We are committed to minimizing our environmental footprint by reducing waste, diverting materials from landfills and finding ways to give resources a second life. From food recovery partnerships to elimination of single-use plastics, our initiatives not only reduce waste but also strengthen our connection to the local community.
Local Partnerships
Through a partnership with Second Harvest and MealCare, we recover salvageable food from across campus and redistribute it to organizations in the London community. From September 2024 to April 2025, Western has donated over 17,000 meals to 20 non-profit agencies, saved more than 37 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions and conserved over 8,000 litres of water.
Bottle-Free Campus
We have prevented approximately 24,000 single-use plastic bottles—the number previously sold in 2023—from entering the waste stream. Catering & Conferences now exclusively uses infused water dispensers and bulk water alternatives. Over 200 water refill stations are also conveniently placed across the campus to promote reusable water containers.
Waste Reduction
Our commitment to waste reduction extends even to small but impactful changes across campus dining locations. We’ve replaced single use plastics with paper and wooden alternatives as well as introduced compostable cutlery and to-go dishware. Furthermore, we extensively sort our waste, ensuring it's properly routed through the correct streams.
Future Commitments
Expand the reusable container program
Enhance inventory management