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Community Builders Awards: This year’s Environment award winner has diverted 400 tonnes of organic waste from landfills

Food saved by the Guelph-Wellington Commercial Food Waste Diversion Collective has been converted into 62,000 meals
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Maggie Bain accepts the 2024 GuelphToday Community Builders Environment award on behalf of Guelph-Wellington’s Commercial Food Waste Diversion Collective / Kyle Rodriguez

The Circular Innovation Council (CIC) has been a leader in the realm of environmental initiatives since the 1980s. 

In 2021, the CIC launched a pilot program in Guelph which has made an incredible impact in a short period of time.

The Guelph-Wellington’s Commercial Food Waste Diversion Collective has received international recognition for its efforts in diverting surplus food and organic waste destined from landfills and recovered over $214,000 in surplus edible food since launching. 

“It’s an honour to be recognized in the community. This helps boost our confidence in knowing that what we're doing is making an impact and we’re doing something positive,” shared Maggie Bain, pilot coordinator at Circular Innovation Council.

“CIC is growing at a rate that is faster than we anticipated and this gives us even more confidence and tells us that what we're doing matters,” shared Bain. 

In addition to the 400 tonnes of organic waste diverted from landfills, the initiative has also avoided creating 2324 tonnes of CO2e emissions as taking food waste out of landfills helps avoid creating methane emissions. 

“We are immensely proud of the impact we have made in promoting sustainable practices and fostering collaboration within our community,” Bain continues. “It is truly inspiring to see our initiatives resonating with individuals and businesses alike, and we are committed to continuing our efforts to drive positive change.”

The Environment Award goes to a person or group that has had an important positive impact on our environment, both man-made and natural.

Congratulations, Guelph-Wellington Commercial Food Waste Diversion Collective! 

This award is proudly sponsored by Skyline Living.