HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA (March 10, 2014) – Two post-secondary student teams from Memorial University of Newfoundland and Dalhousie University have been named 2014 Scotiabank EcoLiving Green Challenge Regional Champions by this country’s largest student leadership development organization, Enactus Canada, and proud program supporter, Scotiabank.
The Scotiabank EcoLiving Green Challenge empowers post-secondary students to develop and deliver projects that teach viable solutions to relevant environmental issues. Since 2010, 2,372 students have helped conserve 23,883,374 litres of water, diverted 2,047,578 pounds of waste and introduced 596 businesses to green business practices.
“We are proud to support this important educational initiative as part of our flagship environmental program, Scotiabank EcoLiving,” said Kaz Flinn, Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility for Scotiabank. “Canadians are increasingly interested in reducing their impact on the environment and this challenge speaks to students’ eagerness to develop new and innovative ways to help them do just that. I would like to congratulate this year’s competitors for their efforts and their imaginative projects.”
The following Enactus student teams from Memorial University of Newfoundland and Dalhousie University stood out to the judges at the Enactus Canada Regional Exposition – Atlantic Canada on March 7 because of their dedication to tackling local environmental issues:
Through Project Bottlepreneur, an entrepreneurial recycling pick-up business, Enactus Memorial increased the daily income of 12 disenfranchised bottle collectors from four dollars to $20 per hour, provided recycling services to over 1,700 households and recycled almost 1.2 million bottles and cans last year alone.
Enactus Dalhousie partnered with the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation (NSLC) to develop new environmental standards, an education initiative and sustainable business practices across all 106 NSLC locations across the province with a goal of 95% waste diversion from Nova Scotia landfills by January 2015.
“These teams are making a real impact on the long term sustainability of their communities through their environmental education projects,” says Nicole Almond, Enactus Canada president. “They are a perfect example of how our high impact, values-driven Enactus student leaders are building a greener Canada.”
These teams will now move on to the national level of competition taking place April 28-30 at the 2014 Enactus Canada National Exposition in Calgary, Alberta.
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Jody Lundrigan
Director of Communications
Enactus Canada
E: jody@enactus.ca
P:416.304.1566 ext.222
M: 416.346.0131