All across our province, people are living the Get to Half message and reducing their waste in easy, creative and fun ways. Check out our great stories below, or submit one of your own!
SEPTEMBER 2010 HEROES
Beachy Cove Elementary
Think school is a difficult place to reduce waste? The students and staff at Beachy Cove Elementary don’t - they think it’s the perfect place for eco action. Filled with enthusiastic young minds, eager to make a difference, Beachy Cove Elementary is a model for waste reduction at school.
Located in the town of Portugal Cove-St. Phillip’s, Beachy Cove Elementary achieves its green goals with the help of motivated teachers like Ms. Courage and student enviro-club, the Environmental Agents. Following their lead, students and staff throughout the school have successfully put the 3Rs – reduce, reuse and recycle – into action.
To reduce the mountains of waste generated at lunch time, the school promotes waste-free lunches - where packed lunches are filled with reusable containers, free of disposable packaging. On select days throughout the year, waste-free lunches are not only encouraged, they’re required. To further cut down on lunchtime waste, disposable lunch order bags were replaced with reusable wallets, purses and pouches. Today, every student in the school has their very own labeled reusable lunch order bag.
The focus is on reducing and reusing, but Beachy Cove Elementary is no stranger to the 3rd R. Recycling is a big part of the school’s enviro-activities. As active participants in MMSB’s school recycling program, used beverage container recycling is practiced in school and extended to the outside community with a weekly recycling drop-off. The Environmental Agents will even meet you in the parking lot to receive your recyclables. The school recycles paper too. With recycle bins set up in classrooms and throughout the school, every student, teacher and staff member can participate.
Taking recycling a step further, Ms. Courage’s class decided to recycle just like nature does, by letting their fruit and veggie waste break down naturally in a vermicompost bin (an indoor compost bin filled with red wiggler worms). With help from the Environmental Agents, the vermicompost bin has made its rounds, helping educate every class about the importance of composting.
Beachy Cove Elementary School has done a lot to promote environmental awareness and action and shows no signs of stopping. With plans to expand environmental education with the construction of an outdoor classroom, there’s no telling what the students and staff will accomplish this year.
Skerwink Organic Farm
Sarah Morgan may be our province’s newest Regional Waste Management Coordinator but protecting Bonavista’s “beautiful view” has long been on Sarah’s agenda. Sarah has been diverting organic waste with the help of local businesses and residences since she moved back home to the island over five years ago. She operates a small organic farm and compost facility with her partner Michael in Trinity Bight called Skerwink Farm. A true community effort, Sarah has engaged businesses and groups to help her garden grow and keep harmful waste out of landfills.
Sarah credits the success of the project to her community partners:
- Mifflin’s ValueFoods, the local grocery in Port Rexton, provides vegetable waste that would otherwise be sent to the landfill;
- Trinity Mercantile, a local cafe supplies coffee grounds and other organic waste;
- The Trinity Historical Society, who operate several historic sites in Trinity, diverts grass clippings and other organic waste; and
- Rising Tide Theatre, who has a lot of script rewrites to shred, provide lots of carbon to balance out all the nitrogen content!
Sarah, herself, is known locally as the midnight raker - “I have taken to raking the leaves around the homes of some of the older folk in the community, partly because it’s nice to lend a helping hand, and partly because I take it home, run the lawn mower over it, and make leaf mould for mulch and extra brown for the bins." Sarah is now feeding 6 large vermicompost bins with the organic material and others are following her lead. Since she started in 2005, many residences have begun composting and the cafe owner is currently setting up to process his own waste. Sarah laments that her worms will miss their morning coffee grounds.
Together, this community partnership diverts over 200lbs of waste from the landfill each week and turns it into a great soil conditioner. Skerwink Farms is not only growing healthy, delicious organic vegetables, they are growing a community that cares about waste and ensuring that the Bonavista region sees an even greener future.
AUGUST 2010 HEROES
Kelp me!
