It's the year 2020 and our planet is in need of our help more than ever before. The good news is that there are countless eco-heroes at the ready to help save the environment. They aren't necessarily the ones running around in fancy capes, although that would be super! I'm referring to those everyday unsung heroes who are making a positive impact in their school and community, building awareness of important eco-initiatives and inspiring others to become stewards of the earth. Imagine being able to boost your impact by winning $20,000 in new technology for your school from Staples Canada by simply sharing your green initiatives in the 2020 Superpower your School Contest!   This year, Staples Canada has teamed up with EcoKids and Earth Day Canada for the 10th annual Superpower your School Contest. Up for grabs is not one, not two but TEN prizes of $20,000 in new technology from Staples Canada to be awarded to elementary and secondary schools across Canada. That's oodles of fancy gadgets and updated tech to help supplement learning in the classroom!  

How to Enter:

 

1. Confirm that your school qualifies to enter by reading the contest Eligibility and Entry Criteria.
2. Learn about the contest details by reading the contest Rules and Regulations.
3. Contact Earth Day Canada at powereco@earthday.ca to discuss your entry in advance (optional).
4. Visit staples.ca/powereco to download and complete the entry form before January 31, 2020.

1. Also, take a look at the step-by-step entry guide for additional tips to consider when filling out your entry.

It's Easy to Make a Difference

  Raise your hand if you have ever set aside special items for recycling during your community's environment day but end up forgetting all about it by the time that day arrives. Phew! I'm glad I'm not alone. Luckily, Staples Canada makes it super easy to recycle on pretty much any day of the year. For example, did you know that you could recycle used toner and ink cartridges in store? I also discovered that schools across the country can request a free ink cartridge collection bin by registering at canadaschoolrecycling.ca. This would be an excellent initiative that you could include as part of your contest entry, one that could help divert the 300 million ink cartridges that would otherwise end up in North American landfills each year. Staples Canada offers additional recycling programs as part of the company's commitment to helping schools in their efforts to save the environment. I was thrilled to learn about the following recycling programs:  

• Battery Recycling: Since 2004, Staples Canada has partnered with Call2Recycle to collect used batteries (rechargeable and alkaline) from all store locations and its Home Office, resulting in over 1 million kilograms of used household batteries that have been collected and safely recycled thus far.
• Writing Instruments: In partnership with TerraCycle®, Staples Canada has been collecting used writing instruments, such as pens, pencils, markers and highlighters at local stores, which are then shipped to TerraCycle for recycling.
• Electronics Recycling: Staples Canada and its national electronics recycling partner eCycle Solutions take back end-of-life electronics at most of its retail locations (excluding stores in Calgary, Alberta), with roughly 20.5 million kilograms of e-waste collected for recycling to date. These items include cell phones, computers, computer parts and more

With support from Staples Canada, it's never been easier to make a difference. So go ahead and get started on your next green campaign. And don't forget to share your school's efforts for a chance to win in the Superpower your School contest!  

A zero waste grocery store in Sherbrooke Avrac A'davrac provides its customers with a recovery box for non-recycled packaging such as bags of chips. These plastics are supported by TerraCycle. Réjean Blais discusses it with Mourad Ben Amor, professor at the Faculty of Engineering and specialist in Environmental Life Cycle Analysis.   The TerraCycle company manages the "non-recyclable" like coffee pods, used pens, factory plastic gloves and certain types of packaging. The company works with private collectors, large firms, SMEs, local businesses, cities in more than 21 countries. It can divert billions of waste from landfill and incineration.

