This is your sustainable campus
At your UASU, we take pride in providing a diverse range of services designed to enhance your university experience. Some of these services focus on helping you conveniently access campus where you can connect with your peers and help shape your campus community.
U-PASS
The U-Pass program was launched by your UASU in 2007 to help students save money on transit fees.
Reusable Dish Program
The RDP is a service offered to U of A campus community members and more, providing reusable cutlery and dishes for events and programs.
Campus Garden
This is your community garden. This volunteer-run, shared garden plot provides the campus community with food that is locally and sustainably grown.
Green For Good Market
The University of Alberta Farmer’s Market (UAFM) is a certified Farmer's Market run by the Students' Union and takes place throughout the academic year in SUB.
Bike Library & Workshop
This is your community bike shop. Rent a bike to help you commute to and around campus, and get help repairing or maintaining your bike from our mechanic and trained volunteers.
History of Sustainability
Sustainability is a core value of the UASU, and we strive to reflect this value in our daily operations. We endeavour to lead by example for the students we represent, for the institution, and for our communities. Some of our sustainability milestones include:
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1991
The Green Plan was developed for improving the environmental responsibility of the Students’ Union Building, prepared by the student-led Green Team and an environmental auditor.
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2002
The Environmental Coordination Office of Students (ECOS) was created, and the UASU formally declared the value of sustainability.
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2006
ECOS mandated they would “research and recommend environmental and social policies to the Students’ Union Executive, which strive to make the Students’ Union a model of sustainability.”
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2010
A Sustainability Assessment Coordinator was hired to conduct an extensive Sustainability Assessment of the UASU’s operations and make recommendations for where we could contribute to sustainability.
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2012
The UASU developed a Response to the Sustainability Assessment to guide our efforts to improve our sustainability.
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2014
Three Refill-it water fountains were installed in SUB to help reduce plastic waste. As of July 2019, we estimate that the three stations have been used 2,081,778 times.
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2020
Proposed the Sustainability and Capital Fund to work towards the goal of a carbon-neutral SUB by 2050.
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2023
Myer Horowitz Theatre Renovation – The renovations to the Horowitz Theatre are projected to reduce overall energy use by 43% compared to the previous design. Improvements include solar panels to generate power, LED fixtures, upgraded HVAC systems, and water-conserving fixtures in gendered and all-gender facilities.