Shooting for zero waste at Sandman Centre
Posted in: New Initiative
Date Posted: 2018-09-20
Organization Name: City of Kamloops
The City of Kamloops, in partnership with the Kamloops Blazers, will officially launch an enriched zero waste initiative at the Blazers first home game on Friday, September 21.
The Sandman Centre’s enhanced waste management program now features 40 new two-stream recycling and garbage bins. To help game attendees know which bin to use, each bin has a sign featuring icons of the common waste materials at hockey games. A short video featuring Kamloops Blazers players highlighting the new program, posters, and other marketing materials will be featured throughout the season to educate and encourage hockey fans to keep the home rink clean and recycle appropriate materials.
“This project builds upon the Zero Waste program first launched at the TCC,” said Glen Cheetham, the City’s Sustainability Services Supervisor. “As Canada’s Tournament Capital, our ultimate goal is to offer event waste reduction and management systems that complement our world-class facilities and event-hosting abilities.”
“We are extremely excited to be a part of this city initiative in which we can help echo the importance of reducing waste at our Blazers games this coming season,” says Dave Chyzowski, the Blazers’ Director of Sales and Marketing.
City Council approved the project in December 2017. The project budget is $39,000 and is financed by the city’s Climate Action Fund. The project aims to reduce event-related landfill waste by 50 percent through increased diversion of recyclable materials from the landfill. The project could reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 19.5 tonnes of CO2e per year, which supports the Sustainable Kamloops Plan’s goal of reducing GHG emissions from municipal operations by 45 percent.
One key challenge is to minimize the contamination of recycled materials. In addition to education through marketing, the city has also assembled the Green Team, event volunteers who will attend Blazers home games to assist fans in choosing the proper bin to avoid contaminating recyclables with garbage, food, or liquids. To learn more about how to become a Green Team volunteer, visit www.Kamloops.ca/Volunteer.