Metro educates students on waste reduction

For a second year in a row, Metro, together with the Recycling Council of Ontario (RCO), have launched the Waste-Free Lunch Challenge in schools across Ontario.

The program takes place during Waste Reduction Week (Oct. 17-21) and is aimed at helping schools decrease the amount of garbage they produce and to educate about waste reduction.

"The first steps toward taking environmentally responsible action is education and awareness," said Johanne Choinière, senior vice-president, Metro Ontario. "Metro is proud to continue the Waste-Free Lunch Challenge for a second year, further educating Ontario students on sustainability and the importance of waste reduction."

To kick off this year's Waste Reduction Week, Metro is taking 50 students to visit the Peel Integrated Waste Management Facility in Brampton.

A major source of waste in Ontario is a school lunches; the average student's lunch generates 30 kilograms of waste per school year.

During the week, students from registered classrooms will commit to bringing a waste-free lunch everyday.

A waste-free lunch (sometimes called litter-less, smart, boomerang, garbage-less or waste-not lunch) contains no throwaway packaging and features re-sealable containers.

Classrooms and schools in Ontario will have the opportunity to win various prizes including $1,000 environmental grants to high-performing and most improved schools and educational tours of waste facilities within their region.