A St. Catharines small business is helping Niagara up its recycling game with the hopes of ultimately enticing people to embrace a more low-waste lifestyle.   Garden City Essentials, a wellness and lifestyle boutique, is collecting packaging from health and beauty-related products to be recycled through TerraCycle.   “I feel like there’s an evolution that has to happen where people become more mindful of what they’re using, what they’re purchasing and I just really want to support that in my business,” said founder Jolene Antle.   “If I’m going to sell products, I also want to be a place where people can take things that aren’t recyclable.”   With waste overflowing in landfills and oceans, negatively impacting animals and contributing to climate change, Antle said it’s important to take responsibility of an issue we all contributed to creating.   “There’s thousands of ways we can all make changes in our daily lives.”   Even if it’s simply refusing single-use plastics or bringing reusable cups or containers to cafés or restaurants, Antle said those seemingly small changes add up to make a meaningful difference.   Four Zero Waste Boxes now sit in the front window of her James Street shop — one a free, Gillette-sponsored box collecting razor blades (of any brand), the other three she is paying for out of pocket to collect the remnants of products related to oral hygiene, beauty, personal care and cosmetics.   “I’d love to see other businesses and different institutions having boxes that relate to their products.”   It’s the smaller products — like razors, plastic tubes and caps, dental floss containers, lipstick tubes, empty makeup pallets and deodorant sticks — that aren’t accepted by some municipalities because they are small or sharp or inconvenient, said Antle. While these items are technically made of recyclable material, they can still end up in oceans or landfills.   The intention isn’t to be the place people put their packaging waste forever, she said, neither is it to judge anybody for their waste. But it was important to her to offer an alternative and hopefully incite a more thoughtful lifestyle approach.   Lifestyle changes don’t have to be instantaneous, they can happen incrementally, she said.   “I think people become more mindful and they will switch to more sustainable options when it’s time for them, when it’s accessible or when they can afford it.”   In the meantime, she said having a place to recycle those trickier items will at least keep them out of landfills.   Collected items are shipped to one of TerraCycle’s warehouses, located in 21 countries around the globe, where they are cleaned and weighed, said Sue Kauffman, the North American public relations manager.   Treatment depends on the type of material, but generally, she said it is shredded and broken down to its core elements then re-melted into pellets.   These pellets are then sold to other manufacturers to make new products like plastic decking, shipping pallets, outdoor furniture, basically any non-food grade plastic products.   “Walk through Home Depot and anything that’s plastic can be made out of this type of plastic material.”   There’s so much plastic material out there and all of it can be recycled, she said, but it often comes down to economics. Some items are just too expensive to recycle.   “Local recycling industries are trying their best, but they don’t collect everything … What we do is we pick up where local recycling facilities leave off.”   The company offers more than 150 different waste streams and both free (product-sponsored) and paid recycling programs.   In the short time since introducing the Zero Waste Boxes to her shop, Antle said she’s already seen a ton of interest and participation.   Yes, it’s a service that’s costing the shop money, but she said it’s completely worth it.   “If I can reduce my waste but also help people in my community do it, then why wouldn’t I? It seems like a small price to pay.”   For more information, or to purchase a Zero Waste Box of your own, go to terracycle.com.

A St. Catharines small business is helping Niagara up its recycling game with the hopes of ultimately enticing people to embrace a more low-waste lifestyle.   Garden City Essentials, a wellness and lifestyle boutique, is collecting packaging from health and beauty-related products to be recycled through TerraCycle.   “I feel like there’s an evolution that has to happen where people become more mindful of what they’re using, what they’re purchasing and I just really want to support that in my business,” said founder Jolene Antle.   “If I’m going to sell products, I also want to be a place where people can take things that aren’t recyclable.”   With waste overflowing in landfills and oceans, negatively impacting animals and contributing to climate change, Antle said it’s important to take responsibility of an issue we all contributed to creating.   “There’s thousands of ways we can all make changes in our daily lives.”   Even if it’s simply refusing single-use plastics or bringing reusable cups or containers to cafés or restaurants, Antle said those seemingly small changes add up to make a meaningful difference.   Four Zero Waste Boxes now sit in the front window of her James Street shop — one a free, Gillette-sponsored box collecting razor blades (of any brand), the other three she is paying for out of pocket to collect the remnants of products related to oral hygiene, beauty, personal care and cosmetics.   “I’d love to see other businesses and different institutions having boxes that relate to their products.”   It’s the smaller products — like razors, plastic tubes and caps, dental floss containers, lipstick tubes, empty makeup pallets and deodorant sticks — that aren’t accepted by some municipalities because they are small or sharp or inconvenient, said Antle. While these items are technically made of recyclable material, they can still end up in oceans or landfills.   The intention isn’t to be the place people put their packaging waste forever, she said, neither is it to judge anybody for their waste. But it was important to her to offer an alternative and hopefully incite a more thoughtful lifestyle approach.   Lifestyle changes don’t have to be instantaneous, they can happen incrementally, she said.   “I think people become more mindful and they will switch to more sustainable options when it’s time for them, when it’s accessible or when they can afford it.”   In the meantime, she said having a place to recycle those trickier items will at least keep them out of landfills.   Collected items are shipped to one of TerraCycle’s warehouses, located in 21 countries around the globe, where they are cleaned and weighed, said Sue Kauffman, the North American public relations manager.   Treatment depends on the type of material, but generally, she said it is shredded and broken down to its core elements then re-melted into pellets.   These pellets are then sold to other manufacturers to make new products like plastic decking, shipping pallets, outdoor furniture, basically any non-food grade plastic products.   “Walk through Home Depot and anything that’s plastic can be made out of this type of plastic material.”   There’s so much plastic material out there and all of it can be recycled, she said, but it often comes down to economics. Some items are just too expensive to recycle.   “Local recycling industries are trying their best, but they don’t collect everything … What we do is we pick up where local recycling facilities leave off.”   The company offers more than 150 different waste streams and both free (product-sponsored) and paid recycling programs.   In the short time since introducing the Zero Waste Boxes to her shop, Antle said she’s already seen a ton of interest and participation.   Yes, it’s a service that’s costing the shop money, but she said it’s completely worth it.   “If I can reduce my waste but also help people in my community do it, then why wouldn’t I? It seems like a small price to pay.”   For more information, or to purchase a Zero Waste Box of your own, go to terracycle.com.

