Author Archives: Metro Vancouver

Missed the #ZWC2014 registration deadline? No problem. We've just announced that the Zero Waste Conference will be livestreamed. Tune into the webcast at www.metrovancouver.org/zwc, tomorrrow,  September 16, starting at 8:30 a.m. If you wish to attend in person, on-site registration will be available by credit card or cheque.    

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“The Industrial Revolution, powered by oil and other fossil fuels, is spiraling into a dangerous endgame. The price of energy and food is climbing, unemployment remains high, the housing market has tanked, consumer and government debt is soaring, and the recovery is slowing. Facing the prospect of a second collapse of the global economy, humanity…

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The 2014 Zero Waste Conference (#ZWC2014) is just five days away, but you can still register to attend this important event. With an impressive line-up of speakers, compelling topics, and lots of opportunities to network and share knowledge, this is a unique opportunity to be at the forefront of a vital issue. Here's some of the speakers…

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Fuelled by the success of its eponymous movie, Lego claimed the title of world's largest toy manufacturer last week. The company is also an industry leader in renewable energy and zero waste efforts.  But, like most businesses, LEGO still has room for progress when it comes to eco-friendly business practices. It's a challenge they are tackling head-on, with the…

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Closed-loop. Cradle-to-Cradle. Industrial Sustainability. There's more than one name for the circular economy. But, whatever you call it, a zero waste approach to the manufacturing and consumption of the goods and services offers a new framework for continued prosperity in a changing world.  And as our planet gets smaller, resources scarcer, and the stakes higher, the circular economy may…

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Our oceans have become a dumping ground for plastic waste. Developing nations need economic opportunities with low barriers to entry. David Katz thinks he may have a solution for both issues.        Katz is one of the founders of The Plastic Bank - a new organization with a mandate to "to lead the movement…

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Buy, use, throw away, repeat. That's the linear system that is the basis of our dominant consumer economy. The things we buy and use daily are designed to be thrown away. This is called “Cradle-to-Grave” design because products are manufactured from virgin materials, used for a while, and finally discarded. Sure, some things get recycled, but the…

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In the famous 1967 movie The Graduate, a young Dustin Hoffman – in the role of Benjamin Braddock, is taken aside at a party and given a piece of career guidance that became famous. In a word – "plastics". Fast forward to the 21st century and this succinct advice might get a small edit if you were to ask Toby Reid. He'll…

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One of the keynote speakers at the upcoming Zero Waste Conference pushing for adoption of Circular Economy thought and action at one of the world’s largest electronics companies – Philips. There’s a good chance you’ve already used one of a Philips product today. Based in Amsterdam, they have three primary divisions focused in the areas…

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Carpet tile manufacturer Interface first came to wide public attention for its eco-friendly approach to business in the 2003 Canadian film The Corporation. In the documentary, company founder Ray C. Anderson outlined how a personal awakening to the nature of industry and its impact on the environment transformed his approach to running the company. Anderson…

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