Each year the Recycling Council of B.C. recognizes the valuable contribution that individuals and organizations make towards the preservation and protection of British Columbia's environment. 

2021 RCBC Environmental Awards Winners 

​Congratulations to all our 2021 award winners! Here's a brief on about their amazing accomplishments:

  • Private Sector: Businesses with outstanding initiatives to preserve and protect our environment. 
  • 2021 Recipient: PickEco Refills, Chilliwack
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PickEco Refills is the Fraser Valley's only zero waste grocery store. Opening in 2018 with a goal of reducing single-use plastics, PickEco has prevented over 150,000 containers from entering the waste and recycling stream by promoting a circular refill economy. In 2020, they added a compost division to the business diverting over 1000 kg of food waste a week from the landfills. PickEco is now fully carbon neutral; through demonstration and education, PickEco is teaching Fraser Valley residents how to lower their environmental impact by reducing waste, lowering their carbon footprint, while making sustainable and attainable changes.
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Factoid: The store reuses all containers and produces about one 5 gallon pail of actual garbage a month. This garbage is typically made up of stickers peeled off of jars and swept debris from the store.
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  • Innovation Award: Individual or company that achieves an outstanding technical accomplishment in design or development of a product or process that improves its sustainability or advances zero waste practices.
  • 2021 Recipient: Cadillac Fairview

Through the use of Hosted Sort Stations (HSS), food courts at Cadillac Fairview properties effectively increased the capture and diversion of the food and compostable package waste by up to 90% in volume and weight. This Front of House material, which would normally be deposited into a compactor for landfill, is collected using a tote/cart system and sent to on-site food waste composting machines.

Factoid: One of the first HSS was located at Richmond Centre mall in Richmond BC. This format for achieving and sorting multi-tenanted food court operations has now been expanded across Canada, and North America, with successful diversion programs. 
James started his illegal dumping clean ups in 2012. He has since been an integral part of the development of the Comox Valley Regional District's own illegal dumping program and changes to the region's tipping fee waiver policy. James is always striving to assist non-profits and has been a huge help in developing policies around assisting non-profit reuse stores with dump fees for material they receive after hours and improperly disposed of loads. He has also worked with many timber companies to improve efficiencies, remove hazardous materials and is working towards collaborative relationships with industry and residents to ensure waste is properly disposed of or recycled.

Factoid: Although the Comox Valley Regional District covers Jame's tipping fees, he still pays for all his transportation costs and travels even further to clean up illegal dumping!
  • Public Sector: Government officials who have demonstrated excellence and leadership in environmental protection and stewardship.
  • 2021 Recipient: Marcia Dick, City of Kamloops
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In her five years with the City of Kamloops, Marcia has been instrumental in advancing several key waste reduction initiatives, the two most significant of these are the City’s inclusion in and commitment to the Recycle BC residential recycling stewardship program, and the development of the City’s current three-phased approach to implementing curbside residential organics collection.

Whether she is involved in developing new corporate initiatives or reviewing long standing corporate practices, Marcia has a keen ability to challenge her project teams, including more senior City staff, to view waste management initiatives from the perspective of the circular economy and to adopt associated best management practices accordingly. Marcia is also leads the City's annual Waste Reduction Week campaign, coordinating various activities across the organization.

Factoid: Marcia has become a regular guest on the Midday Show, a daily TV segment focused on local news. At least once per month, Marcia is invited to meet with the host to discuss a waste reduction or general waste management topic.

  • Youth Achievement Award: Youth who demonstrates outstanding commitment and leadership in environmental stewardship. 
  • 2021 Recipient: Graydon Lawson, ReduceWasteNow
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Since August of 2018, Graydon Lawson has provided easy, actionable solutions to help the environment through his hugely popular and global Instagram account @ReduceWasteNow. His ReduceWasteNow online store, launched in May 2020, offers sustainable alternatives to everyday products. Graydon harnesses the powers of visual communication to inspire hundreds of thousands of people – from eco-warriors to the eco-curious – to reduce waste. Simple yet commanding imagery is combined with short sentences and active verbs, resulting in high-graphic content that is both powerful and easy to understand

Factoid: Graydon's Instagram account has amassed more than 330,000 organic followers in just two years!
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Lifetime Achievement Award:
Brock Macdonald, Former CEO, RCBC
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​Brock Macdonald joined The Recycling Council of British Columbia in 2004 after four years as Communications Manager with the stewardship agency Product Care. During his tenure as the organization's Chief Executive Officer, he combined his wide-ranging experience as an educator and a journalist with his two decades in waste reduction to constantly promote the circular economy as a means to achieve zero waste and sustainable economic development in BC and across Canada.

Announcing the Brock Macdonald Award, with nominations open for 2022!

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We thank all those who submitted their organizations for consideration. We congratulate all the recipients and nominees for their contributions to environmental stewardship in British Columbia.