2021 Rs of Excellence Award Winners – Recognizing Efforts in Waste Reduction and a Circular Economy
The Rs of Excellence Awards have been designed to recognize the special contributions RCA members are making to “promote, facilitate and advocate for a Circular Economy in Alberta through waste reduction and resource conservation.“
The 2021 Rs of Excellence Award Winners were announced at the 2021 RCA annual conference, Through the Looking Glass, on September 30th, in the heart of the Canadian Rockies at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. The awards were presented by the Honorable Jason Nixon, Alberta’s Minister of Environment and Parks.
2021 Rs of Excellence Award Winners
Waste Reduction Service Award – Banff Isn’t Disposable
Banff Isn’t Disposable (BID) is a pilot reusable container program in the Town of Banff. BID aims to reduce the use of single-use takeaway containers by giving Banff restaurant goers the option to take away their food in a reusable container. BID is a community-led project that is currently working with the town, volunteers and businesses.
Zero Waste Award – Blenderz Garment Recyclers
Blenderz Garment Recyclers is a zero waste, zero export garment and textile recycling facility in Edmonton. Blenderz reclaims textiles that are deemed unsellable by other thrift stores and charities. Second hand garments are sold to the general public, and non-sellable goods are remade into new items. Since the inception of the company in December 2020, 81 tons of textile waste has been reclaimed and most has been upgraded into the local textile and garment supply chain.
Internal Waste Reduction Program Award – Nature Calls
Nature Calls is Alberta’s first cloth-diapering service designed with childcare centres in mind. The owner of the Wee Wild Ones brand of child care centres in Calgary created the Nature Calls program to mitigate the large number of disposable diapers sent to landfills each year by switching these child care centres to strictly using cloth diapers. Since starting the program in November of 2020, Nature Calls has saved over 72,000 disposable diapers from landfills.
Municipal Leadership Award – Town of Banff Trailblazer Initiative
Launched in March of 2020, the Zero Waste Trailblazer program encourages Banff businesses to sign up for a free consultation and waste assessment which examines unique opportunities to move toward zero waste. The Trailblazers program is a collaborative initiative between the Town of Banff, Banff Lake Louise Hospitality Association and the Bow Valley Waste Management Commission. More than 25 businesses and organizations have gone through the full waste assessment process, and thirteen have been awarded Trailblazer status.