.jpg) Heather Jones may be soap savy but she doesn't need to clean up her act! Heather is proof-positive that our youth are leading our business community to a greener future. Heather recently won Youth Ventures' Excellence in Innovation Award that focuses on eco-business. Growing up in Witless bay, the environment has always been an important issue for Heather and she has demonstrated her dedication to the earth through the development of her green business, Kelp Me! Heather makes soap out of kelp she collects and dries in her backyard. She goes the extra mile to ensure that she uses as many local ingredients as possible and to use recycled packaging such as driftwood and recycled paper. And although it’s not always easy to make 100% natural products, Heather’s commitment is unwavering. She refuses to use chemicals or fragrances and she feels that she can make a better product the natural way. Not only does this practice help the planet, it keeps her customers healthy and happy! Heather’s all-natural kelp soap – is one business idea helping keep our province clean - one bar of soap at a time.
Conservation Corps of Newfoundland and Labrador
Green Team Program
The Conservation Corps of Newfoundland and Labrador’s (CCNL’s) Green Team program is dedicated to engaging youth in important environmental issues through meaningful employment opportunities. CCNL have begun their 18th Green Team season this summer with 23 Green Teams, involving over 100 youth, all over the province. This 2010 season sees projects dedicated to cultural education, stream restoration, trail development, climate change, urban river protection and enhancement, public outreach, and community gardens. In addition to these projects Green Teams have also been visiting summer camps, festivals, and other community organizations to deliver environmental awareness events to people of all ages about topics such as water conservation, climate change, recycling programs, and clean air. Check out these great projects that focus on waste reduction, recycling and composting:
- Stella Burry Community Services – “How to Make Your Garden Grow.” This Green Team teaches urban residents the process of making and maintaining their own urban garden boxes (vegetables and herbs) while educating the public on safer soil practices.
- Town of Logy Bay/Middle Cove/Outer Cove – “Greener Community and Heritage Preservations.” This Green Team focuses on public education in the areas of waste reduction, recycling, composting, and beach stewardship. They host educational clinics on these topics and develop their own educational material.
- Model Forest NL – “Heritage Community Garden, Jackson’s Arm, White Bay.” This team prepared a community garden containing native plants that have traditionally grown in the region. This project involved researching sustainable and organic growing practices. They used this information to educate the residents of the region and assisted anyone who required further information and support. The team also found time to restore a walking trail and plant indigenous flowers and shrubs.
- St. Barbe Development Association – “Promoting a Greener and Friendlier Environment.” This team educates local businesses and resident about making less garbage through composting, proper HHW waste disposal through presentations and community demonstrations.
- Western Environment Centre – “Community Garden – Pilot Project.” This team has been hard at work in the garden this summer. They have installed a gravity flow water line, helped the community prepare compost, helped construct a shed and windmill, and installed an electric fence to be powered by the windmill (or solar panels). The Green Team has also researched gardening/environmental topics to present to the public and continue to help out at the local farmer’s market on Saturdays.
- Makkovik Inuit Community Government – “Makkovik Green Team 2010.” This Green Team helps to establish and maintain a community garden for local residents. As well, the team has been involved in tree planting and composting projects.
These are just a few of the projects The Conservation Corps Newfoundland and Labrador’s Green Teams have taken on to help guide our province to a greener future and Get to Half.
JULY 2010 HEROES
Scotia Centre
The Scotia Centre, located at 235 Water Street, has a building management team that strives to excel at reducing their waste and their tenants’ waste. The team, East Port Properties Limited has met great success, reducing the Centre’s waste sent to the landfill by 72%. Recently the building management of Scotia Centre won the Pinnacle Award of Innovation for their unique and successful recycling program, awarded by the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Long before mandatory office recycling programs, the management at the Scotia Centre was busy establishing their own recycling habits. They have continued to build upon the beverage container and paper recycling programs and expanded their program to include toner cartridges and batteries. Furthermore, contractors are required to recycle building materials, and the building management team works with tenants to get them to rethink disposal habits and discover new uses for unwanted office items.
The Scotia Centre has also contributed significantly to the community in their waste diversion efforts. When a tenant requested to dispose of an entire 360 litre bin of used binders the Scotia Centre building management team asked if there was a way to divert the binders from ending up in the landfill - their school donation program was born. The management team contacted a school they had visited that they knew was underfunded. The school accepted the donation with open arms and noted that many students could not afford basic school supplies. The Scotia Centre team were motivated by this comment and decided to approach all of the tenants in the building to redirect their used items to the school donation program. The response was overwhelmingly positive and since March 2008, twelve truck-loads of materials have been donated to the school including photocopiers, printers, filing cabinets, couches, office desks, tables, chairs and, of course what started it all, binders.
