Our Waste Diversion Event for Earth Day & How to Host Your Own

Last year for Earth Day, Botanical PaperWorks took action on sustainability by holding a week-long waste diversion collection event.

More and more Canadians are concerned about how much waste they produce. In 2020, “Canadian businesses and households diverted almost 10 million tonnes of material from landfills, up by 4% (352 000 tonnes) from 2018.” (source)

At Botanical PaperWorks, we know that reducing waste in our landfills is important. Our products are designed to be zero waste and we have continued to find ways to reduce waste in our process, such as using our cutoffs as packaging box filler, and signing on with Compost Winnipeg for our organic waste. Our impact is always better together, so we asked all our staff to help us reduce even more waste by collecting items for responsible recycling drop-off at our 4R depot in Winnipeg.

Over the course of the week leading up to Earth Day, our staff brought in any items they had at home that were no longer usable, including scrap metal, hard plastics, old paints/aerosols, electronics, and art supplies. At the end, all the materials were weighed and recorded.

Botanical PaperWorks was able to divert a total of over 130 lbs from our landfill!

Electronics – total collected and diverted – 67.15 lbs
Scrap metal – total collected and diverted – 1.95 lbs
Paint & Aerosols: total collected and diverted – 50.85 lbs
Hard Plastics: total collected and diverted – 2.75 lbs
Art Supplies: total collected for donation – 7.8 lbs

How to host your own waste diversion event

If your business is looking to host a collection event of its own, we recommend having a plan to guarantee success. Here are some steps to help you plan your event:

1. Set your objectives: A great place to start would be to meet with teams and managers to determine what you want to achieve. For e.g. reducing waste sent to landfills, promoting recycling, educating employees about responsible waste disposal, or supporting local recycling initiatives.

2. Determine what material you’ll collect and recycle: Research local recycling centers and make a list of items you’ll accept. Make sure you know where you will take all the items to recycle or donate after the event.

3. Choose a date and location: Select a date and location for the event that is convenient for your team. Consider hosting it at your workplace.

4. Promote the event: Spread the word about the event to your employees. Highlight the types of items that can be recycled and emphasize the importance of participation. Get everyone involved in the process. Sometimes a fun incentive or competition for who can collect the most can really increase the event’s success.

5. Collect and sort items: On the day of the event, set up collection stations for each type of item (e.g., scrap metal, electronics, art supplies) and provide clear instructions for sorting.

6. Evaluate and celebrate: After the event, weigh all the items of waste you diverted from landfills. Share results with staff and the public and celebrate and promote responsible recycling.

7. Dispose of items responsibly: Arrange for the collected items to be transported to the appropriate facilities. Ensure that all materials are handled in accordance with local regulations and environmental standards.