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picture of ewaste
Friday, May 12, 2023

New study by SEED professor finds e-waste in Canada has tripled

New research finds that Canada’s electrical and electronic waste (e-waste) has more than tripled in the last two decades, the equivalent of filling the CN tower 110 times and generating close to a million tons in 2020 alone.

The University of ݮƵ researchers completed the first comprehensive estimate of e-waste in Canada to understand its lifecycle, from sales of electronic items to e-waste generation. Their findings reveal that the e-waste generation per person has increased from 8.3 kg in 2000 to 25.3 kg in 2020. The e-waste in Canada is expected to continue rising in the near future and underscores the need for proactive forecasts to better manage the evolving electronics sector.

“This study provides useful insights to policymakers for setting up targets for e-waste reduction and recycling to recover valuable resources from e-waste,” said Komal Habib, professor in the School of Environment, Enterprise and DevelopmentԻ ݮƵ Industrial Ecology Group. “E-waste could also help to create a secondary supply chain of critical materials, reducing the risks of potential supply disruptions.”

The estimated growth of e-waste is attributed to consumer habits and Canada’s growing population. As the number of households increases, so does consumption. The study found that large household appliances, such as refrigerators and washing machines, dominate the e-waste stream considering mass. However, the less bulky items dominate in quantity; household lighting is the top item, followed by toys and sports equipment, and information technology (IT) and telecommunications equipment, such as cellphones and laptops.

There are pros and cons of the expected increase in e-waste for the recycling industry. When it comes to IT and telecommunication equipment, the industry’s efforts to make lightweight products are leading to the dilution of precious and critical materials per product, creating a challenge for recyclers to recover. However, increasing quantities of this e-waste could lead to potential incentives for the continuous operation of the recycling industries.

“The findings will be beneficial for stakeholders to explore possible material and revenue generation opportunities from e-waste,” said Habib. “For example, it can help electronic manufacturers and recyclers to understand the potential for urban mining, plan for future extractions of critical materials, and identify the need for safe handling of any hazardous materials.”

The study also indicates that more attention should be given to improving repair, refurbishment, and product life extension opportunities rather than focusing solely on recycling and material recovery. In the future, the researchers indicated that assessing consumer behaviour data to create a more accurate and complete picture of e-waste management in Canada is necessary to better inform sustainable management practices.

The study,, appears in the Journal of Hazardous Materials.

head shot of Navya Vikraman Nair
Wednesday, May 10, 2023

Coastal wetlands video selected as a SSHRC Storytelling Challenge finalist

“Look beyond the beauty of our coastal wetlands, and you’ll find this habitat is hard at work,” starts the short video by Navya Vikraman Nair, PhD candidate in Sustainability Management (Water). Her work has been selected as one of this year’s; a national competition run by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

ճ, now in its 10thedition, challenges postsecondary students from across the country to show Canadians, in up to three minutes or 300words, how social sciences and humanities research is affecting our lives, our world and our future for the better. Navya submitted a video about her current research on linkages among water quality, blue carbon ecosystems and coastal fisheries.

"I am beyond thrilled and honored to be selected as a finalist among the Top 25 in 2023 SSHRC Storytellers challenge” she said. “It's an honour to have the opportunity to share my research and its importance with a wider audience, and I am grateful for the chance to inspire others to take action towards a more sustainable future."

The top 25 storytellers were selected from a pool of nearly 200 applicants and represent 14 postsecondary institutions. Each finalist is awarded a cash prize and will compete for a top five spot in this year’s showcase.

Finalists will present their story at theat theCongress of the Humanities and Social SciencesonMonday, May 29, 2023, at 9 a.m. E.T.at York University. The final five winners will be chosen from among the 25 finalists and will be revealed at aeventthe same day.

SAID Networking executive picture
Wednesday, April 26, 2023

2023 Student Association of International Development (SAID) Networking Event

One of the most crucial foundations students can lay for themselves is creating connections and networks within their area of study. This provides an opportunity to gain insightful information and understanding of what lies ahead. At the 2023 Annual Networking Event, organized by the Student Association of International Development (SAID), these opportunities were made real for undergraduate International Development (INDEV) students at the University of ݮƵ. The event’s theme of “Branching Out” made a step to connect current students with program alumni, professors, and industry professionals working in the development field and encourage conversations about the many sectorial prospects for current students. The event’s guest speakers, Brock Dickinson, Yasir Dildar, Jamie Sgro, Justin Williams, and Stefan Chan, all have experience working in the political, social, economic, and environmental development fields both domestically and internationally. The panel discussion was enlightening as we got to hear personal stories of success and challenges faced by our speakers. These presentations were very insightful; but, I think the attendees would agree that the best part of the evening was the one-on-one networking session after the presentation. It was then that we really got to see our students break out of their comfort zone as they initiated and engaged in conversations with the speakers and attendees. I listened to first and second years express their curiosities about the field; and, third and fourth years share their dreams for life post-graduate studies. During this time, I felt the room shift into a level of comfortability that did not exist earlier on. I, along with other students, were able to exchange contact information with many of the speakers and professors, and also learn more about some of the opportunities alumni have taken that are currently open to us. The evening came to a close with everyone beaming and an overall deeper sense of INDEV camaraderie. It was a night that everyone in the INDEV program hopes to replicate in the future. Sergo Haile, 3B INDEV student
head shot of Kaylia Little
Monday, April 24, 2023

