The Woodbine Entertainment Group has announced that it will once again participate in Waste Reduction Week in Ontario, which will take place from October 20-26.

As a part of Waste Reduction Week, WEG has announced its membership in a new cigarette waste program through TerraCycle, an international upcycling and recycling company that collects difficult-to-recycle packaging and products and repurposes the material into innovative products.

“We are proud of our efforts to continue to find ways to increase our landfill avoidance,” says Garth Essery, WEG’s vice president of Property Development and the organization’s environmental officer. “Joining this program is another way in which WEG can help to make positive change. It also supports our mandate to continue to search for and implement solutions that not only reduce the footprint of our facilities but reduce operating costs and improve customer experience.”

Waste collected through the Cigarette Waste Brigade will be recycled into a variety of industrial products, such as plastic pallets, and remaining tobacco will be composted. For every pound of cigarette waste, WEG will receive 100 TerraCycle points which will be transformed into cash donations for Rexdale’s local hospital.

To further celebrate Waste Reduction Week, Halton Region Waste Management Services will host a ‘Special Waste Drop-off Day’ at the Mohawk Racetrack in Campbellville on Saturday October 25 from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Mohawk has been donating the use of its parking lot for the special waste drop-off day since 2009, diverting a total of 122 tonnes of household hazardous waste and e-waste.

Hotz Enviornmental Services Ltd. will be collecting Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) including paints, propane tanks, batteries, and many cleaning products. Artex Environmental will be accepting electronic equipment such as Tvs, computers, computer monitors, printers, stereos, VCRs, and many other electronic materials for recycling. For more information, click here.

Members of WEG’s environmental committee were presented with the Recycling Council of Ontario (RCO) top honours receiving the Platinum Minimization Award for the fourth year.

“WEG is proud to be recognized as a waste reduction champion for the sixth consecutive year,” says Wendy Loiselle, WEG’s senior manager of corporate social responsibility. “This award recognizes WEG’s leadership, excellence, and continuous improvement in waste reduction.”

WEG has been awarded with the 2010, 2011 and 2013 Ontario Waste Minimization Platinum Award by the Recycling Council of Ontario and the Ontario Waste Minimization Gold Award in 2009 and 2012.

(With files from WEG)