2025 Projects

This staff-led project, through Student Experience, aims to provide convenient access to water on campus and to reduce single-use plastic bottles by purchasing three portable water stations that will be used for large campus events such as orientation and Homecoming.

This faculty-led project aims to enhance a Campus as a Living Lab Project, the Biodiversity Inventory at Western. Nature walks for undergraduate students are offered where observations can be made for the Inventory. Participant experience will be enhanced and the ability to identify fast moving species, such as birds, will be improved.

This staff-led project will purchase an electric utility vehicle to reduce GHG emissions on campus. The utility vehicle will be used around Alumni Stadium and will deliver items to the field in a less disruptive and environmentally friendly way.

This research project through the Faculty of Engineering will develop and deploy solar-powered charging picnic tables/stations where users can charge their laptops, cellphones, and even an E-bike. These tables will be made using 3D printers and an open source to press developed by Western Engineering.

This research project through the Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering aims to create a fully autonomous and self-sustaining aquaponic system that utilizes wastewater effluent to create purified water that is suitable for drinking, fresh vegetables, and animal (fish) proteins.

This research project through the Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering aims to develop a sustainable approach to sports turf management at Western by harnessing campus wastewater as a resource. This project will develop and implement a decentralized treatment process to convert wastewater into reusable water and nutrient-rich byproducts that can enrich soil quality.

This student-led project through the Department of Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies aims to organize a series of interdisciplinary seminars to examine AI's role in reshaping environmental perception and promote sustainable digital practices. A digital artwork installation will also offer representations of pressing environmental challenges alongside a website and article to share findings and insights.

This project led by staff in the Department of Biology will replace a leaky and old water system in the molecular genetics unit that will be used to provide ultrapure water that supports molecular biology research in multiple research labs.

This project led by the Department of Visual Arts aims to install a biochar land art installation at Western's ICFAR. This interdisciplinary project will create an art piece made of biochar produced on Western's campus to bring attention to sustainability and soil health. In addition to the land art installation, this project will also host a community workshop on biochar, sustainability, and soil health.

This staff-led project will install wall racks in the Western Interdisciplinary Research Building bike room to increase usability of the space for community members who cycle to campus.

EnviroCon is an interdisciplinary conference organized every year by graduate students in the Collaborative Specialization in Environment and Sustainability at the Centre for Environment and Sustainability at Western University. This one-day engagement event engaged the campus community to participate in to learn about sustainability-related topics. 

This research initiative through the Department of Geography and Environment supports a Campus as a Living Lab project that will examine management practices that support food security and improve water quality through urban green infrastructure. Additionally, this project will enhance access to growing space for Western community members.

This faculty-led project aims to support active and sustainable transportation at Western by providing a bookable electric cargo bike. An E-cargo bike will allow for bulky items to be transported across campus, increasing accessibility for those who don't have access to a motorized vehicle and reducing GHG emissions.

This interdisciplinary research project aims to hire an artist in residence at the world's first Nootropics Food Lab to create a body of work documenting tenets of food sustainability, and improve community awareness.

This project aims to build off the first bike repair station that was supported by the WSIF. This bike repair station will be installed near the secure bike shelter (around the Rec Centre) to support cyclists on campus, and sustainable transportation.

This interdisciplinary exhibition, workshop series, and zine will examine the lifecycle of matter across scales while fostering ecological consciousness and sustainable practices. Through the combination of art and education, this project will engage with community members on the concept of matter and ecological awareness.

Western Transportation Engineering Club is hosting a case competition, inviting students from all faculties to propose technological, policy, and city planning solutions for the future of sustainable transportation in London. This club hosted their first case competition last year with the support of the WSIF and are hoping to expand this year's reach. Teams are to prepare a 5-minute presentation addressing the prompt: How would you make transportation more sustainable in London? View event details here.

This series is organized by the Ivey Degrowth Club, a student-led club at Western. This project aims to engage participants around sustainability, systems change, and alternative economic models. Numerous events will feature speakers, workshops, and collaborative discussions to challenge conventional business paradigms.

This workshop-based project hosted by the Department of Geography and Environment aims to provide participants with the knowledge and technical skills to apply geospatial artificial intelligence towards tackling environmental sustainability challenges. Through a mix of lectures, software demonstrations, hands-on activities, mini projects, and discussions, each day will focus on a range of sustainability topics and how GeoAI connects to them.

