining their full employment level.
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