As urban planners have long said, our cars are parked 95% of the time. They’re underused and expensive to run and house. It’s the same for almost all that we own: 80% of our things are used less than once a month. This is far from sustainable! So why have so much stuff? For quick access when we need it. But the sharing economy is changing this. Using mobile platforms, it brings people and goods together with no ownership involved. Here are some on-campus examples.
Car sharing and carpooling
The University has partnered with VRTUCAR to make car sharing available right on campus. With vehicles located on Lot M (Mann and King Edward) and Lot J (King Edward and Osgoode), as well as a number of stations throughout Sandy Hill, we are able to offer yet another transportation alternative to our community. We also facilitate carpooling for the uOttawa community through our Carpool Portal.
Bike sharing and maintenance
Ever noticed the blue bikes ambling through downtown? They’re self-serve bikes from VeloGO, now operated by HOPR. With no docking stations, you just need the app (iOS only for now) to find the closest bike. Once you get to your destination, you can leave the bike anywhere it won’t get in the way, as long as it stays in the operations area bordered by Westboro to the west, Carleton University to the south, the Rideau River to the east and the Université du Québec and Jacques Cartier Park to the north.
If your bike is in need of a little TLC, check out the SFUO Bike Coop for donated parts and free tune-ups, as well as volunteer-run workshops. Tools are also available on campus at the three bike repair stations. The Bike Coop is there to empower students and community members to take control of their transportation and engage in healthy, sustainable living.
Moving in or out on a budget
To avoid carrying too much stuff around when moving, shop at the Free Store, where everything is — you guessed it — free! You’ll find dishes, clothes, small appliances, decorations, office supplies… And when you’re about to head off on a new adventure, give back what you no longer need. It’ll make somebody else happy.
For those who need to leave fast, the Dump and Run student volunteer squad searches through the empty residences and picks up anything left behind. Rather than throw out perfectly good clothes, food and kitchen products, the team cleans, sorts and donates them to local charities and the Free Store. Since 2008, almost 50 tons of goods have been diverted from the junkyard! On top of this, volunteers always find treasures!
Need a desk?
The Furniture Reuse Program gives the uOttawa community access to free furniture by picking up and redistributing unused office chairs, desks, tables and more. Some items are also donated to local schools and charities, which not only gives back to the community but helps avoid sending usable furniture to landfills, too.
Gardening together
To harvest fresh vegetables or learn gardening basics, sign up for the campus community gardens waiting list. The list is long but there’s lots of turnover and it’s rare not to get a plot. Open to all, though used mainly by University students and staff, these small oases of green are places to meet, learn from one another and raise awareness of the importance of locally grown food.
Sharing the meal …
And all that comes with it, is the mission of the SFUO Food Bank. Once a month, to fight food insecurity on campus, the food bank offers “emergency food hampers” with enough to eat for three days to those who ask for one. The food bank offices are also a pick-up spot for the Good Food Box, a monthly, affordable box of fruits and vegetables.
Sharing food is also a way to be part of the community and avoid wasting food. Since September 2017, Food Services, working closely with Chartwells, has given unsold goods to the Shepherds of Good Hope, St. Joe’s Women’s Centre, the Partage Vanier Food Bank and the John Howard Society of Canada. Between September 2017 and April of this year, 31,204 items went to feeding people rather than to compost.