Ph.D. Candidate selected to attend an international meeting of Arctic academics and practitioners in Washington, DC

Sustainability Management Ph.D. Candidate Kaylia Little recently returned from Washington, DC, where she attended a working meeting with 30 international academics and practitioners working in Arctic spaces. The purpose of the meeting was to bring together a diverse group of Arctic professionals to share current work, identify challenges to and opportunities for cross-border and cross-disciplinary collaborations. Attendees came from Canada, Sweden, Norway, Greenland, Iceland, and of course, the USA. The Arctic is a critical region that is experiencing significant environmental, social, and economic changes due to climate change, which can have implications for the entire planet. As a result, there is a pressing need for collaborative research that involves diverse perspectives and disciplines to address the challenges facing the Arctic. The meeting provided a unique space for open discussions about the challenges of Arctic research collaboration, which is essential for promoting effective and meaningful research especially in a region that is traditionally successful at international cooperation. After presenting current research projects, all participants identified points of collaboration across attendees. In addition to the workshop-style meeting, there were opportunities to network with Arctic public service employees in DC and hear from National Geographic archivists about their vast polar records. The meeting was very successful with its goals of creating cross-disciplinary and cross-border networks. The groundwork was laid for joint publications and projects across the attendees at this initial meeting. The excitement of the meeting will continue with online collaboration that will be facilitated over the course of the summer before the group reconvenes in Alaska this fall. Dr. Victoria Herrmann of Georgetown University organized the meeting through a National Science Foundation grant which created the Migration in Harmony Research Coordination Network (https://migrationharmony.org/about).
laptop and notebook
Friday, April 21, 2023

Best SEED PhD Qualifying exam

SEED wishes to congratulate L. Feor and D. V. Jones on receiving the Best SEED PhD Qualifying exam. The Qualifying Exam Committee recognized both of these papers for their unique and ambitious answers, depth and breadth of knowledge, critical thinking and writing quality.

If anyone is interested in reading the papers, please contact the authors.

v2v thematic webinar poster
Wednesday, March 22, 2023

V2V Thematic Webinar

Title of the Webinar:The Legal Instruments for the Development of Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries Governance in Nigeria

This talk provides an overview of the major challenges in the sustainability of small-scale fisheries governance in Nigeria. It addresses the gaps in the administration of the legal instruments in the sector and discusses any possible obstacles in the socio-economic development of small-scale fisheries within the legal structure of Nigeria, international laws/treaties that are yet to be domiciled and could facilitate the transition from vulnerability to viability, the functionality of domestic laws being implemented, any awareness deficit on the legal framework amongst operators and enforcers and ways to improve or actualize it.

Date:Mar 31, 2023 (Friday)

Time:8:00 AM EDT to 9:15 AM EDT (ݮƵ time)

Speaker:Foluke Omotayo Areola |The President-Elect of the African Chapter in the World Aquaculture Society, Nigeria

YouTube link:(watch this webinar live and participate in its Q&A session)

📍Clickor see the attached poster for more details aboutthis webinar.

📆Clickto add this event to your calendar.

laptop and notebook
Thursday, March 2, 2023

Recent Publications from SEED supervisors and their students

The combined efforts of supervisors, post-doctoral fellows and research students, have produced the following publications:

Sabine Weber, OlafWeber,KomalHabib, & Goretty Dias. (2023). Textile waste in Ontario, Canada: Opportunities for reuse and recycling. , 190, 106835.

Rosella Carè, & Olaf Weber. (2023). How much finance is in climate finance? A bibliometric review, critiques, and future research directions. , 64, 101886.

