Did you know that the Cariboo Chilcotin Conservation Society runs a Green Events program that anyone in Williams Lake and beyond can use to divert waste from their special events, community gatherings, meetings, and parties?
When you and your group sign up as a Green Event “host,” you agree to have CCCS staff assess your waste streams for your event or get-together, and assist you in reducing waste where possible, diverting what would be waste to either be recycled or composted.
CCCS staff take care of all the bins, signage, training, and promotional materials for you and your team, and have even secured discounts from Green Event “sponsors” which you can use on items like catering (using reusable dishware), or sustainable disposable products.
One of the best outcomes from signing up as a Green Event host are the numbers: we weigh every bin of compost, recyclables, and landfill waste that comes out of a Green Event, so you can track progress and aim higher every year. It also gives us great insight into how much would have been landfilled had the waste not been diverted.
We offer this program at no cost!
As a regional conservation organization, it’s important to our mandate that we not only conserve the integrity of our natural environments, but also pay attention to all the infrastructure, resources, and impacts surrounding our waste and water systems.
Because these systems are very much integrated, it takes a concerted and systemic approach over time to lessen our impact on them.
On average, British Columbians have some of the highest per capita solid waste diversion rates — 343 kilograms as of 2008 — but this could just mean we are producing more waste and diverting it (Statistics Canada).
The average national diversion rate (the amount of waste diverted as a proportion of waste generated) is still only about 25 per cent for the same year.
So let’s look at one Green Event’s waste diversion stats: the 2017 TRU Gala fundraiser held on April 8. They diverted 78.7 pounds in compostables, 7.41 pounds in recyclables and ended up with only 8.4 pounds of landfill waste, from an event of 190 attendees.
This is a diversion rate of 91 per cent. They had previously signed on as a Green Event Host in 2016 and their waste diversion was almost doubled this year.
Our goal is to see waste diversion become second nature to everyone. In the meantime, we’re happy to do the work for you!
Give us a shout if you want to sign up as a Green Event host, or check out the program at https://www.ccconserv.org/waste-wise.
Conservation Tip of the Month: When making your backyard compost, make sure to add two parts “brown” materials (leaves, straw, etc.) to every one part “green” materials (kitchen waste, lawn clippings, etc.).
The Cariboo Chilcotin Conservation Society’s Waste Wise educators and support staff can be reached at 250.398.7929 or wastewise@ccconserv.org.
Brianna van de Wijngaard is the community liason worker with the Cariboo Chilcotin Conservation Society.