Mission
To be an institutional model of sustainability, inspiring and educating students, staff, and our communities to make a positive difference today and in the future.
To minimize the College’s impact on the environment, Loyalist promotes prudent and creative management of its social, economic and environmental resources.
Exciting Initiatives
The Gardens around Loyalist College have been meticulously crafted by Willowlee. The project began April 2021 and completed in June of 2021
Student Garden
- Beets
- Cantaloupe
- Tomatoes
- Peppers
- Eggplant
- Pumpkins
- Red and White Potatoes
- Various fresh herbs
Free Market
The Free Market is another way Loyalist supports students. This valuable service is available through the Food Cupboard Online Store. Students are able to order and pick up gently used items free of charge;
- School supplies
- Household items
- Clothing
Help us keep Loyalist sustainable! Get to know the College's waste sorting practices with our interactive game Trash Day.
Construction of the bike path began in September 2020 and completed August 2021.
The Bike Path is equipped with lighting, CCTV cameras and an emergency call box for the safety of our College community members.
The Gardens around Loyalist College have been meticulously crafted by Willowlee. The project began April 2021 and completed in June of 2021
Student Garden
- Beets
- Cantaloupe
- Tomatoes
- Peppers
- Eggplant
- Pumpkins
- Red and White Potatoes
- Various fresh herbs
Free Market
The Free Market is another way Loyalist supports students. This valuable service is available through the Food Cupboard Online Store. Students are able to order and pick up gently used items free of charge;
- School supplies
- Household items
- Clothing
Help us keep Loyalist sustainable! Get to know the College's waste sorting practices with our interactive game Trash Day.
Construction of the bike path began in September 2020 and completed August 2021.
The Bike Path is equipped with lighting, CCTV cameras and an emergency call box for the safety of our College community members.
Discover more about how Loyalist is reducing its footprint and how you can play a role.
Reducing our Footprint
The Facilities team strives to reduce the College's environmental footprint through management of our heating and cooling system and strategic upgrades.
- Replaced the electric hot water heater in the Pioneer with a gas system
- High solar reflectance roofing upgrades and energy-efficient windows
- Interior lighting retrofits, occupancy controls and reflectors
- Installed low-flow water faucets, and occupancy controls for urinals
Recent lighting improvements
(retrofits, switches and sensors) implemented by our Facilities team will save over 100,000 kilowatts every year! Not only will we avoid over $11,000 a year in electricity costs, but we're preventing the release of over 21 metric tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions (eCO2).
Conservation & Demand Management Plan
To learn how Loyalist will build on its past successes and improve energy performance over time, check out our Energy Conservation & Demand Management Plan.
Energy reporting
Loyalist College has begun annual reporting of energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Our reports can be found here:
- 2012 Energy Consumption & Greenhouse Gas Emissions Report (pdf)
- 2013 Energy Consumption & Greenhouse Gas Emissions Report (pdf)
- 2014 Energy Consumption & Greenhouse Gas Emissions Report (pdf)
- 2015 Energy Consumption & Greenhouse Gas Emissions Report (pdf)
- 2016 Energy Consumption & Greenhouse Gas Emissions Report (pdf)
- 2022 Energy Consumption & Greenhouse Gas Emissions Report (pdf)
Saving energy on standby
All computers automatically go into sleep mode when they are not in use. After careful research, it was determined that more energy and resources were used to power the computers on and off than to implement sleep mode practices.
LEED® (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) Silver Accreditation
Loyalist is proud to have achieved this recognized standard of sustainability for The Bay of Quinte Skills Centre, a multi-use facility for technology and trades training. It features 45,000 square feet of ‘green’ space, including a living wall, with an additional 69,000 square feet for 20 teaching laboratories and shops, three research labs and six classrooms.
