November 2014 

To our customers, staff and friends,

During the fall season, we often think about how the year is winding down and what we should be planning for in the early days of the New Year (it’s not so far away – only 45 days from the beginning of next week!). It’s a time for reflection, too, and one of the things that strikes me about 2014 is how much change we are seeing in our industry across North America.

For example, extended producer responsibility (EPR) is gaining traction in all of the provinces and with it comes changes in the chain of relationships from stewards to end-markets. The impact on the way we all do business is undeniable and there’s no doubt the landscape will continue to evolve.

We’re also seeing a shift along the line of waste materials that are taking centre stage.  A quarter century ago, recycling of packaging and printed paper was gaining momentum and then collection of household hazardous waste, tires and e-waste moved into the mainstream. Today, the spotlight is turning on food waste – not only how we manage it as waste, but also the tremendous amount of it that is truly wasted as it moves from field to grocery store shelves to households. Estimates are that consumers alone waste 40% of the food they buy. That’s shocking, particularly in light of the millions of people around the world and in our own communities who struggle to feed themselves and their families.

This tragedy of food waste is one of the reasons why Emterra Group has introduced a new initiative under our Community Care™ program. Entitled “Plant-to-Plate”, it provides funding support to Winnipeg Harvest, the largest food bank in Manitoba, to help them expand their Community Gardens Program to feed more children and adults, as well as teach them how to grow food and make healthier food choices. We plan to expand this program to other regions. We’ve included a story about “Plant-to-Plant™” in this issue of ‘Terra Notes, along with other news about our corporate and community care efforts throughout Canada. We hope you enjoy reading our fall issue.

I can’t sign off without expressing my deep appreciation to Ernst & Young on being awarded their Entrepreneur Of The Year™ 2014 Award for the Energy and Cleantech category. Thank you to EY for that great honour. It is made possible through the ongoing efforts and contributions of our staff and business partners and I am honoured to accept this award on your behalf.

As always, Paulina, Vivian and I thank you for your business and fellowship.  We wish everyone a happy holiday season.

 

At a gala event in Toronto on October 29, 2014 global professional services firm EY presented Emterra Group Founder and CEO, Emmie Leung, with its Entrepreneur Of The Year™ 2014 Ontario award for Energy and Cleantech. Read more...

Emterra Environmental and Winnipeg Harvest are working together so kids and adults in Winnipeg have access to nutritious, locally-grown food when they need it, and at the same time learn how they can grow food to support healthy choices.

Through our Community Care™ program, Emterra is providing $60,000 to help Winnipeg Harvest expand its community gardens to grow…and to teach people how to grow…a variety of fruits and vegetables for its food bank. Read more...

In October 2014, Emterra Environmental’s Winnipeg division collected more than 1500 pounds of canned foods and non-perishable items to help feed hungry local families, thanks to the support from Emterra’s customers and staff. Food donations were collected for Winnipeg Harvest’s food bank as part of a weeklong Thanksgiving food drive. Read more...

On October 18, 2014 Emterra Environmental USA supported the American Cancer Society’s 16th annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk in downtown Flint, Michigan. To symbolize our collective efforts to fight breast cancer, we painted one of our recycling collection bins pink and to our great surprise, the bin proved to be a major focal point of the event. Read more...

The Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce recently named Emterra Group as a finalist in their 2014 Achievement for Business Excellence (ABEX) Awards, Environment category. The ABEX Awards honour outstanding achievements in business excellence in private sector enterprises. Read more...

For three consecutive years, the Emterra Group-Region of Niagara team has won recognition in the Recycling Council of Ontario’s Waste Minimization Awards program. The tally to date is a platinum top honour along with two silver place awards for the ‘Make Your Contribution at the Curb™’ (MYCATC) challenge.

Now in its third year, the challenge encourages Niagara residents to recycle more materials through their blue and grey boxes and this year, to recycle single use and rechargeable batteries. For every tonne recycled, Emterra donates money to a regional cancer treatment centre, pledging up to $500,000 over seven years. Read more...

After being lauded for its progressive environmental stewardship when it initiated a ‘bottle bill’ on cans and bottles in the mid-1970s, Michigan has since lapsed into a stagnant state of recycling inactivity. It now shoulders a recycling rate among the lowest in the US.

Michigan Governor Rick Snyder has set out to change that and Emterra Environment USA is participating on a Michigan Recycling Coalition (MRC) committee that is focused on improving recycling performance in Michigan, and improved recycling data collection is a first step. Read more...

In September 2014, Emterra Environmental staff in Regina were transformed into movie stars for a day. Their chance in front of the big lights came as a result of an Emterra-City of Regina joint venture to produce an informational video. The video takes an inside look at Regina’s Blue Cart recycling collection process and includes helpful tips to improve the city’s recycling rates. Read more...