The Pen Centre is challenging local artistic talent to build a team to create a masterpiece using recycled gift cards with a chance to win big money.   Artists in Niagara schools are invited to get creative to plan and design a one of a kind art piece using mostly recycled gift cards and a few recycled items. This is the first time The Pen Centre (TPC) has offered this exciting opportunity called The Pen Centre Gift Card Cycle Challenge for students in hopes of raising awareness around recycling and sustainability. According to Helen Edwards, marketing director for TPC, the idea began a few years ago when a Fonthill group called the Fonthill Nurdles approached the administration about the number of gift cards that end up in landfills. As they inquired further into the issue they found out that even though the card may be made of recycled materials not all municipalities can recycle the gift cards.   “[The gift cards] were still just being tossed out. If you think about how many billions of gift cards are out there, it broke our hearts. Shopping centres, as a whole, are a big producer of those so we thought we are going to turn this around and find a way they can be recycled properly,” said Edwards.   This started the gift card collection program. The community can bring old gift cards to customer service at TPC where they are then sent to a third party.   “We ensure they go to a company called Terracycle. They turn them into things like lawn furniture and other outdoor products and they are repurposed,” said Edwards.   Now with this challenge they are hoping to recycle and reuse even more gift cards. The participants are encouraged to start their own gift cards collection from family and friends to make their artwork.   “We really figured if we could inspire them to go out and get a collection as well, whether it be in their school or from their friends and family, we figure everybody benefits from that,” said Edwards.   To participate in the challenge, classrooms and/or school teams will fill out an application and provide a design sketch when the site goes live on Thursday January 16, 2020. The applications and design sketches are due by March 1, 2020. The Pen Centre will then notify the design teams that they can start to create their art using their collected gift cards from the community and observing the rules of the challenge. Then they will go on display at TPC to be judged and voted on by the community.   There will be three categories: elementary, secondary and post-secondary. The final judging will be done in May. The team that wins in each category will receive $1,000 for the team and $1,000 for their school.   This challenge is a great opportunity for classrooms or groups of artists to create something spectacular.   “We are hoping that teachers use it as an opportunity that if they know they have some students that are really strong when it comes to arts, they can inspire them to pull a team together.  This is a great way for a classroom to do a project to unite everybody for a common goal,” said Edwards.   Not only is this challenge keeping gift cards out of landfills, it is promoting creativity and bringing the community together through art and environmental awareness.   “For the community really the biggest hope is that it is going to highlight the amazing talent we have in the community ranging from a six year old to a university student that could be 40 to 50 years old because I think that is a strong part of who we are in St. Catharines,” said Edwards. “For the mall it is really getting the message across that we are trying to do our part to help the planet and the environment to get these gift cards out of [landfills] and if it inspires other people to think that way as well that’s the icing on the cake for us.”   Edwards and TPC have issued the challenge. Now it is time for Niagara students to put their best artistic skills to the test.

