Celebrating fall colours and Circular Economy Month

Waste Reduction Week takes place October 17-23

Welcome October, a month that really shines in New Brunswick. Our roads and highways become corridors of colour, and our waterways reflect the bright reds, oranges and yellows of the trees as they prepare to shed their leaves for winter. We are known as the Picture Province for good reason!

October is also traditionally when Waste Reduction Week is held in Canada. Originally launched in 2001 by the Circular Innovation Council, its goal was to engage youth, educators, policy makers, businesses and communities on waste reduction practices and recycling, as well as celebrate environmental achievements. Within recent years, however, we realized that we need to do more than simply reduce, reuse and recycle if we want to make a difference on climate change. We now are focused on transitioning to a circular economy.

What is a circular economy, you ask? Historically, products were designed with no consideration of the waste left behind. The best examples of this are plastic bags and straws. We use millions every day and most end up in our landfills, or worse, in our ecosystems with catastrophic results. A circular economy is one that involves designing products to be reused or reinvested into new products again and again.

To highlight and educate Canadians about a circular economy, the Circular Innovation Council has decided to extend Waste Reduction Week in Canada to Circular Economy Month. The third week of October will continue as Waste Reduction Week, while the other three weeks of October will focus on introducing the concept of circular economy, as well as highlighting the social, environmental and economic benefits. The Circular Innovation Council has dedicated a different theme for each week and invites Canadians to become involved by organizing events and helping to spread the word.

To find out more about how you can help advance a circular economy, please visit https://wrwcanada.com/en. In the meantime, head out and enjoy the October show.