The cornerstone of sustainability is behaviour change. Sustainability requires individuals and businesses to act (e.g., reduce waste, increase water and energy efficiency, and prevent pollution). To date, most programs to achieve these changes have relied upon disseminating information. Research demonstrates, however, that simply providing information has little or no effect on what people or businesses do. But if not ads, brochures or booklets, then what?

Over the last decade, a new approach, community-based social marketing, has emerged as an effective alternative for promoting sustainable behaviour. The founder of community-based social marketing, Dr. Doug McKenzie–Mohr, delivered a Fostering Sustainable Behaviour workshop on June 2 & 3, 2011, hosted by the Recycling Council of Alberta. This two-day workshop provided a comprehensive introduction to community–based social marketing and how it is being applied throughout the world to foster sustainable behaviour. Workshop participants learned the five steps of community–based social marketing (selecting behaviours, identifying barriers & benefits, developing strategies, conducting a pilot, and broad scale implementation) and were exposed to numerous case studies illustrating its use. In addition, participants gained experience in applying the concepts of community-based social marketing to actual programs, focussing on waste reduction and recycling examples wherever possible.

The RCA hosted this workshop to engage its members (and other interested parties) in a discussion on the issues and future opportunities within waste management and to gain feedback on members' perspectives and experiences in the industry.

The workshop was held on Thursday April 14, 2011, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
at the Sandman Hotel in Grande Prairie (9805 - 100th Street).

Workshop Agenda

Who should attend:

• Municipal Administrators
• Councillors
• Recycling Industry Representatives
• Recycling Program Managers
• RCA Members
• Potential RCA Members

The ICI Committee's goal is to encourage and assist the ICI and C&D sectors to responsibly manage their waste stream, assume product stewardship, increase recycled content and conserve resources.

After a number of successful initiatives focusing on the C&D sector, the ICI Committee is planning to switch gears and focus its attention on the ICI sector. RCA members were encouraged to participate in tackling this portion of the waste pie by joining us in prioritizing the future direction of the ICI Committee at a workshop held on Oct. 14, 2009 in Calgary.

RCA and mwin administered these workshops hosted by Environment Canada and Natural Resources Canada. Representatives from Canadian municipalities were invited to attend. The workshop was held twice, one in the Toronto area (Feb. 23, 2006), and one at the Delta Calgary Airport Hotel (Mar. 2, 2006).

View the agenda for the Calgary workshop - click here.

Speaker Presentations:

Introduction 333.96 Kb - Christina Seidel, Recycling Council of Alberta
Overview 571.90 Kb - Michael Can, TSH Engineers Architects and Planners
Composting 1.09 Mb - Paul van der Werf, 2cg Inc.
Anaerobic Digestion 1.49 Mb - Maria Kelleher, Kelleher Environmental
Thermal Treatment 1.51 Mb - Konrad Fichtner, Gartner Lee
Landfill (Sanitary and Enhanced Treatment Landfill) 1.17 Mb - Neil MacDonald, CH2M Hill

Final Report:
Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Options: Integrating Organics Management and Residual Treatment/Disposal 3.62 Mb

The Recycling Council of Alberta (RCA), Alberta Plastics Recycling Association (APRA) and Alberta Environment teamed up to offer Plastics Recycling Refreshers for municipalities in June of 2005. Workshops were held in Edmonton and in Airdrie.