Residence Life

Along with all of the other benefits of living in residence, including the friends, the increased academic success and the safety and security of the buildings, there is a rather long list of sustainable aspects to living in residence:

    • The new Battery Recycling Program in Residences, where you can bring your Nickel Cadmium, Lead, Lithium, and Alkaline batteries of any size (even button cells and cell phone batteries) to your nearest quad service centre and a company, called RPR, will pick them up for proper disposal.
    • Every room comes with a recycling bin and garbage container for you to dispose of your waste
    • Green Commute: Living on campus means that you do not have to drive or even take the bus to your classes. Walking, blading and biking do not emit any CO2!
      Note: If you have brought your bike with you to residence you can store it in designated storage areas inside your building (only in residences where space is available). Ask the Quad Service Center for a key when you move in. Just make sure you do not leave your bike in a room or hallway as it is considered a fire hazard.
    • You do not have to bring the recycling to the curb, but you still get to sort it! Make sure to read the page on ‘Recycling’ under the heading of ‘Waste’ in the left navigation to learn how to properly sort your waste here at McMaster, as it is probably different than you would have done it at home. McMaster University’s dedicated custodians removed totes of recyclables from residences on a weekly basis as follows: 
      Tuesday – Edwards, Whidden, McKay, Brandon, Woodstock, Hedden, and Les Prince
      Thursday – Keyes, Wallingford, Bates, Moulton, and Matthews
    • Although not every building has air conditioning, following a couple of easy tips will help you control the temperature of your room quite well: If you are living in a residence building without air conditioning, the best option for keeping cool in the summer is to close all blinds/drapes during the day and open the window in the evening. If you need a small fan use sparingly and wisely: Face the fan outwards to draw the heat out of your room during the day and face the fan inwards to draw the cool night air into the room in the evenings

    In addition to the list above, be sure to take part in the MacEARTH Program:

    • Launched in 2008-09, MacEARTH (Environmentally Aware Residents Trying to Help) is a residence-based student leadership program.
      • MacEARTH is intended to provide on-campus students with the opportunity to develop skills through working collectively to implement educational-based awareness programming that seeks to educate their fellow residents and build a culture of sustainability throughout 3700 students located in 12 buildings. This leadership program is student-driven and formally advised and supported by professional staff from the Residence Life Management Team.
      • In 2008-09 the group was able to successfully implement a variety of educational programs including a Residence Energy Challenge (November), Sustainability Film Night (December), Water Awareness Day Campaign (March), and Junk Dunk Relay (April).
      • The MacEARTH program is intended to be organized annually to ensure that all new on-campus students have the opportunity to take part in developing of a culture of sustainability at McMaster University.

    Also, go to the link to the left under the "Students" heading, entitled "Academic Life," to gain some helpful hints on "greening your study habits."


    December 15, 2011