This research project through the Department of Biology will classify and measure the pollen used by honeybee hives at Western, to develop a smart hive using an internet-of-things based sensor array that can live monitor the state of a hive and predict health changes, and to monitor the changes to gut microbiome in relation to resource utilization and behavioural changes. This project will support a current Campus as a Living Lab program.

This research through the Department of Psychology project is a continuation of a WSIF project that was supported last year. This year's project will build upon this work on bird banding and training in ornithological field techniques at the ESW Station. This project will also host approximately six outreach events at the ESW for the community to participate in to learn more about the research happening.

This project is led by staff in the Department of Visual Arts and will install indoor signage and wayfinding to the artLAB Gallery that is visually striking and made sustainably. This project is in collaboration with the Centre for Sustainable Curating, who has helped research materials that are recyclable, biodegradable, and plastic-free. A key part of this signage will highlight the Deshkan Ziibi that flows through campus, right behind the artLAB Gallery.

This project is led by the Department of Visual Arts and will make use of an already existing piece of equipment in the Centre for Sustainable Curating, a RISOgraph. This equipment is used for economic and environmentally friendly printing and publishing. This project aims to organize a workshop with a RISO expert who will share different techniques of preparing files and printing. This will be the only eco-friendly RISO duplication service available in London and the surrounding region and a training workshop will increase access and support future research.

This project is led by the Department of Biology and the goal of this project is to make the Greenhouses more accessible to the campus community as well offering opportunities for tours, teaching, research, plant sales, workshops, meetings, and increased engagement.

This project led by faculty in the Department of Biology aims to accomplish a few goals. Firstly, enhancing the Biodiversity Gallery through new specimens, new labels, education signage. Secondly, a pilot project to open the Gallery to the campus community for one afternoon, including an open house to celebrate the Gallery's 10th anniversary. Finally, new equipment for digitization of larger specimens. This project will improve the learning experience of Western students and visitors of the Biodiversity Gallery.

This project, led by the McIntosh Gallery, will forge connections and create a social and creative space for creativity, tackling an important topic: eco-distress. Through drop-in events in the Thames Hall Atrium, programming will offer a device-free, creative, hands-on artistic environment. There will be 6 themes (love, Earth Day, renewal, Truth & Reconciliation, transformation, and light).

This student-led project will host a marketplace-style event to promote the concept of the circular economy. This event will feature local businesses, second-hand clothing vendors, a book swap, educators, and community partners, providing students with tangible ways to learn about sustainable practices. Learn more here.

This research project led by faculty in the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology will aim to examine the feasibility of transitioning from traditional embalming methods at Western's Anatomy Lab to a sustainable alternative called GreenMBalm. This project aims to eliminate the use of hazardous chemicals that contribute to environmental pollution. GreenMBalm is an ethanol-based preservative that is free of harmful chemicals. This pilot will test GreenMBalm on a subset of cadavers on campus over a 12-month period to determine the feasibility of the method and its suitability in teaching and research.

This student-led project aims to make the Western Anatomy Lab the first lab campus to gain the My Green Labs certification. This program is a non-profit organization that works to improve the sustainability of scientific research. The program covers 14 different impact areas including infrastructure, cold storage, water, and resource management

This research project through the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering builds on a Campus as a Living Lab project that is working to develop smart technology to improve the sustainability and resiliency of our society. This project will develop a campus-level urban scanning framework for tracking the infrastructure and environmental status of the campus. This research will help tackle problems including heavy traffic, pollution and climate change, and various other hazards.

The annual Wateraid Sustainability Conference aims to educate students about the pressing local water and sustainability challenges, while also addressing the broader global climate crisis. The conference took place during Springfest 2025 and featured engaging discussions and practical insights on adopting a more sustainable lifestyle. Attendees heard from Western professors and alumni, Indigenous speakers, local businesses, and leaders from various sustainability focused campus clubs. Learn more here.

The Western Aero Design Team is working on designing and developing an electrically powered autonomous aircraft capable of performing precision payload delivery and retrieval missions. This project emphasizes lightweight and energy-efficient design principles, improving reliability and reducing operational footprints.

This research project through the Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering is a continuation of a WSIF project that was supported last year. This year's project will study the role of recycled materials and various environmentally safe flame retardants in the polystyrene foam. This project is in collaboration with a start-up company, ShivFreen Foam Insulations Ltd, which focused to capture the market opportunity by developing a sustainable, eco-friendly, recyclable and high-performance extruded foam.