Vanier College Phases Out Use of Plastic Straws

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Vanier College is proud to announce it is phasing out the use of plastic straws as part of its latest effort to promote sustainability on campus.

The College’s cafeteria and student-run Jake’s Co-op are now only distributing paper and compostable straws. The decision to stop using plastic straws came following a student-petition requesting that the College continue its commitment to promoting social awareness and sustainability. The decision was also taken in collaboration with an intercollegiate campaign with Environnement Jeunesse entitled “bye les pailles”.

“For many years Vanier College has been a leader in terms of supporting multiple initiatives designed to demonstrate our commitment to the environment. This latest decision regarding plastic straws is yet another concrete example of our desire to remain a leader throughout the CEGEP network in terms of green initiatives designed to reduce our ecological footprint,” said Vanier College’s Director General John McMahon.

In recent years, Vanier College has introduced numerous green initiatives designed to help build a socially and environmentally sustainable future and provide members of its community with tools to build a more sustainable lifestyle. These efforts have resulted in the College maintaining its Excellence Level Certification in 2019 as a CEGEP Vert by Environnement Jeunesse(ENJEU).

Some of these green initiatives have included:

• Banning the sale of bottled water on campus while also promoting the use of municipal tap water;

• Creating the Vanier Community gardens, which promote urban agriculture and biodiversity;

• Becoming a Fair Trade campus in 2018 thereby supporting small-scale producers and workers in the Global South and their efforts to maintain a clean environment and sustainable agricultural practices;

• Introducing a College-wide Major in Sustainability;

• Putting in place the VCACE, Vanier College’s Advisory Committee on the Environment;

• Taking the lead and becoming one of the few colleges in Quebec to ban the sale of fried foods and soft drinks on campus.

“The voluntary removal of plastic straws on campus by both our main food providers reflects a growing awareness of the impact of single use plastics and a movement towards ensuring we meet the needs of future generations by educating and changing current habits today. The quick and voluntary response of our food providers speaks to the fact that we are listening to our students as we did when they petitioned to remove water bottles because they are the future,” said Marya Grant, Sustainability Officer at Vanier College.