Staples Canada has teamed up with EcoKids and Earth Day Canada for the 10th annual Superpower your School Contest. Elementary and Secondary schools across Canada are invited to enter the contest for a chance to win one of 10 prizes of $20,000 in new technology from Staples.       From now until January 31, 2020, schools can share their eco-initiatives that have positively impacted their school and community and submit their entries on the contest website, staples.ca/PowerEco.   "Each year, the Superpower your School Contest recognizes schools and students that have implemented exceptional eco-initiatives to help their communities and the environment," said David Boone, Chief Executive Officer of Staples Canada. "We are happy to continue empowering these students by rewarding them with the latest technology to support them as they continue to build their awareness, consciousness and understanding of the environment."   To date, the contest has awarded 90 environmentally conscious schools with the latest technology to empower students to continue learning and developing their passion and awareness for the environment. Each year, the contest receives hundreds of entries from schools across Canada, sharing inspiring stories of what their teachers and students are doing to create a more sustainable future in their community.   To help schools prepare entries, Staples Canada, EcoKids and Earth Day Canada have assembled a series of resources, including:  

• A step-by-step entry guide
• Eligibility and entry criteria
• A set of frequently asked questions
• Rules and regulations
• Excerpts from past winning school entries

  The contest is held in collaboration with national charities, EcoKids and Earth Day Canada. EcoKids offers programs and resources for children, parents, educators, and communities in Canada to engage in environmental education. Earth Day Canada helps people and organizations reduce their environmental impact.   "We are thrilled to be working with Staples Canada again to celebrate the inspiring environmental initiatives taking place in schools across the country," said Cristina Greco, Interim Executive Director of EcoKids. "We are proud to support innovative approaches to stewardship and reward the valuable environmental work of Canadian schools and their communities."   Staples Canada helps schools make a difference Staples Canada is committed to helping schools do their part to save the environment by offering several recycling programs:  

• School Ink Recycling : Every year 300 million ink cartridges end up in North American landfills. Schools across the country can participate in this program by signing up to receive a free ink cartridge collection bin. For details and to register for a free ink bin visit canadaschoolrecycling.ca.
• Battery Recycling : Staples Canada partners with Call2Recycle to collect used batteries (rechargeable and alkaline) from all store locations and its Home Office for recycling. The partnership began in 2004 and to date over 1 million kilograms of used household batteries have been collected and safely recycled through the program.
• Writing Instruments: In 2012, Staples Canada launched a writing instrument recycling program in partnership with TerraCycle®. The program encourages customers to drop off used writing instruments, such as pens, pencils, markets and highlighters at local stores, which are then shipped to TerraCycle for recycling.
• Electronics Recycling : Staples Canada and its national electronics recycling partner eCycle Solutions take back end-of-life electronics at almost all of its retail locations (excluding stores in Calgary, Alberta). Recyclable items accepted include cell phones, computers, computer parts and more. To date, Staples Canada has collected 20.5 million kilograms of e-waste for recycling through its electronics recycling program.

Join the Conversation Follow Staples Canada on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook and join the conversation using #PowerEco.

Throughout the month of November, the ecological committee of the Triolet school collected the Halloween candy packaging in order to send it to the waste management company TerraCycle, which will recycle it.   Thank you to the students who are helping to save the planet, one small gesture at a time!          

Staples Canada has teamed up with EcoKids and Earth Day Canada for the 10th annual Superpower your School Contest. Elementary and Secondary schools across Canada are invited to enter the contest for a chance to win one of 10 prizes of $20,000 in new technology from Staples.       From now until January 31, 2020, schools can share their eco-initiatives that have positively impacted their school and community and submit their entries on the contest website, staples.ca/PowerEco.   "Each year, the Superpower your School Contest recognizes schools and students that have implemented exceptional eco-initiatives to help their communities and the environment," said David Boone, Chief Executive Officer of Staples Canada. "We are happy to continue empowering these students by rewarding them with the latest technology to support them as they continue to build their awareness, consciousness and understanding of the environment."   To date, the contest has awarded 90 environmentally conscious schools with the latest technology to empower students to continue learning and developing their passion and awareness for the environment. Each year, the contest receives hundreds of entries from schools across Canada, sharing inspiring stories of what their teachers and students are doing to create a more sustainable future in their community.   To help schools prepare entries, Staples Canada, EcoKids and Earth Day Canada have assembled a series of resources, including:  

