Participate in Waste Reduction Week

Recycling Councils across Canada will be celebrating Waste Reduction Week, October 15-21, 2007. This, the 7th Annual event, is a campaign of waste reduction involving thousands of Canadians from across the country. Businesses, municipalities and schools will be spreading waste reduction messages and engaging citizens in activities that help to reduce waste and divert waste from landfill. Participating in local Waste Reduction Week events is a great way to discover the many ways you can reduce waste at home, at your workplace and in your community. The choices you make - big and small - really do make a difference.

Waste Reduction Week Theme: Too Good To Waste

Much of the concern around waste management includes the amount of natural resources we are removing from the Earth to produce goods for our use. Choosing products with little or no packaging, purchasing items that are durable and will last a long time, and practicing the 3Rs of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle will help to reduce waste and reduce our reliance upon landfills. Besides, why bury natural resources when they might be useful for another purpose, be recycled into a different product, or extend our return on investment? As the old adage goes, "one person's garbage is another person's gold."

What is your workplace doing to reduce waste? With a national focus on business waste, Waste Reduction Week 2007 is an opportune time for your company to take action to green up your operations. A small to medium-sized enterprise (SME) could consider green procurement policies and pollution prevention. Business managers might call upon a team of volunteers to help out. As long as a group is dedicated to the task and they have the support of management, there is no end to what can be accomplished. As always, expertise abounds to support your journey to zero waste.

Learn More

Waste Reduction Week 2007 is a great time to start taking action on waste:

Learn more about waste and pollution prevention and conservation.
Learn more about composting and waste reduction by searching the Information Centre and Environmental Education websites.
Compare kitchen waste in 2006 to 1905, at A Century of Kitchen Waste. (Note: best viewed using Internet Explorer)
Follow waste from production, to sorting, to recycling and back into use at www.sortitout.ca

Opportunities for Businesses to Reduce Waste

Apply for a "Business Environmental Efficiency Assessment"

Waste Reduction Week 2007 focuses on reducing waste in the workplace. Alberta Environment has partnered with the Recycling Council of Alberta to make available free resource assessments. Visit the Recycling Council of Alberta (RCA) to learn more. For more information on incentives to "green" your business, view Canadian Incentive Programs and Financial Incentives for Industry on the Natural Resources Canada website.

EnviroVista

Be part of EnviroVista: Alberta Environment's voluntary program provides Alberta regulated industrial and manufacturing facilities and municipal water operations with recognition for their environmental excellence.

Register Your Events!

Make a commitment to action – it will extend the life of natural resources and likely save you money, too. Register your activities online by clicking the appropriate link on the left side of the website.
Local and National Events Listing Online. Click on "Register" under the appropriate category on the left side of the website, to add your event.

Municipal Participation

Picture It! Put Your Community on Alberta 's Recycling Map.

Alberta Environment is working in partnership with ACCESS The Education Station to showcase waste reduction activities across Alberta . Submit your photos with a brief description to ACCESS. Sortitout.ca is frequented by grade 4 students across the province and is a great way to spread news about your community's efforts to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.

School Contest for Grade 4 Classes

Participate in the Triple StaRs Challenge

Triple StaRs is this year's re-named grade 4 classroom challenge, offered in partnership with the Recycling Council of Alberta (RCA). Do a waste audit in your classroom. At the end of a one-week period, sort your materials to determine how much could have been diverted from landfill. Submit your results and be eligible for prizes!

An added feature to this year's challenge is support material that enables you to teach about healthy lunches as part of the Triple StaRs challenge. This is a new addition to the waste reduction challenge and your participation is optional.

Speakers Available

Alberta Environment and the Recycling Council of Alberta (RCA) have partnered to develop a "Speakers Bureau" – a source for speakers on waste management in Alberta . Contact the RCA to see if a speaker is available in your area by e-mailing info@recycle.ab.ca

Links

Contact the Alberta Beverage Container Recycling Corporation to order a beverage container collection bin for your workplace or to participate in school and community challenges.

Clean Calgary Association
Edmonton Waste Management Centre of Excellence
Environment Canada
Canadian Centre for Pollution Prevention

Download the Waste Reduction Week 2007 Poster from the Waste Reduction Week Canada Website:

Or order your own 23.75" x 17.75" copy from us at Alberta Environment

Check out previous Waste Reduction Weeks: 2005, 2006

Contact: env.education@gov.ab.ca for more information.

Phone: (780) 427-2700 (toll free by first dialing 310-0000)
Hours of operation: Weekdays, 8:15 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.