Calgary businesses discover going green can be good for the bottom line

As Calgary businesses and organizations prepare for recycling rules that go into effect on November 1, some have discovered going green is also good for their bottom line.

READ MORE: Recycling rules coming to Calgary businesses November 1

Last spring, Symons Valley Farmers Market hired a third-party recycling consultant and hauler to conduct a waste audit and recommend changes.

At the time, the market was only recycling cardboard and bottles. Little Big Recycling found other materials the market could recycle.

“Plastics…they have metals, they have glass,” said Tracey Dennehy of Little Big Recycling. “After we originally did those, we added organics on top of that. So that’s what they’re sitting at – close to 75 per cent (waste diversion) at this point.”

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Still, Crystal Boys of the Symons Valley Farmers’ Market was worried. She thought the total cost for removal fees (waste and recycling) would go up. But instead, they fell.

“The bill was quite large; it was $2,500 a month,” Boys said.

“And now we’re down to just under $1,000 a month. So not only did we go green, but we saved quite a bit of money.”

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For more information on recycling changes from the City of Calgary, visit the website here

Mountain Equipment Coop (MEC) had a similar experience after starting a recycling program 16 years ago.

“At that point we did our first waste audit and we found we were recycling or diverting probably around 50 per cent of our waste,” recalled Brad Clute, a regional sustainability coordinator with MEC.

“So within the first couple of years we got it up to the mid-80s to the point now where we’re sitting around 95 per cent.”

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Clute said it wasn’t really that hard to set up and maintain.

“I think most of it is people just not being aware of how simple it is to make the change, or they’re not aware of what the first steps should be. So we order bins, then what?”

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Both the Symons Valley Farmers’ Market and MEC hire third-party haulers to remove their waste and recycling.

But the city expects many smaller companies will do their own hauling to community recycling depots.