About Us
Plastic-Free YYC is a nonprofit focused on inspiring individuals, collaborating with businesses, and encouraging governing bodies to evoke change and eliminate waste. Our team focuses on community engagement to share our messages and goals. We invite all Calgarians to get involved and join us in any capacity they can!
Our Vision:
We envision Calgary to be first major prairie city to be plastic-free.
Our Mission:
Providing local and global information to live a plastic free lifestyle, as well as show through education how plastic affects all organisms and ourselves. The plastic-free movement tends to be more prominent in coastal regions therefore this organization aims to bring awareness to all “land-locked” citizens.
Our Values:
Education ~ Community ~ Collaboration
Plastic Free YYC operates within the traditional territories of the people of the Treaty 7 region in Southern Alberta and within the home of the Métis Nation of Alberta, Region III.
Our Story
At the beginning of 2017 co-founder, Briana, created a simple website to share concerns about plastic waste in her city. For many years she saw this missing puzzle piece in the fight against plastic to save our oceans: awareness of plastic pollution in our oceans as seemed to be lost on landlocked cities and the people that lived in them. Populations living far away from any coastline or major body of water are not exposed to the true affect plastic waste has on our oceans. To help shed light on the issue and promote awareness through education and simple blog posts, Plastic-Free YYC was born.
Through social media, co-founders, Isabelle Couture and Briana Loughlin found each other and began collaborating on Plastic-Free YYC initiatives in late 2017. Both passionate about reducing waste, specifically plastic waste, they worked together to promote this movement in Calgary. Focusing on partnership, and communication with differing individuals, they wanted to ensure the conversation around and the solutions for plastic pollution is inclusive. It did not take long for the duo to multiply and become a thriving community! Plastic-Free YYC is now a well-rounded team of talented and passionate individuals, dedicating their skills and efforts to the cause.
Plastic-Free YYC had sparked a well-needed conversation about single-use plastics in Calgary. The organization has now become a well-known group, becoming noticed not only in Calgary, but across Canada. The group continues to focus on fighting plastic pollution, while promoting waste reduction before it starts.
