The purpose of the Green Recognition Program is to promote sustainable practices within the community and raise awareness of initiatives being undertaken to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
This program is a community call to action, and part of our efforts to meet the City’s emissions reduction targets of 30% by 2030 and net-zero by 2050.
The recognition program aims to inspire community members to take meaningful action towards addressing the impacts of climate change through a wide variety of green initiatives, and directly contribute to our GHG reduction targets.
It will also serve as an educational tool to amplify community-led efforts and sustainable practices, celebrate the success of initiatives underway and encourage further participation from the community.
Waste Reduction and Diversion:
This category highlights the efforts of residents and businesses as they reduce and divert waste from the landfill, through innovative initiatives.
Energy Management and Electrification:
This category highlights the efforts of the community toward decarbonization and achieving energy and cost savings.
Green Building Award:
This category highlights the efforts of residents and businesses that have made progress toward improving their buildings, through a variety of measures like air-tight envelope, upgrading insulation, installing LED lighting, or integrating other energy efficient retrofits.
This category aims to highlight the efforts of the community and contribute to a low-carbon visitor economy.
The City of Stratford and the Energy and Environment Committee would like to recognize the following green leaders in our community:
Created and implemented an ‘organization-wide’ sustainability policy, as well as a ‘green events initiative’.
‘Drop and Swap’ programs held in 2023 helped divert unwanted items from the landfill into the hands of people who can prolong their useful life. Significant community-wide participation resulted in approximately 500 kgs of waste diverted from the landfill.
Lot8 designs and creates sustainable, functional products that reduce our reliance on plastic and divert textile and food waste from the landfill.
A sustainable, eco-friendly local brand that upcycles material from existing fabric and discarded material into ‘new’ clothing to elongate their life cycle.
The store offers a venue for people to donate miscellaneous items they no longer need, without the need to dispose them off to the landfill.
Items donated to and sold at the store get a second lease of life, thus contributing to a circular economy.
In 2023, Vicwest completed its solar photovoltaic project at their Stratford facility. This array of 1,206 solar panels is capable of supplying 86% of the facility’s power requirements. It is estimated that annually, this array will generate approximately 600-700 MWh of electricity, which can power 60-70 Ontario houses for a year. Such a system is also anticipated to reduce the GHG emissions generated by 40 tonnes of CO2e.
Additionally, through collaboration with Festival Hydro, VicWest is directing excess renewable energy produced to the Stratford electricity grid- thus supporting the broader community with its energy needs.
2023 Recipients
The City of Stratford and the Energy and Environment Committee would like to recognize the following green leaders in our community:
Source produce locally and grow some of their own
Support farms that adhere to sustainable practices
Focus on bulk sales to reduce paper and plastic packaging material
Reuse cooking oil as biofuel
Partnered with local business to reduce packaging waste from takeaway containers
Demonstrated efforts in organics waste management and diversion through an on-site composter
Aimed to build a closed-loop system: organic and landscape waste is composted to nutrition-rich soil for the school's garden. Produce grown in this garden is given to the student-run restaurant for meal preparation.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) recycling program including disposable masks, gowns, head and foot protection, and face shields
Green Event Program, wherein all fundraising and other events minimize the use of plastic, ensure waste segregation (recycling and organic waste collection) in suitable receptacles
Kitchen garden growing produce including herbs and vegetables for guests
On-site composting system for food waste, paper and yard waste
Use of natural water retention techniques and drip irrigation system
Egg shells used as fertilizer, negating the need to procure synthetic fertilizer
Phase-out of single use plastic containers for soap, shampoo and conditioner for guests
Ongoing waste diversion includes single-use plastics, PPE, excess hair colour waste and hair clippings
Reuseable and biodegradable foils that are made from construction waste and converted to stone dust at end of life
Refill and bottle return program for select hair products
Implementing organic waste collection have successfully diverted 224 L of organic waste from landfill
Organization of e-waste drive for electronics
Office supply waste recycling program to discard old writing instruments through another local business' writing instrument recycling program
Participate in ink and toner cartridge recycling through another business' program
Introduced Terracycle Zero Waste Boxes in our offices for recycling personal protective equipment (PPE), including masks and hard hats. Equal importance given to education and awareness amongst staff
Employee engagement and community outreach
Reiterate company's sustainability commitment with an updated Corporate Sustainability Policy
Waste reduction efforts - reduced 4-5 garbage cans to one can per week
Installed Terracycle boxes to recycle makeup containers, oral health products, razors - blades, handles, tubes & bottles that are not normally recyclable, and all asscociated packaging
Supply plastic waste (that would otherwise end up in landfill) to a business in New Hamburg to create recycled plastic products such as plastic lumber
Received Federal rebates (Canada Greener Homes Grant)
Home energy audit to identify deficiencies
Upgrade of insulation to R50
On-site energy generation through installation of solar panels
Realized cost savings from fuel switching, e.g. electric lawnmower
Switched to an electric car to reduce emissions even further
Installed geothermal source to fulfil heating and cooling needs of home
No natural gas usage
Decarbonization efforts throughout operations, including but not limited to: