Waste Reduction Week in Alberta
The Recycling Council of Alberta (RCA) officially announced the start of Waste Reduction Week in Canada at their annual conference in Calgary which took place October 14-16, where Rs of Excellence Awards were presented to a number of deserving organizations, businesses and individuals. On Tuesday, October 20, the RCA partnered with The Business Link and Clean Calgary Association to provide a Green Your Business Brown Bag Presentation to over 40 video conference sites across the province in celebration of Waste Reduction Week which coincides with Small Business Week. On Friday, October 23, the RCA was in Medicine Hat with Alberta's Minister of the Environment, the Honorable Rob Renner, to participate in the Triple StaRs Waste Reduction Challenge with the grade four students at Crestwood School.
The annual Waste Reduction Week in Canada, ran this year from October 19-25. The event encourages individuals to make a difference in their community by actively reducing waste and consumption. Canada's 9th annual Waste Reduction Week was developed and run by a coalition of waste reduction and conservation organizations from across the country. The program urges everyone to do their part to reduce, reuse and recycle in every aspect of their lives – at home, school and work.
For the second year running, Waste Reduction Week partnered with Sesame Street to promote its 'waste-free' goals and appeal to children and adults alike through a media campaign. As the program’s national spokes-Muppet, Oscar the Grouch has been hitting the airwaves across the country through public service announcements, an online campaign and television and radio appearances to get Canadians thinking about how they can do their part to reduce waste. In an effort to further engage Canada's youth in waste reduction, students in grades four through six were asked to submit waste reduction tips for Oscar via www.wrwcanada.com.
"Last year, Oscar increased awareness and showcased the lighter side of Waste Reduction Week," said Christina Seidel, Executive Director of the Recycling Council of Alberta. "This year he's back to draw attention to the people and organizations doing their part to help the environment in our province."
At the RCA's annual conference, Rs of Excellence Awards, designed to recognize outstanding contributions to waste reduction, recycling and resource conservation in Alberta, were presented to the following recipients in their particular category:
- 3Rs Award: Edmonton Reuse Centre
- Retail Program Award: Staples Business Depot (Calgary)
- Institutional Leadership Award: Calgary Public Library
- Special Event Award: Bentall Stampede Breakfast
- Corporate Leadership Award: All Weather Windows
- Public Communications/Education Award: City of Calgary Blue Cart Campaign
- Municipal Program Award: Strathcona County
- Recycling Pioneer Award: Dave Green
This year the campaign is supported by five national sponsors: McDonald's, Loblaw Companies Limited, Staples, Nestlé Pure Life and Hewlett-Packard. Provincial sponsors include the Alberta Beverage Container Recycling Corporation, Beverage Container Management Board, Alberta Environment, desnoyers-schuler inc., Alberta Used Oil Management Association, NOVA Chemicals, City of Calgary, City of Edmonton, METRO Waste Paper Recovery Inc. and the City of Lethbridge.
About Waste Reduction Week in Canada – www.wrwcanada.com
Waste Reduction Week (WRW) in Canada was developed in 2001 by a coalition of 13 recycling councils and sister organizations from across Canada and is delivered each October by the same group. The program's goal is to inform Canadians about the environmental and social ramifications of wasteful practices. WRW uses its "take action" messaging to empower all Canadians to adopt more environmentally-conscious choices. Waste Reduction Week provides Canadians with information and ideas to reduce waste in all facets of daily living, creating solutions to the many environmental challenges we face.
Recycling Council of Alberta, Box 23, Bluffton, Alberta T0C 0M0
E-mail: [email protected] Internet: www.recycle.ab.ca Phone: 403.843.6563 Fax: 403.843.4156