Good news stories about campus sustainability initiatives resonate with all of us as students continue to create environmental change across the world. I would like to share a good news story about environmental art on a university campus.
This past school year I was part of a graduate and professional students sustainability group (Biosciences Sustainability Committee) at Queen’s University who chose to use art and creativity as an opportunity to create change on campus. The ‘trash art’ project involved the creation of a symbolic giant-sized donut and travel mug using Tim Hortons bags and coffee cups collected at a Tim Hortons outlet on campus. Originally the project had two key messages: ask for no bag and bring a travel mug. However, the result of this project was even greater than we had anticipated, receiving more media attention than we could have imagined. But what was even more surprising was the response of the Tim Horton’s outlet itself. Observation and rumour told us that this particular outlet was piloting a new policy; no bags for wrapped items unless asked by the customer. Although Tim Hortons staff became tight-lipped when we tried to find out more on the new policy, the change (even if it turns out to be temporary) showed the positive effects and awareness that art could bring. We’re thinking about making ‘trash art’ a yearly tradition and I’d love to hear some of your ideas for a new project. I would also love to hear if anyone has their own stories about using art as a means of effecting change, so please post them if you’ve got them!
Allison Roberts, Graduate Students for Environmental Sustainability, Queen's University
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