Launch of the Major Zero Waste Study
November 24, 2015
Participants needed to partake in a Zero Waste Lifestyle Program
Libau Landfill
The municipalities of Selkirk, St. Clements, and St. Andrews are looking for volunteer program participants to partake in a major 
zero waste study. Families will be selected to join a 3-month study to embrace the zero waste lifestyle. This lifestyle will work towards protecting and saving our environment.
Each family will receive free training along with a starter kit to further aid them in adopting this lifestyle. The research team is looking to measure the amounts of waste, recycling, and composting the families currently produce and their reduction in total waste. This study will impact our research fundamentally by providing statistical evidence and case studies that will create a movement towards bettering the environment.
We will be holding an information and sign-up session on Saturday, January 23, 2016 between 1:00 – 3:00pm located at the Selkirk and District Community Learning Centre, 511 Robinson Street in Selkirk Manitoba. Please call Justine at (204)482-2111 to register. Participants will be chosen from this info session and training will begin on January 30, 2016.
For more information please contact:
Karen Keppler
Zero Waste Project Coordinator
204-771-8828
About the Zero Waste Lifestyle Program
In the ever changing, fast-paced society we live in, it can be hard to stop and think about our daily practices and its adverse effects on the environment. Currently Canadians produce 30 million tonnes of municipal waste every single year (that’s equivalent to 4 pounds produced by each person, every single day!), and the numbers are only growing. How can we put a stop to such wastefulness? A new lifestyle, called Zero Waste could be the answer!
What is Zero waste you may ask? Zero waste, as defined by the Zero Waste International Alliance is a goal that is ethical,
economical, efficient, and visionary, to guide people in changing their lifestyles and practices to emulate sustainable natural cycles, where all discarded materials are designed to become resources for others to use.
Within the Selkirk, St. Clements, and St. Andrews municipalities we have created a research study that would provide in-depth data into a zero waste lifestyle and the impact it can have not only for our precious environment, but also on the lives of those choosing this way of life.
The Zero Waste Lifestyle Program is expected to last over a 3-month period in which qualitative and quantitative date will be collected. Participants will receive free training; a curriculum and guidebook as well as a starter kit to ensure their success in the study. Having participants partake in this project would give a clear perspective on the ability to achieve zero waste, and diverting waste. Not only would we have statistical data but also how it changes lives and perceptions about the world we currently live in. We do not have to conform to a throwaway, single-use society but we can make a difference.
What is Zero Waste?
Zero waste, as defined by the Zero Waste International Alliance is a goal that is ethical, economical, efficient, and visionary, to guide people in changing their lifestyles and practices to emulate sustainable natural cycles, where all discarded materials are designed to become resources for others to use.
What is the Zero Wast Lifestyle Program?
The Zero Waste lifestyle program is a study in which we are looking to collect data over the duration of 3-4 months of various families within the community to see how obtainable zero waste is. Records will be taken of waste currently produced by the family and measured throughout the study to see just how much can be diverted from the landfills. This project will cover both quantitative as well as qualitative data to determine the impact a zero waste lifestyle can have.
HOW WILL PARTICIPANTS BE CHOSEN AND HOW LONG WILL THE PROJECT TAKE?
Participant families will be chosen on a voluntary basis. Advertising has been put together in many forms throughout the Selkirk, St. Clements, and St. Andrews municipalities. An information and sign-up session will be held for those interested to sign-up. The project is expected to last between 3-4 months so that a variety of results can be collected and it will give the participant families some time to adapt to the new lifestyle.
What Happens Once Participants are Chosen?
Once participants are chosen, a mandatory training session will be held. This session will be helpful in developing relationships among the research team and the participants. A network will also be created where all the participant families can talk with each other, gain feedback, and have a consistent source of support from others facing the same challenges and triumphs. An outline for a curriculum will be provided with a “textbook” that can be used as a reference and support guide, the families will also be provided with a zero waste starter kit to help them become successful in this program.
What Will be Measured?
Once the project begins, the participants will be given a short questionnaire so that we can compare the changes in qualitative data once the program is completed. We would also be measuring their current waste, recycling, and composting levels and weights to determine a baseline to measure against at the end of the program. Each week we would also ask to have these measurements taken so that we can track the progression throughout the study.
What Supports are Provided to Participants?
The Zero Waste Lifestyle program participants will be connected to each other and the research team through a communication network in which they can access and share information, ideas, and struggles. This will provide a platform for the families to engage with each other and have constant support from others involved. Participants will also receive a copy of Zero Waste Home by Bea Johnson to use as a textbook, along with a specially designed curriculum they can follow. On-line and in-classroom versions of the curriculum will be made available to all that are interested, and this training will be mandatory for the participants. Starter kits to aid participants while grocery shopping and composting will also be provided.
What are the Benefits of Participating in this Program?
The benefit of taking part in the zero waste lifestyle program is the ability to be a part of an impactful and substantial environmental study that provides quality information on the achievability of a zero waste lifestyle. The participant families could also see personal benefits to adopting this lifestyle in financial gains, improvement in health, and more quality time.