Francisco Martin del Campo;;Tomer Fishman;Michael Drescher; Can a small island nation build resilience? The significance of resource‐use patterns and socio‐metabolic risks in The Bahamas. January 2023,DOI:

Adam Payler;Anthony Piscitelli; Navigating the space between politics and administration: The informal practices of Ontario school board trustees;February 2023,;DOI:

;Corrine Cash,Toward Just and Effective Climate Action.October 2022, DOI:;In book: "The Political Economy of Climate Finance: Lessons from International Development"

Corrine Cash; ; Climate Finance: Lessons from Development Finance; October 2022, DOI:;In book: "The Political Economy of Climate Finance: Lessons from International Development"

Anne-France Bolay;Anders Bjørn;;Manuele Margni;Prospective sectoral GHG benchmarks based on corporate climate mitigation targets;September 2022,376:134220,DOI:

;;Derek T. Robinson;;Including sustainability factors in the derivation of eater profiles of young adults in Canada;October 2022,;DOI:

Chris Gouett-Hanna;Greg Oulahen;Daniel Henstra;;Flood risk assessment data access and equity in Metro Vancouver;September 2022,47(1):1-14,DOI:

Ankest Siddhantakar accepting IRTC certificate
Friday, February 24, 2023

Research students lauded at international conference on “Raw Materials for a Sustainable Future”

Four members of the ݮƵ Industrial Ecology Group (WIEG) returned in good cheer from the , “Raw Materials for a Sustainable Future”, held 15-17 February 2023 in Lille, France. This was the first in-person scholarly conference for SUSM Masters student Jamie Faubert and for SUSM PhD student Ankesh Siddhantakar – and the first since the pandemic for ProfessorsKomal HabibԻSteven Young. About 200 academic government and industry participants attended from all over the world to discuss the assessment, development and markets for critical raw materials.

Jamie’s oral presentation titled “Nickel supply: primary metallurgical processing capacity does not satisfy changing demand” was well received, including questions and comments from industry and researchers. As a result,he was invitedtosubmit a version of his paperfor consideration in a special issue of the journal.

Ankesh’s poster won “best poster award”, which includes paid registration to attend the next IRTC conference in Turin, Italy in 2024. His poster titled “Helium resource sourcing and trade:Critical coproduct, cryogenic complexities” was based on research done under his supervisor Professor Steven Young and with colleagues attheUniversity of Bordeaux andtheUniversity of Augsburg.The poster is part of a larger project for Ankesh’s PhD on the sustainability and environmental impacts of helium, an element and raw material that has not been well studiedandis critical for modern technology including semiconductor manufacturing and magnetic resonance machines (MRI) used in medical imaging.

A copy of the winning poster is published on the.

The first paperpresenting Ankesh’s helium research has accepted for publication in a special issue of the journal .

More research projects and people profiles are provided for the ݮƵ Industrial Ecology Group (WIEG).

More information on the Sustainability Management programs is available for theSUSM MastersԻ theSUSM PhD.

used clothes
Monday, February 6, 2023

New research could divert a billion pounds of clothes and other fabric items from landfills

Canadians trash about a billion pounds—nearly 500 million kilograms—of fashion and home items made of fabric each year, but a new grading system could help divert most of it from landfills.

In the first study of its kind to determine the quantity and quality of textile waste in Canada, researchers from the University of ݮƵ and Seneca College developed the new method to evaluate an item’s quality from A to F and whether it can be resold, recycled or tossed. In testing this method, they found that more than half of textile waste in Canada could be reused and almost a quarter could be recycled.

“Fashion consumption is at an unparalleled high,” said Olaf Weber, University Research Chair and professor in the School of Environment, Enterprise and Development at ݮƵ. “Consumers buy, use and dispose of new garments, which end up in the landfill, and less than one per cent of the materials are recycled. This new method is an important step to curbing our waste.”

Canada doesn’t have a standardized process for sorting textiles. The researchers used a broader definition of textile waste by recognizing accessories, shoes and soft toys, in addition to clothing and home textiles. They also used a team of ݮƵ and Seneca students and professionals from the fashion industry to sort the materials to ensure consistency in grading and proper evaluation of the item’s condition. A pair of ripped and stained jeans might receive a D grade and be flagged for repair before being donated and resold.

Overall, this new comprehensive assessment delivers more data and insights into waste management and prevention. The study determined that items graded A to D made up more than half of our current waste stream, so could be resold or reused. This finding emphasizes that there are many opportunities to divert textile waste in Canada, yielding massive benefits.

“Reducing our waste is a crucial step to addressing climate change,” said Weber, co-author of the paper. “Avoiding the textile waste assessed in our study could conserve resources and divert a significant amount of greenhouse gas emissions — in just one year the equivalent of driving 310,000 cars, plus supplying energy to 218,000 Canadian homes and filling 35,000 Olympic pools of water.”

Textile recycling in Canada is still in its infancy and so more investigation into its feasibility in some communities is necessary.

“The tremendous benefits for the economy and environment make pursuing the method worth the effort,” said Weber.

The study,, appears in the Journal of Resources, Conservation and Recycling.