Eco-friendly contracts only at MSVU students’ union

The Mount's students' union is the most recent in the city to put sustainable practices on paper

The sustainability policy means all new appliances bought by the MSVUSU must have this Energy Star symbol. Photo: Steve Davis

The Mount Saint Vincent Students' Union will no longer make contracts with corporations that don't have an environmental sustainability plan.

"We have the right to refuse any business from any company that doesn't practice eco-friendly initiatives," said Students' Union President Jeremy Neilson.

The push for contracts with environmentally responsible companies is part of a new four-page Sustainability Policy enacted by the union in January. The policy will "act as an ethical guide for the MSVUSU operations and business transactions," which include purchasing and corporate sponsorships.

"Now we have to go into the process of reviewing the companies that we work with, determining whether or not they are (sustainable)," said MSVUSU Executive Vice-President Kyle Rogers.

Compiling the policy

The policy was drafted in September by Environmental Committee Chair Noelle Peach, but wasn't put into effect until Jan. 22. Peach researched the sustainability policies of different universities and student associations across Canada and the United States, but found the best source closer to home.

"I read the [Saint Mary's University Student Association] policy and it was the most comprehensive document of them all," said Peach. "I used their policy as inspiration because it seemed it could be easily adapted at the Mount."

The SMUSA policy was put into effect in January 2008. One year later, SMUSA has reduced paper consumption by 47 per cent and plastic cup waste by 26 per cent, both exceeding the targeted 25 per cent.

"Our lobby efforts on the [sustainability task force] have been tremendous," said SMUSA General Manager Rob Finn.

Less contracts, less money

Rogers says the union's policy makes the immediate future of procurements uncertain.

"We could have less contracts, we could have less money," said Rogers. The incoming executive of MSVUSU will research companies and their sustainability efforts throughout the summer to decide which companies are suitable.

"It could affect us in the short run, but in the long run it's something that has to be done if we want to keep working as an organization in today's society, and in the society that's coming," said Rogers.

Most of the companies under contract with the union already meet the criteria outlined in the policy. The biggest contract exists between the students' union and Pepsi-Cola Canada Ltd., but Rogers is unsure if the new policy will change their agreement.

"It's better for us to work on our own end of things as opposed to [companies]," said Rogers. "It's a give and take. We can't force everyone to do what we want without doing it ourselves."

The little things

The policy contains a 22-point "Practices and Procedures Guide" that describes the ways the union will act to reduce its carbon footprint. The guide includes basic actions such as turning off lights and recycling, and more complicated measures such as switching to electronic voting and purchasing local, organic foods for the campus pub and café.

The union will now only purchase recycled paper that is Forestry Stewardship approved and will only buy appliances with the Energy Star logo.

The policy only applies to the student union, but its Environmental Committee will lobby the university administration to follow suit. Mount Saint Vincent produced 340 tonnes of waste in 2008 and recycled 35 tonnes of paper products, according to Facilities Management Director Bruce MacNeil.

Spreading green across the city

The policy is the most recent in a trend that has seen many schools in Halifax putting green-thinking into school charters and constitutions over the past few years.

Dalhousie University has gone as far as having two sustainability offices, one for the school and one that exists within the Dalhousie Student Union. The university's sustainability office deals with waste management and practical applications around campus, while the DSU's office focuses more on lobbying the school and public into action.

"The main thing with sustainability is getting everyone paddling in the same direction," said Jason Pelley, liaison for the DSU Sustainability Office.

Despite having the office, the DSU does not have a sustainability policy in place yet.

"Right now we try to adhere to sustainable principles until there's been a full sustainability policy put in place," said Pelley. He hopes to submit a policy by the end of this semester, going into effect in September.

Pelley said creating a policy has taken a while because of the ever-changing nature of sustainability.

"Sustainability is a very contextual idea, and what is considered sustainable now may not be in the near future," said Pelley. "The policy has to be flexible, so the process is slower if you want to do it right."

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