Sustainability in our Community

Memberships

Green Economy Leader Program

As a member of the Green Economy Leader Program St. Lawrence College receives support and recognition for our efforts to measure, set targets and reduce our Green House Gas emissions.  In 2018 and 2019, St Lawrence College received the Greatest GHG Reduction Award from Sustainable Kingston’s Green Economy Leader Program. 

The Green Economy Leader Program is a part of a national program called Green Economy Canada, an organization working with community organizations to launch and grow Green Economy Hubs across Canada.   In 2019, SLC was honored with the inaugural Green Economy Builder Award, an award that recognizes organization that not only demonstrated leadership through its own organizational sustainability initiatives, but also has increased sustainability interest and action among its employees and in the wider community.

The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education

St. Lawrence College (SLC) is a member of the globally recognized Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) and the Sustainability Tracking and Rating System (STARS).  As of Sept 2019, there are over 888 global members, 67 Canadian members and 28 Ontario members.   STARS provides a universally recognized methodology and action selection menu to track higher education institution’s progress along the sustainability continuum.    St. Lawrence College holds a Bronze Rating for our February 2019 submission.   Our strategic plan has identify a goal of obtaining a Gold ranking by the end of the 2024.

Events

Depave Paradise

In the summer of 2019, SLC “DEPAVED” 120 m2 of unwanted asphalt to make way for plans to install an outdoor Indigenous Garden. The space will grow traditional medicine used in cultural ceremonies.

Why Depave?

Hard surfaces, such as parking lots prevent rain from soaking into the ground, increasing flood risk and polluting water in rivers and lakes. They also create heat sinks, warming up our cities. By removing unused pavement and replacing it with native plants, trees and shrubs, we are replenishing groundwater, cooling and beautifying our neighbourhoods.

PitchIN Canada and Shoreline Clean Up

For the past decade, SLC has been joining forces with thousands of other Canadians to PITCH-IN and the Great Canadian Shoreline Clean Up. We clean up our campus grounds, our surrounding communities and the shorelines of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River.

E-Waste Drives

Each year on the third Saturday of March, SLC hosts a tri-campus Community E-Waste Drive. We collaborate with Ontario Electronic Stewardship to provide easy drop for community members to drop off their unwanted electronics, keeping hazardous chemicals out of our landfills.

Student Volunteer Opportunities