Students in the horticulture and culinary programs at Durham College prioritize the field-to-fork approach to farming.Supplied
During orientation week at the Oshawa and Whitby campuses of Ontario’s Durham College of Applied Arts and Technology, every student receives a package that includes a reusable water bottle with stickers to personalize it. Then, they’re encouraged to use the hydration stations across campus. “Clean, safe water should be free and accessible to everyone,” says Durham’s president, Dr. Elaine Popp.
Durham College, which offers a broad range of applied arts and technology programs, has a long history of implementing environmentally friendly practices, as well as featuring sustainability courses in its curriculum. When employees asked for more bike racks and bike-repair stations across campus, senior leaders listened. “We try to demonstrate how to live those values, not just tick the boxes,” says Popp, who cycles the 34 kilometres from home to campus whenever she can.
Through employee surveys, town halls, and pop-up and visioning sessions, senior leaders have learned that sustainability is an important consideration for their people, community partners and region. “Getting everyone on board is part of creating a culture of positive change,” says Amanda Blenkhorn, the director of ancillary services who oversees sustainability. “Then you need people who can drive things across the finish line.”
Part of Blenkhorn’s cultural background is Indigenous, and she finds peace in nature. “I’ve always been very respectful of the land and Mother Earth,” she says. “So, this work is a perfect fit for me.”
Blenkhorn chairs the Green Impact Team, comprising faculty, staff and students from across the college. “We’re like-minded people who are passionate about conservation and want to make a difference,” she says. “We don’t work in silos – we’re looking for ambassadors to bring forth ideas and share information back to their own areas.”
Durham’s administration fully supports piloting new projects. For example, Blenkhorn recently got the green light to develop a recycling and repurposing program for disposable gloves used in food services, labs and housekeeping. Currently contracting out to a company in Québec, the college’s students are investigating taking the program in-house.
“It’s still in the testing phase but already so powerful,” says Blenkhorn. “Even if it doesn’t work, we’re trying new things and coming together as a community to share this passion.”
Popp is a proponent of pilot projects. “Innovation stems from trying to model the behaviours we want to champion and to call out what we could improve,” she says. She credits “amazing” donor partners for helping fund sustainable initiatives, such as an organic regeneration compost system in which 90 per cent of food waste gets recycled.
In January, Durham launched a food-services program where customers pay a deposit to receive their meal in a reusable container, then get the full deposit back when they return the container. This initiative diverts packaging from landfills. “It takes a while for some people to get used to doing things differently, but there’s definitely an appetite for people to get involved more,” says Blenkhorn.
In 2024, Durham launched an Energy Conservation and Demand Management plan to outline specific actions to promote good stewardship of its environment and community resources in the years to come. The plan will look at future projections of energy consumption and review past conservation measures. By 2030, the college aims to reduce electricity consumption by 16 per cent and natural gas consumption by 52 per cent, along with other targets like lowering greenhouse gas emissions.
Popp encourages everyone to pitch ideas to help meet the targets. “There’s an innovation spirit in all we do, so let’s hear about what might be possible and see if we can try it,” she says.
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