Living wall
Located in the Link Lounge, the living wall is a 25-foot self-sufficient vertical garden of approximately 345 plants, which uses a biofilter system to improve air quality. The Link Lounge, which connects The Bay of Quinte Skills Centre to the existing Kente Building, is the Student Government’s largest facilities management project to date and includes 6,135 square feet of student space.
Green Housekeeping Initiative
Loyalist has instituted a campus-wide Green Housekeeping Initiative to protect the health of College occupants and reduce our impact on the environment. Our Custodial Services team uses designated Green Seal and/or Ecologo Certified cleaning products to reduce exposure to potentially hazardous chemical contaminants that may adversely impact air quality and the natural environment.
Waste Audits
Each year, Loyalist Sustainability conducts a waste audit to determine our performance with respect to recycling and reduction of materials sent to the landfill.
One of the key metrics is Diversion Rate which is the amount of waste (by weight) that is being diverted from landfill through recycling and composting efforts.
In 2017, Loyalist had a 37% diversion rate and we took efforts to increase our recycling awareness and, in particular, to encourage composting in offices and at locations in the College where food is consumed.
In 2018, the audit showed that we had a diversion rate of 55% which is a significant increase in the amount of material diverted from landfill.
Organics continue to be the most predominant item by weight in our waste which gives us the opportunity to improve our diversion rates further by composting more of our organics throughout the College. For more details, or to see the full report of the 2018 waste audit, contact sustainability@loyalistcollege.com.
Composting
Loyalist College has incorporate organics into all waste bins.
Ontario plans to ban all food waste disposal in the trash; it will soon be compulsory to compost.
Paper towels and tissue paper can be composted at Loyalist, and most containers in the Dining Hall are now biodegradable; please place them in the compost bins.
Loyalist now offers five composting receptacles in the Dining Hall with new step-by-step signage.
In Residence, small compost bins have been provided for each apartment to be used with compost bin liners that can be disposed of in the large green totes near the dumpsters.
Recycling
Use clear bags, not black bags, so that we can confirm that the contents is recycling.
Food containers, including pizza boxes, need to be emptied of all food, and be a manageable size.
If the recycling materials are contaminated (i.e. food residue), then the entire recycling bin is considered waste and will be sent to landfill. Please empty all liquids and rinse containers before recycling items; liquids and food contaminate the recycling and work against our recycling efforts.
Some recycling practices vary between different communities and countries (e.g. styrofoam and bubble wrap), so be sure to pay attention to local recycling signs.
Difficult-to-recycle items
Student Government has made it easy to recycle difficult items such as old highlighters, pens, ink and toner cartridges and cell phones. Just drop these off at the waste station in the SAL.
Batteries
We encourage students, staff and faculty to take their spent alkaline (single use) and rechargeable batteries to one of Loyalist’s convenient drop-off locations. All types of batteries are accepted, including AAA, AA, C, D, 9 volt, lithium, NiCad, NiMH, etc.
Where do they go? All batteries collected through this program will be recycled responsibly by Raw Materials Co.
Did you know that 90% of a battery’s components can be recycled? The steel, earth elements (zinc, manganese, potassium, etc.), paper and plastic contained within the batteries sent to RMC will be recovered, diverted and reused.
Why does it matter? Recovered materials are used to make new products saving our earth’s finite resources and the energy needed to mine them from ore. Keeping batteries out of landfills diverts potentially harmful materials from our soils and waterways.
Bancroft Campus
Battery recycling bins can be found in the Community Employment Services office and in the Student Lounge.
Hazardous waste
Depot Location: 75 Wallbridge Crescent, Belleville
Did you know items such as cooking oil can be put in a container and brought to the depot?
Carpooling
When you carpool you will be entered in the bi-weekly Golden Ticket draw to receive two weeks of premium parking!
Eligible carpool groups are vehicles with two or more passengers with a valid yearly or semester parking pass.