• A step-by-step entry guide
• Eligibility and entry criteria
• A set of frequently asked questions
• Rules and regulations
• Excerpts from past winning school entries

  The contest is held in collaboration with national charities, EcoKids and Earth Day Canada. EcoKids offers programs and resources for children, parents, educators, and communities in Canada to engage in environmental education. Earth Day Canada helps people and organizations reduce their environmental impact.   "We are thrilled to be working with Staples Canada again to celebrate the inspiring environmental initiatives taking place in schools across the country," said Cristina Greco, Interim Executive Director of EcoKids. "We are proud to support innovative approaches to stewardship and reward the valuable environmental work of Canadian schools and their communities."   Staples Canada helps schools make a difference Staples Canada is committed to helping schools do their part to save the environment by offering several recycling programs:  

• School Ink Recycling : Every year 300 million ink cartridges end up in North American landfills. Schools across the country can participate in this program by signing up to receive a free ink cartridge collection bin. For details and to register for a free ink bin visit canadaschoolrecycling.ca.
• Battery Recycling : Staples Canada partners with Call2Recycle to collect used batteries (rechargeable and alkaline) from all store locations and its Home Office for recycling. The partnership began in 2004 and to date over 1 million kilograms of used household batteries have been collected and safely recycled through the program.
• Writing Instruments: In 2012, Staples Canada launched a writing instrument recycling program in partnership with TerraCycle®. The program encourages customers to drop off used writing instruments, such as pens, pencils, markets and highlighters at local stores, which are then shipped to TerraCycle for recycling.
• Electronics Recycling : Staples Canada and its national electronics recycling partner eCycle Solutions take back end-of-life electronics at almost all of its retail locations (excluding stores in Calgary, Alberta). Recyclable items accepted include cell phones, computers, computer parts and more. To date, Staples Canada has collected 20.5 million kilograms of e-waste for recycling through its electronics recycling program.

Join the Conversation Follow Staples Canada on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook and join the conversation using #PowerEco.

Staples Canada has teamed up with EcoKid Staples Canada has teamed up with EcoKids and Earth Day Canada for the 10th annual Superpower your School Contest. Elementary and Secondary schools across Canada are invited to enter the contest for a chance to win one of 10 prizes of $20,000 in new technology from Staples.       From now until January 31, 2020, schools can share their eco-initiatives that have positively impacted their school and community and submit their entries on the contest website, staples.ca/PowerEco.   "Each year, the Superpower your School Contest recognizes schools and students that have implemented exceptional eco-initiatives to help their communities and the environment," said David Boone, Chief Executive Officer of Staples Canada. "We are happy to continue empowering these students by rewarding them with the latest technology to support them as they continue to build their awareness, consciousness and understanding of the environment."   To date, the contest has awarded 90 environmentally conscious schools with the latest technology to empower students to continue learning and developing their passion and awareness for the environment. Each year, the contest receives hundreds of entries from schools across Canada, sharing inspiring stories of what their teachers and students are doing to create a more sustainable future in their community.   To help schools prepare entries, Staples Canada, EcoKids and Earth Day Canada have assembled a series of resources, including:  

• A step-by-step entry guide
• Eligibility and entry criteria
• A set of frequently asked questions
• Rules and regulations
• Excerpts from past winning school entries

  The contest is held in collaboration with national charities, EcoKids and Earth Day Canada. EcoKids offers programs and resources for children, parents, educators, and communities in Canada to engage in environmental education. Earth Day Canada helps people and organizations reduce their environmental impact.   "We are thrilled to be working with Staples Canada again to celebrate the inspiring environmental initiatives taking place in schools across the country," said Cristina Greco, Interim Executive Director of EcoKids. "We are proud to support innovative approaches to stewardship and reward the valuable environmental work of Canadian schools and their communities."   Staples Canada helps schools make a difference Staples Canada is committed to helping schools do their part to save the environment by offering several recycling programs:  

