As many of you know the City of Vancouver has had an action plan in play since 2011 to become the Greenest City by 2020, and I for one am very excited. The Greenest City Action Plan is a strategy for staying on the leading edge of urban sustainability. The committee works with city council, residents, businesses, other organizations and all levels of government to implement their plan.
The Vison of the Greenest City committee is to create opportunities today, while building:
- A strong local economy
- Vibrant and inclusive neighborhoods
- Internationally recognized city that meets the needs of generations to come
To achieve the Vision that team has 3 major goal areas – Zero Carbon – Zero Waste – Healthy Ecosystems.
if you drill down into those 3 goal areas you find 10 Action Steps that will achieve these goals. They are:
- Climate and Renewables
- Green Buildings
- Green Transportation
- Zero Waste
- Access To Nature
- Clean Water
- Local Food
- Clean Air
- Green Economy
- Lighter Footprint
For United We Can 2 of these 10 action steps really ring true, Zero Waste and Green Economy. One of the cities success stories came in 2014/15 with the support and opening of the Green Hub facility on Industrial Ave. More than 65,000 bottles have been dropped off daily since the GreenHub opened in July 2014. The new Facility – a collaboration between Recycling Alternative and United We Can – processes hundreds of tonnes of recyclables each month, and runs its vehicle fleet on biodiesel. The collaboration improves the efficiency of both operations through shared space and resources.
United We Can – A Street Charity That Means Business
United We Can also focuses on the COV’s action step of “Green Economy.” Everyone knows the value of recycling, but many don’t know that by using UWC and our refundable beverage container recycle program they can help alleviate poverty. The creation of jobs for those who may have difficulty finding and retaining employment is a path out of poverty and UWC is a pioneer in this. For more than 25 years UWC has been an advocate for both marginalized people and the environment. United We Can provides support, training, and “green collar jobs.” Our depot and staff offer employment income earing opportunities and for those that seek it part of the local sustainability solution.