How it works:
Loyalist’s Kente campus is currently home to 24 designated carpool parking spots. Each day, the first 24 carpool groups (vehicles with two or more people) that register with the Front Gate will be given one-day carpooling parking privileges. Your four-digit Permit Number will be recorded allowing Security to verify that only registered groups are occupying the designated spots. Your privileges are valid for one day only. A sign will be posted at the Front Gate letting drivers know if any carpool spots remain and the location of open ca
Need help finding a carpool buddy?
We have arranged a free ride matching service for Loyalist employees at CarpoolWorld. Click the “sign up” button and enter your commuting details.
Students can find the Rideshare link in their MyLoyalist portal under the Postings tab!
Carpooling locations
Transit
This quick route eliminates having to go to the Bus Terminal. Find more details here!
- Purchasing Bus Passes - Outside of SAL "BTAP" Machine outside of SAL Lab
- Loyalist students save 10% on monthly bus passes with a valid student ID.
- Passes can be purchased at the Loyalist Bookstore.
- Semester-long bus passes are also available at a special discounted rate.
- Belleville Transit buses are equipped with bike racks. Racks will support bikes with tires that are 16 inches to 29 inches large.
- Belleville Transit schedules found here
Biking
Bike racks, showers and lockers are all available on campus if you need them. There is also a multi-bike shelter for students living in Residence, located conveniently across from the Commons.
Check out the campus sustainability maps to locate bike racks and showers
Locally sourced Sustainable products
Our dining services provider Aramark offers the following in Dining Hall:
- Cage-free eggs
- Vegan and seasonal menus
- Fair Trade Certified coffee and tea
- Sustainably sourced seafood
Hydration stations
hydration stations are conveniently placed on campus, free, filtered water is available
Loyalist students and staff have helped eliminate the waste from over ONE MILLION disposable plastic bottles since the stations were installed in 2011.
Did you know? Bottled water is 2,000 times more energy intensive and at least 600 times more expensive than tap water!
Don't forget to bring your REUSABLE MUG! Save 15 cents on hot beverages when you go waste-free in the Dining Hall!
Learning for Sustainability
At Loyalist, we strive to promote the principles of sustainability within the curriculum in order to equip our students with the knowledge and skills necessary to contribute to a better future. To this end, we have added Sustainability as a criterion for our quality assurance processes to ensure that every program we offer exposes its students to the principles of sustainability.
Loyalist achieves Bronze Rating for its sustainability efforts!
Loyalist completed a baseline test for its sustainability performance to pinpoint what’s going well and where improvements can be made. Using AASHE’s Sustainability, Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS), a voluntary rating system designed for higher education, the College reported achievements in four overall areas:
- Operations
- Academics
- Engagement
- Planning and administration.
The result: a Bronze rating for the College’s sustainability efforts!
Loyalist’s full STARS report can be found on AASHE’s website.
Sustainability Planning
Sustainability Policy – Outlining Loyalist’s policy on the economic, environmental and socio-cultural pillars of sustainability.
Loyalist 2020 Strategic Plan – A top priority for the College, sustainability has been identified as one of three strategic directions in the College’s 2020 Strategic Plan, which frames the organization’s actions and directions.
Sustainability Communications Plan – Loyalist has a comprehensive plan for communicating its sustainability initiatives in order to demonstrate long-term responsibility. It outlines the strategies and tactics for facilitating information exchange, which is paramount to internal and external stakeholder communities. It also helps to promote interest and the evolution of a culture of mindfulness in staff and students.
Past Sustainability Initiatives
Water Bottle Taste Test – Loyalist Eco-Reps held a taste test between four different water bottle brands and the hydration station water at Loyalist College to demonstrate how the water here tastes just as good as bottled water. The purpose of the event was to bring awareness to water issues as well as encourage students to use reusable water bottles instead of disposable ones.