These waste reduction measures not only reduced the Scotia Centre’s cost to landfill fees, it helped to instill a sense of pride among the staff and building occupants. This has lead to the development of other waste reduction initiatives including an annual clothing drive for the Canadian Diabetes Association’s Clotheslines Program, and collection of used eyeglasses for The Lions Club’s Lions Recycle for Sight program. In addition, 1200 pairs of shoes were collected for survivors of the Haiti earthquake in January 2010.
MMSB commends the management and tenants of the Scotia Centre on their waste reduction successes. Through these initiatives, East Port Properties Limited has helped the Centre’s staff and building occupants gain a sense of pride as well as made a positive, meaningful contribution to the community and the environment.
Burin Peninsual Environmental Reform Committee
The Burin Peninsula Environmental Reform Committee (BPERC) has been dedicated to reducing waste on the Burin Peninsula since incorporation in spring 2008. Through the hearts and minds of the committed members, including founder Kimberley Armstrong, the committee has initiated many activities to prevent waste such as comprehensive recycling programs, a regional composting program, carefully scheduled “Green Community Cleanups” and promotion of litter-free events.
BPERC runs a recycling program that accepts rechargeable batteries of all kinds, cell phones and accessories, and ink cartridges. The committee has set up convenient drop-off locations all over the peninsula giving households and businesses the option to properly dispose of these types of waste. This keeps the hazardous materials found in such products from polluting soil and groundwater.
Although such things as print cartridges and batteries are highly dangerous to the environment, other things such as weeds, leaves, sawdust, fruit and vegetable scraps, etc. can be very beneficial. This has inspired BPERC to implement a community composting program. A user-friendly, do-it-yourself composting package with detailed steps to building and maintaining a compost bin is available to residents via BPERC's website (www.greenburin.ca). The committee also has a regional compost site in Burin where households, schools, a community kitchen, a local grocery store, and several local restaurants drop off their organic waste.
The BPERC attends and coordinates community cleanups on the Burin Peninsula whenever possible. It is the committee's strong belief that making and keeping an area clean inspires citizens to take pride in their environment and directly reduces the amount of waste and litter throughout the region.
In their efforts to make the area litter free, the BPERC not only cleans up the litter produced but attempts to reduce the litter before it is created. Whenever the BPERC coordinates an event, a “Litter-Free” program is put into place whereby a number of steps that encourage participants to cut down on waste are employed. This includes the placement of promotional “Litter-Free” signs, several garbage and recycling boxes/bags, and local radio publicity promoting the “Litter-Free” event.
As is evident in all of BPERC's endeavours, this is a committee that is unquestionably devoted to the environment. Through its programs and services, BPERC has provided unprecedented waste reduction opportunities on the Burin Peninsula and is looking to grow even bigger in the future.
JUNE 2010 HEROES
Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador
The provincial Tourism Industry Association, Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador (HNL), is not only dedicated to the development and promotion of the tourism/hospitality industry in the province but is also committed to protecting the environment and creating a greener future. In April 2009, a group of employees formed a Green Committee to inspire and encourage all HNL staff to make sound environmental choices in every facet of their lives. The Green Committee has already implemented many changes in their workplace such as:
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Canceling their daily newspaper subscription (reading online instead);
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Removing personal waste bins from all offices and cubicles;
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Providing online registration rather than paper tickets for the Tourism Awareness Luncheon;
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Encouraging waste reduction with simple staff tips such as printing double sided documents or using a reusable lunch bag
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Mandating “green meetings,” with no circulation of paper agendas or minutes, information is projected on screen; and
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Posting energy efficient reminders near light switches and appliances.
With these small, simple steps, HNL is already making a difference. The Green Committee plans to help management develop green policies and practices, research alternatives, and engage employees in ongoing discussions about office sustainability. HNL relies on the thousands of visitors that come to our province each year to enjoy the scenic coastlines and unspoiled natural areas. Newfoundland and Labrador is known for its’ breathtaking beauty, and HNL would like to keep our province healthy and beautiful for generations to come.
