On this 55th Earth Day (Akì in Algonquin), Zibi joins the rest of the world in fighting plastic use and waste overall. This year’s Earth Day theme is Planet vs. Plastics. Efficient waste management has been at the forefront of Zibi’s planning since it embarked on its One Planet Living® (OPL) journey almost a decade ago.
Two key principles of Zibi’s OPL Action Plan are Zero Waste and Materials & Products. Read on to learn about what Zibi is doing on these fronts to mitigate the project’s impact on the planet and the environment, and what you can do to help!
Materials and Products
Building one of Canada’s most sustainable communities for more than 5,000 residents and 6,000 workers on formerly contaminated lands is an ambitious endeavour to say the least. It requires careful thought and planning, especially when it comes to the materials that will be discarded and used in the building of such a community.
To that end, Zibi has set some key goals, including recycling 90% of demolition materials, reducing the embodied carbon of buildings, and using a minimum of 80% products certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, or wood from re-claimed, recycled or locally sourced supply chains. Every decision on materials, including furniture in its amenity spaces and model suites, is carefully considered to meet OPL goals.
Zero Waste
With hundreds of people already living and working at Zibi, the emphasis has been on promoting good recycling habits from Day 1. To help its residents meet the stringent OPL targets of diverting 70% of waste from landfills and reducing residential waste overall by 20% as compared to municipal average, Zibi has implemented some innovative technologies and programs.
One such solution is the implementation of tri-sorter waste chutes in high-rise residential buildings. These systems allow residents to indicate the type of waste (recycle, compost or garbage) they are sending down the chute; it is then directed into the correct bin below. This easy-to-use system – one of the first in the National Capital Region – will help Zibi meet its ambitious zero waste targets.
What you can do to help
Inspired by Zibi’s goals and actions? Here are some steps you can take in your own life to reduce plastic waste.
- Avoid it! Buy vegetables from a local Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program as they are often mindful of packaging. Mike’s Harvest Garden offers free delivery to a Zibi pick up location. Check out the website to make arrangements for other locations.
- Clean it up! Join or start a clean up event in your community. Registration is now open for the City of Ottawa’s Cleaning the Capital Spring campaign. In Gatineau, you can visit Enviro Éduc-Action for suggestions.
- Sort it! Know what goes where from the palm of your hand by downloading Ottawa’s Collection Calendar app or Gatineau’s Dtritus
- Reuse it! Zibi often partners with the Ottawa Tool Library to host Repair Cafés where you can either fix your broken items or come up with ideas on how to reuse them! Our next Repair Café will take place on August 10.
