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Canada 150 Goes Zero Waste

City staff and volunteers are working to minimize waste created at the event

NEWS RELEASE - Distributed June 29, 2017 3:35 PM

Summary

As our nation turns 150 this weekend, Nanaimo's Canada Day event has been designated to be a Zero Waste event. This means that the City is trying to divert the as much waste produced by the event as possible.

A number of Zero Waste stations will be set up throughout Maffeo Sutton Park. The aim is to recycle and compost all of the waste produced by the event and to send zero waste to landfill. The City will be measuring the types of waste sorted and collected to calculate how much waste was diverted from landfill during the event.

Between 9,000 and 12,000 people are expected to attend over the weekend and the City expects around six tonnes of waste to be sorted.

Link to Strategic Plan: Providing Zero Waste options to Nanaimo's Canada Day festivities supports Environmental Responsibility.

Key Points

  • The City will be setting up six Zero Waste Stations that will be manned by volunteers who will help attendees to sort their waste. They will be sorted into four categories; Organics , Recyclables, Refundables and Waste.
  • Park litter bins will be out of service during the hours of the event and individuals will be directed to the nearest Zero Waste Station.
  • Zero Waste Stations will also double as informational booths for anyone wanting to know more about waste diversion and what item belong to which bin.
  • Vendors were contacted and were asked to use compostable and recyclable material at the event. They also have been asked to not use Styrofoam or single serving items such as condiments.

Quotes

"I'm pleased to be working with the volunteers to make Canada's 150th birthday sustainable and to be able to reduce the amount of waste going into our landfills. Being able to educate residents on proper waste diversion and how simple the process actually is, is the main goal, so we can continue to celebrate when Canada turns 200! The City hopes everyone will enjoy the celebration and have a wonderful time."

Crystal Yuen
Sanitation and Public Works Co-op Student
City of Nanaimo
-30-

Contact:

Crystal Yuen
Sanitation Project Assistant
City of Nanaimo
250-756-5390

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