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NE W S
Behind the
label
Sustainability
through
collaboration
made from recycled content, but that is heavily
whitened using bleach. While the paper’s sourcing
may be preferable, the use of chlorine is not.
No Proof: A product or service that makes an
environmental claim that cannot be supported
falls into this category. For example many plastic
products state they are “BPA free” but have no
documentation to support the claim.
Vagueness: Vagueness is making a broad
claim that doesn’t denote a defined characteristic.
A product claiming to be “all natural” or “environmentally friendly” would fall into this category because neither really says anything about
the product itself. Consider that there are many
substances that are naturally occurring that are
harmful or poisonous.
Worshipping False Labels: Any product that
uses words or images to lead a consumer to believe
the product has been endorsed by a third-party
when it hasn’t been would fall into this category.
Essentially this is creating a false eco-label.
Irrelevance: Irrelevant claims are ones that are
truthful, but not important to the product or service the claim is being made about. A common
claim in this category is products that are chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) free. While CFCs have been
recognized as an ozone-depleting substance, they
have been phased out and banned in Canada since
1988 when the Montreal Protocol came into effect.
Lesser of Two Evils: The lesser of two evils is
a claim that is accurate for a particular product
or service, but may mislead or distract from the
impacts of the category of a whole. One example
is a sport utility vehicle that is marketed as being
fuel-efficient.
Fibbing: Fibbing tends to occur less commonly
and, as the name suggests, consists of a claim that
is untrue. This could include products that are
falsely labelled as being Energy Star certified.
continued from page 6
continued from page 4
Next time you’re out shopping take a close look
and evaluate the claims of the products and services you purchase. When in doubt, do a little
research before you buy. A
forced to provide students with plastic cutlery
(Aramark went through several sets of metal
utensils before plastic was brought in). Plastic
cutlery is both an aesthetically and environmentally poor choice. Thanks to Robyn Blumberg’s
Fork Drive campaign Aramark was willing to
provide Osgoode with yet another set of reusable metal cutlery, provided that we provide the
replacements (which we now have thanks to all
those who donated this past week!). It is important to remember that metal cutlery is sustainable only when it is re-used! By forgetting to
return your forks and knives to the Bistro or
allowing them to find their way into your apartment you are de-incentivizing Aramark’s continued support of our sustainability initiatives. Our
initiatives will only produce positive results as
long as the student body utilizes and supports
them.
Finally we dealt with the issue of bottled
water. Over the past few years there has been a
continuing push to remove bottled water from
University campuses. York has joined that push
and happily Aramark supports the initiative and
is looking to withdraw all bottled water by 2015!
While the delay is regrettable the time is necessary to ensure that alternatives are in place. To
this end Aramark has provided re-usable plastic
water cups that can be filled at any of the water
fill stations throughout the school. Again, please
make sure that these items make their way back
to the Bistro!
An awareness of the need to conserve rather
than consume has been reflected through the collaboration of Sustainability Committee and the
re-formed Food Services Advisory Group. This
awareness will hopefully shared and expressed
through the choices made by the student body.
Do your part and take advantage of the changes
made at the Bistro. If anyone has further ideas as
to how we can improve and reduce our environmental impact feel free to get in touch with the
Osgoode Sustainability Committee in person or
through Facebook! A
Watch Her
THUMBS UP to. . .
seeing Osgoode alumni coming
home over Diversity Week.
The Obiter Dicta
continued from page 11
With this limitation in mind, it might be hard
for me to capture the spirit of Aszure Barton’s
choreography, but I’ll do my best. Though an
ensemble piece, the ballet did feature a princ