• School Ink Recycling : Every year 300 million ink cartridges end up in North American landfills. Schools across the country can participate in this program by signing up to receive a free ink cartridge collection bin. For details and to register for a free ink bin visit canadaschoolrecycling.ca.
• Battery Recycling : Staples Canada partners with Call2Recycle to collect used batteries (rechargeable and alkaline) from all store locations and its Home Office for recycling. The partnership began in 2004 and to date over 1 million kilograms of used household batteries have been collected and safely recycled through the program.
• Writing Instruments: In 2012, Staples Canada launched a writing instrument recycling program in partnership with TerraCycle®. The program encourages customers to drop off used writing instruments, such as pens, pencils, markets and highlighters at local stores, which are then shipped to TerraCycle for recycling.
• Electronics Recycling : Staples Canada and its national electronics recycling partner eCycle Solutions take back end-of-life electronics at almost all of its retail locations (excluding stores in Calgary, Alberta). Recyclable items accepted include cell phones, computers, computer parts and more. To date, Staples Canada has collected 20.5 million kilograms of e-waste for recycling through its electronics recycling program.

Join the Conversation Follow Staples Canada on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook and join the conversation using #PowerEco.   s and Earth Day Canada for the 10th annual Superpower your School Contest. Elementary and Secondary schools across Canada are invited to enter the contest for a chance to win one of 10 prizes of $20,000 in new technology from Staples.       From now until January 31, 2020, schools can share their eco-initiatives that have positively impacted their school and community and submit their entries on the contest website, staples.ca/PowerEco.   "Each year, the Superpower your School Contest recognizes schools and students that have implemented exceptional eco-initiatives to help their communities and the environment," said David Boone, Chief Executive Officer of Staples Canada. "We are happy to continue empowering these students by rewarding them with the latest technology to support them as they continue to build their awareness, consciousness and understanding of the environment."   To date, the contest has awarded 90 environmentally conscious schools with the latest technology to empower students to continue learning and developing their passion and awareness for the environment. Each year, the contest receives hundreds of entries from schools across Canada, sharing inspiring stories of what their teachers and students are doing to create a more sustainable future in their community.   To help schools prepare entries, Staples Canada, EcoKids and Earth Day Canada have assembled a series of resources, including:  

• A step-by-step entry guide
• Eligibility and entry criteria
• A set of frequently asked questions
• Rules and regulations
• Excerpts from past winning school entries

  The contest is held in collaboration with national charities, EcoKids and Earth Day Canada. EcoKids offers programs and resources for children, parents, educators, and communities in Canada to engage in environmental education. Earth Day Canada helps people and organizations reduce their environmental impact.   "We are thrilled to be working with Staples Canada again to celebrate the inspiring environmental initiatives taking place in schools across the country," said Cristina Greco, Interim Executive Director of EcoKids. "We are proud to support innovative approaches to stewardship and reward the valuable environmental work of Canadian schools and their communities."   Staples Canada helps schools make a difference Staples Canada is committed to helping schools do their part to save the environment by offering several recycling programs:  

• School Ink Recycling : Every year 300 million ink cartridges end up in North American landfills. Schools across the country can participate in this program by signing up to receive a free ink cartridge collection bin. For details and to register for a free ink bin visit canadaschoolrecycling.ca.
• Battery Recycling : Staples Canada partners with Call2Recycle to collect used batteries (rechargeable and alkaline) from all store locations and its Home Office for recycling. The partnership began in 2004 and to date over 1 million kilograms of used household batteries have been collected and safely recycled through the program.
• Writing Instruments: In 2012, Staples Canada launched a writing instrument recycling program in partnership with TerraCycle®. The program encourages customers to drop off used writing instruments, such as pens, pencils, markets and highlighters at local stores, which are then shipped to TerraCycle for recycling.
• Electronics Recycling : Staples Canada and its national electronics recycling partner eCycle Solutions take back end-of-life electronics at almost all of its retail locations (excluding stores in Calgary, Alberta). Recyclable items accepted include cell phones, computers, computer parts and more. To date, Staples Canada has collected 20.5 million kilograms of e-waste for recycling through its electronics recycling program.

Join the Conversation Follow Staples Canada on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook and join the conversation using #PowerEco.