Quinte Repair Café – With community partners Quinte Waste Solutions and Bay of Quinte Region, Loyalist hosted the region’s first Repair Café – a pop-up event where residents can bring in their broken or damaged household items and repair them with the help of a local repair specialist. Loyalist’s Sustainability Steering Committee provided financial support and faculty members Tom Falcao and Chuck Barsony volunteered their time and knowledge as “fixers.” The Café, held in October 2014, was a huge success with over 100 visitors, 30+ items either repaired or diagnosed for repair, and 264 lbs of material diverted from landfill as a result of on-site repair/diagnosis.
Quinte Region Bike Summit – Loyalist was a member of the organizing committee for the region’s first bike summit which brought together cycling and active transportation experts and community participants to learn how to make Quinte a more bike-friendly community.
Quinte Trash Bash Campus Clean-Up – Loyalist joined the community-wide event to celebrate Earth Day by engaging staff in a spring clean-up on campus. We collected 16 bags of recycling, 14 bags of garbage, a toaster, some pots and pans and even a BlackBerry!
Laser Printer Removal – The College has removed 285 laser printers from campus, resulting in a 55% reduction in energy consumption, 62% reduction in solid waste, 68% reduction in greenhouse emissions and 30% reduction in paper.
Waste Electronics Collection Fundraiser – Electronic waste from the community was collected by post-grad Public Relations students on March 10, 2012 in partnership with Quinte Waste Solutions and Ontario Electronic Stewardship. The money raised from the project helped send two children to Camp Trillium.
Living Green in Quinte – Loyalist hosted, sponsored and organized Living Green in Quinte, formerly known as the Sustainable Living Symposium, for several years from 2008 to 2011. The two-day event was focused on living a greener lifestyle and featured a wide range of experts on green topics such as solar, wind and geothermal technologies, straw bale construction, hybrid vehicles, and more. In 2012, Loyalist hosted a Living Green dinner.
Drive to Survive – Hosted by the Motive Power Technician class during the College’s Spring Open House on April 16, 2011, students conducted oil changes, performed diagnostic procedures and inspected emission-related components to help members of the public to recognize the role that their automobiles play in the release of greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute to global warming.
Switching Gears – During a week-long event in 2011, students and staff were encouraged to use alternate forms of transportation including walking, cycling, carpooling, or city bus. Each day, a different mode of transportation was highlighted and the eco-friendly benefits displayed in the cafeteria. Participants were provided with tracking sheets that allowed organizers to monitor the amount of CO2 emissions that were saved as a result of the campaign.
Campus Clean-Up Day – Members of the Loyalist College community participated in a Campus Clean-Up Day. In cooperation with second-year Waste Management students in the Environmental Studies program, this clean-up initiative was in collaboration with the College’s Respectful College Community Committee and the Sustainability Steering Committee.
Energy Efficiency – Loyalist College was recognized by Natural Resources Canada for Energy Efficiency.
The Loyalist Food Cupboard is a free service designed to support the health and well-being of Loyalist College students.
Students in need can shop for available non-perishable food, school supplies and personal hygiene items. All products in the Loyalist Student Food Cupboard are free of charge.
Ordering and Pickup location
Login to your myLoyalist portal account and click on the icon "Food Cupboard"
You will need the following; student ID number and contact information.
This service is for ordering and pickup only.
Located on the third floor of the Kente building (3L1) and is accessible to students for pickup on Wednesdays from 11 AM - 8:30 PM.
You will be asked to provide the following:
- Mobile device proof of email receipt
- Student ID number
- Due to COVID-19 please provide proof of pickup on your mobile device.
*Hours are subject to change
Donations
The Loyalist Student Food Cupboard is accepting donations of non-perishable food, school supplies and personal hygiene items.
Donations can be dropped off at room 3L1 Wednesday from 9 AM - 3 PM. Please contact Coordinator Foodcupboard@loyalistcollege.com
Your donations are greatly appreciated!
Contact us!
Contact Loyalist’s Sustainability Coordinator at sustainability@loyalistcollege.com.