St. Francis of Assisi
St. Francis of Assisi is helping to reduce the amount of waste entering our landfills by promoting environmental responsibility. St. Francis of Assisi is a member of The SEEDS Foundation that encourages schools to be more environmentally friendly. St. Francis has achieved Jade status meaning that they have completed at least 250 projects that communicate about or enhance the environment. As well, St. Francis has participated in the Environmental Education Centre’s “Brother Brennan” program for 20 years. They send their Grade Six students to the centre for an overnight stay where they become more aware of their environment and learn to enhance personal and social responsibility for environmental action. The students at St. Francis of Assisi are also involved in several waste reduction initiatives. Each year, students have a clothing drive where students are asked to donate their old clothes to MacMoran Centre for free distribution to families in need. The school also promotes waste-free lunches and composting at home.
Furthermore, St. Francis of Assisi primary and elementary school in Outer Cove has a strong recycling program that has raised over $20,000 for the school since its implementation in 2000. Through a partnership with the Town of Logy Bay- Middle Cove- Outer Cove, the school was able to erect a shed where recyclables could be dropped off and stored. Inside the school, a Grade Four class is responsible for collecting the recyclables from each classroom and stockpiling them to be moved to the recycling shed. In this way, the recycling program is used to teach the students to be environmentally responsible. The MMSB is proud to acknowledge the environmental achievements of St. Francis of Assisi School for recognizing that more can, and should, be done to help us all “Get to Half.”
2009 HEROES
Conception Bay South
When it comes to reducing waste, Conception Bay South is all business. As early as 2003, Conception Bay South was demonstrating environmental leadership by piloting a curbside recycling program, then moving to a drop-off program for paper and cardboard. Each year the town hosts the Winterfest Recycling Challenge to engage elementary schools in a friendly recycling competition to motivate them to collect the greatest amount of used beverage containers during a three-week period. The town is already moving forward with new, innovative ways to reduce paper waste by working towards eliminating agenda and minute packages and to ultimately have paperless meetings. Currently, the town is in the planning stage of this environmental effort. Consultation with the town's computer consultants is ongoing and it is anticipated that the project will be launched in the New Year.
Ocean Quest
Rick Stanley's Ocean Quest, based out of Conception Bay South, depends on the conservation of our province's incredible natural wonder and beauty. This is why Rick has steered his tourism operation to reduce waste and Get to Half. Ocean Quest provides an exceptional model for tourism-based businesses by showing how simple steps can get you to Get to Half, such as reducing paper use through electronic communications, installing a compost bin, instituting a thorough recycling program, eliminating Styrofoam completely, and making purchases that use less packaging. They also provide cloth towels and reusable bags for guests. In the near future, Ocean Quest hopes to develop a completely paperless office, waving "bon voyage" to all non-recyclable packaging. Rick and the staff of Ocean Quest are proof-positive that getting to half can be smooth sailing.
Western Health
Western Health, with its many regional facilities, recognizes that there is a critical link between wellness and the health of our natural environment. That is why environmentally conscious staffers formed the Western Health Green Team to improve community wellness through the promotion of environmental awareness within Western Health. They have implemented numerous successful initiatives including a paper reduction program. Western Health intends to develop a paperless electronic forms system; to date, several forms have already been converted to the new system and paper newsletter circulation has decreased by 2000 copies, in favour of electronic versions. They have also have provided staff with other electronic tools to reduce the need for printing. These include an email system, an intranet for sharing documents, and two-sided printers. Western Health has reduced kitchen waste from 10 down to 2 garbage bags per meal (a reduction of 8640 bags annually) simply by recycling beverage containers and paper products and by putting food through a garburator. Western Health didn't just Get to Half, they got to 80 per cent!
L'école Boréale
L'école Boréale initiated the Heart of the Earth project in September 2008 with their hearts set on recycling paper, used batteries and cardboard; encouraging the use of reusable bags; and increasing composting. To get there, they distributed recycling bins to family, friends, Queen of Peace Middle School and Peacock Primary. Next, a public awareness day was held. Information booths were set up in local stores, many of which offered reusable bags free of charge. Project signs were installed at the entrances of these locations and remain there as a public reminder.
L'école Boréale also composts recess and lunch wastes, and forwards batteries.
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