2002 Rs of Excellence Award Winners

Calgary Co-op has contributed to the well-being of the community that it serves by making a commitment to protect the environment. Calgary Co-op stores honor this commitment through the provision of its internal and community recycling programs. They also provide incentives for their customers to reduce waste through programs such as their “Bags to Riches” campaign.

Each year an estimated 61,000 lbs of material are diverted from the Edmonton landfill through the City’s one-day Reuse Roundups. This event gives communities, churches, hospitals, schools, and other groups from all over the city the chance to obtain donated household items for their children’s craft, music, and sports programs. The Roundups, which originated from a grassroots initiative and are staffed by volunteers, are growing in popularity and are a great example of how “reuse” can significantly reduce waste in a community.

In the absence of a regional landfill, the Mountain View Regional Waste Commission has developed and implemented an integrated regional waste system that places an emphasis on recycling and composting. This system provides increased access to recycling for a wider variety of products and a decentralized composting system. It also includes a residential collection system using the source separation of organics year round and the formation of strategic partnerships to support the recycling and composting programs.

Thanks to the Shell Environmental Fund, more than 160 recycling projects have been funded throughout Alberta over the last ten years, including the purchase of recycling bins and the creation of recycling education and awareness programs.

The Shell Environmental Fund focuses on projects that propose action-oriented ways of protecting the environment and it has been instrumental in advancing the recycling initiatives in various communities throughout the province.

Ken has been an active participant in the recycling industry for many years, including service on the Tire Recycling Management Association, where he served as Chair. His volunteer duties have included serving as a Board member of the RCA, as well as being an active member of the Calgary Chamber of Commerce Environment Committee. He is currently the General Manager of ABCRC and also chairs the City of Calgary’s Environmental Advisory Committee.

Wyn has held many positions with various not-for-profit organizations throughout his career in the environmental industry, including as board member and past-president of the Recycling Council of Alberta. He also served as the RCA’s representative on the Tire Recycling Management Association of Alberta for three years. Wyn played an important role in the growth of Calgary’s recycling depot program through his position as Recycling Coordinator for the City of Calgary, from which he retired in August, 2002.