VANCOUVER, BC, March 10, 2021 /CNW/ – Implementing waste prevention strategies in a handful of Canadian sectors could create tens of thousands of jobs and billions in revenue, while significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions and waste each year, according to a new report released today by the National Zero Waste Council.
Waste Prevention: The Environmental and Economic Benefits for Canada presents 15 specific waste-prevention business cases for six key sectors of the Canadian economy, and outlines the opportunities for positive environmental, social and economic impacts that would accrue by addressing waste at its source.
“Waste prevention must be part of the environmental conversation in Canada, since Canadians produce the most waste in the world on a per-capita basis,” said Jack Froese, Chair of the National Zero Waste Council. “This report is the first of its kind for Canada, and is a first of many steps toward waste prevention being realized in this country. We hope to spur discussion and action by highlighting the actions businesses and governments can take to prevent waste and promote the circular economy.”
The report explores the integral role waste prevention plays in the circular economy and presents the opportunities available to Canadian businesses. Waste prevention, also known as reduction-at-source, ensures waste is not created in the first place and is the initial step in the waste-management hierarchy.
The report outlines 15 specific waste-prevention business cases for the following sectors: construction, manufacturing, healthcare, agriculture, plastics and retail. These sectors were chosen for the large amount of waste they produce and the viability of waste-prevention interventions. Each case is evaluated based on its potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, create jobs, prevent waste and provide other benefits, and is based on effective strategies, such as modular construction, reverse logistics and design for reuse, repair and disassembly.
If widely implemented by government and industry, the cases presented could have profound impacts on the environment and economy, potentially preventing five million tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions and 4.9 million tonnes of waste annually (including 1.1 million tonnes of plastics), while creating about 20,000 jobs and $41 billion in additional revenue each year.
“These business cases represent a shift away from ‘business as usual’ and involve using new technologies, designing products differently, expanding goods-as-a-service models and finding new markets for underutilized outputs,” said National Zero Waste Council Vice-Chair Jim Downham. “By providing clear business cases, the National Zero Waste Council seeks to equip business and government decision makers with the information they need to make investment and policy decisions around waste prevention.”
The National Zero Waste Council, an initiative of Metro Vancouver, is leading Canada’s transition to a circular economy by bringing together governments, businesses and NGOs to advance a waste prevention agenda that maximizes economic opportunities for the benefit of all Canadians.
Media Contacts:
Teghan Acres, Communications Coordinator, National Zero Waste Council, 604.809.7131, [email protected]
Jennifer Saltman, Media Relations Officer, Metro Vancouver, 604.314.5964, [email protected]
TORONTO – Strength in the base metal and technology sectors helped Canada’s main stock index gain almost 100 points on Friday, while U.S. stock markets also climbed higher.
The S&P/TSX composite index closed up 93.51 points at 23,568.65.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 297.01 points at 41,393.78. The S&P 500 index was up 30.26 points at 5,626.02, while the Nasdaq composite was up 114.30 points at 17,683.98.
The Canadian dollar traded for 73.61 cents US compared with 73.58 cents US on Thursday.
The October crude oil contract was down 32 cents at US$68.65 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was down five cents at US$2.31 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was up US$30.10 at US$2,610.70 an ounce and the December copper contract was up four cents US$4.24 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
OTTAWA – Statistics Canada says wholesale sales, excluding petroleum, petroleum products, and other hydrocarbons and excluding oilseed and grain, rose 0.4 per cent to $82.7 billion in July.
The increase came as sales in the miscellaneous subsector gained three per cent to reach $10.5 billion in July, helped by strength in the agriculture supplies industry group, which rose 9.2 per cent.
The food, beverage and tobacco subsector added 1.7 per cent to total $15 billion in July.
The personal and household goods subsector fell 2.5 per cent to $12.1 billion.
In volume terms, overall wholesale sales rose 0.5 per cent in July.
Statistics Canada started including oilseed and grain as well as the petroleum and petroleum products subsector as part of wholesale trade last year, but is excluding the data from monthly analysis until there is enough historical data.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was up more than 150 points in late-morning trading, helped by strength in the base metal and energy sectors, while U.S. stock markets were mixed.
The S&P/TSX composite index was up 172.18 points at 23,383.35.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 34.99 points at 40,826.72. The S&P 500 index was up 10.56 points at 5,564.69, while the Nasdaq composite was up 74.84 points at 17,470.37.
The Canadian dollar traded for 73.55 cents US compared with 73.59 cents US on Wednesday.
The October crude oil contract was up $2.00 at US$69.31 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was up five cents at US$2.32 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was up US$40.00 at US$2,582.40 an ounce and the December copper contract was up six cents at US$4.20 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
