April was busy month here for Plastic-Free YYC. Our team has been getting out there, cleaning parks, hosting documentary screenings and workshops, and launching a new blog segment. We have been connecting with amazing Calgarians teaching them the importance of reducing plastic waste and providing insight on how they can start their plastic-free journey. It is great to meet the growing number of people who truly care about the health of our planet.
River Side Clean-Up
In honour of Earth Day, we organised a successful riverside clean up. More than 65 volunteers, of all ages, joined in at Shouldice Park to pick up garbage to keep it from getting into the river. We collected countless bottle caps, cigarette butts, straws, and even a children’s playpen! Thank you to the City of Calgary who generously donated garbage bags and kindly sent Parks Services to collect the 20 plus full bags. Needless to say, the park was sparkly clean after our visit.
During the day our Plastic-Free Pirate Willa V. collected over 45 signatures for the Ban the Bag Petition in less than an hour. Willa and a few other passionate youth have joined Plastic-Free YYC as youth ambassadors, spearheading Calgary’s Bag Ban Campaign. (Learn more about our Plastic-Free Pirates youth team here)
We ended the day with our monthly Zero-Waste meet-up, sharing a potluck picnic in the park to celebrate our hard work. Thank you to all the volunteers that came out, in case you missed it, you were featured on out local news. Watch it here!
New Blog Segment: Plastic-Free Product Spotlight
This month we’ve kicked off a new blog segment that will showcase sustainable businesses, plastic-free alternatives and tips for a plastic-free lifestyle. This new segment will feature amazing, sustainable businesses, their stories, and the eco-warriors behind them.
Our first Spotlight Featured Splat and Co. For the full segment, click here.
Do you have or know of a business that should be featured on our blog? Reach out to info@plasticfreeyyc.com to share recommendations or say hello!
Bag It: Is Your Life Too Plastic? Doc & Discuss
On April 4th we hosted a Documentary Screening and Discussion event in partnership with the University of Calgary’s Graduate College. Over 50 community members joined us for real conversations over ice cream and chocolate, at our fun screening of the award-winning “Bag It”. The attendees had the opportunity to meet with sustainable leaders from the amazing Green Calgary, the Recycling Council of Alberta and RePlastic, see and touch recycled tote bags made by the fantastic Boomerang Bags here in Calgary, learn how to do well by doing good from awesome local company The Apothecary at Inglewood, and, of course, learn the latest on plastic-free movement with Plastic-Free YYC!
Our team was also pleased to visit a group of inspirational high school students in the Environmental and Energy Innovation class at the Career and Technology Centre. These young entrepreneurs enlightened our team with thought-provoking conversations and unique ideas on how to improve our world. We discussed the documentary in-depth and looked at ways in which these spirited young adults could improve their school’s waste systems and inspire parents and peers to reduce plastic waste. The group also discussed ways in which they could invoke their entrepreneurial thinking for the future of a healthier planet.
Interested in hosting a screening? Contact us today to start a conversation.
Looking for something fun to read?
Katelyn shares her journeys abroad and the eye-opening affects that travel has on our planet. Read more here.
Team News
Plastic-Free YYC is excited to introduce our newest member, Nisha Midha as our Water Research Expert. Nisha brings her expert knowledge on how plastic pollution impacts our water ecosystems.
We are also pleased to announce that our Plastic-Free Pirates youth team is growing! Our two newest members Willa and Ruby have joined the movement and are leading Calgary’s Bag Ban campaign, BanthebagYYC.
Upcoming Events
Thank you to everyone that volunteered and came out to our events in April. We have more fun events coming up like the Plogging Party and Eco Fair, both on May 6th, 2018.
VISIT OUR EVENTS PAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO REGISTER, CLICK HERE.