Green Action Centre (GAC) Formally known as the Recycling Council of Manitoba and the Resource Conservation Manitoba is an environmental,

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

based in

Manitoba, Canada Manitoba is a province of Canada at the longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's fifth-most populous province, with a population of 1,342,153 as of 2021. Manitoba has a widely varied landscape, from arctic tundra and the Hudson B ...

. It includes promoting greener living through

environmental education Environmental education (EE) refers to organized efforts to teach how natural environments function, and particularly, how human beings can manage behavior and ecosystems to live sustainably. It is a multi-disciplinary field integrating discipli ...

for households, workplaces, schools, and communities. It also develops and advocates environmental policies for the Manitoba communities. Its primary areas of activity include; green

commuting Commuting is periodically recurring travel between a place of residence and place of work or study, where the traveler, referred to as a commuter, leaves the boundary of their home community. By extension, it can sometimes be any regular o ...

composting Compost is a mixture of ingredients used as plant fertilizer and to improve soil's physical, chemical, and biological properties. It is commonly prepared by Decomposition, decomposing plant and food waste, recycling organic materials, and man ...

and waste,

sustainable living Sustainable living describes a lifestyle (sociology), lifestyle that attempts to reduce the use of Earth's natural resources by an individual or society. Its practitioners often attempt to reduce their ecological footprint (including their carbo ...

, and resource conservation.

History

The Green Action Centre (GAC) was founded on February 14, 1985, in

Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,607 and a metropolitan population of 834,678, making ...

with the goal of promoting recycling and thus reducing landfill. With the support of schools, recycling groups, and municipal officials GAC created recycling depots in various locations around Winnipeg, such as community centers. Much of the work of collecting, sorting, and shipping the recyclables was done by volunteers. The group also met with the City of Winnipeg and Manitoba provincial officials to urge the establishment of a permanent recycling (blue box) program for Winnipeg. The reinvented organization declared a broader mission in the promotion of

ecological sustainability Sustainability is a social goal for people to co-exist on Earth over a long period of time. Definitions of this term are disputed and have varied with literature, context, and time. Sustainability usually has three dimensions (or pillars): env ...

and ventured into new areas beyond

waste reduction Waste minimisation is a set of processes and practices intended to reduce the amount of waste produced. By reducing or eliminating the generation of harmful and persistent wastes, waste minimisation supports efforts to promote a more sustain ...

climate change Present-day climate change includes both global warming—the ongoing increase in Global surface temperature, global average temperature—and its wider effects on Earth's climate system. Climate variability and change, Climate change in ...

sustainable transportation Sustainable transport is transportation sustainable in terms of their social and environmental impacts. Components for evaluating sustainability include the particular vehicles used; the source of energy; and the infrastructure used to accommod ...

, and green living. New initiatives were developed and additional staff was hired to conduct programs of public environmental education. GAC formally changed its name from Resource Conservation Manitoba to the Green Action Centre in September 2010. Today, the organization is still involved in a range of environmental initiatives in Manitoba.

Organization Structure

Green Action Centre describes itself as "a non-profit, non-governmental hub for greener living based in Winnipeg, serving Manitoba." It is incorporated as a non-profit corporation under Manitoba legislation and is a federally registered charity. The center is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors elected by members at an annual general meeting. Green Action Centre has a growing list of approximately 2,000 individual supporters. The agency is a member of the Manitoba Eco-Network and Green Communities Canada. Programs and outreach are supported by donations from individuals, grants from foundations and governments, and sponsorships.

Program areas

''Active and Safe Routes to School''

The Active and Safe Routes to School program works with schools and communities to help them encourage kids to walk and

bike A bicycle, also called a pedal cycle, bike, push-bike or cycle, is a human-powered or motor-assisted, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, with two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A is called a cyclist, or bicyclist. B ...

to school. The program promotes active transportation to keep children healthy and safer, and to ensure they have clean air to breathe.

''Composting''

Green Action Centre runs a

compost Compost is a mixture of ingredients used as plant fertilizer and to improve soil's physical, chemical, and biological properties. It is commonly prepared by Decomposition, decomposing plant and food waste, recycling organic materials, and man ...

promotion project to provide information, resources, and support for composting across Manitoba. They offer free public workshops for residents including backyard composting, winter composting, and worm composting. The organization also coordinates a Master Composter program that provides in-depth training on composting to individuals who become volunteer composting trainers. Green Action Composting also works with schools and communities to develop individualized programs.

''Environmental Speakers Bureau''

The Environmental Speakers Bureau offers classroom environmental presentations for schools in Winnipeg. Topics include

recycling Recycling is the process of converting waste materials into new materials and objects. This concept often includes the recovery of energy from waste materials. The recyclability of a material depends on its ability to reacquire the propert ...

, litterless lunches,

, climate change, water, and the concept of the

ecological footprint The ecological footprint measures human demand on natural capital, i.e. the quantity of nature it takes to support people and their economies. It tracks human demand on nature through an ecological accounting system. The accounts contrast the biolo ...

. Presentations are offered for ages ranging from Nursery to Grade 12. The program delivers over 300 presentations annually to schools in Winnipeg and by special arrangement, delivers in-service workshops on environmental education for teachers across Manitoba. This popular school program is supported by the Manitoba Department of Conservation and Water Stewardship and by donations from individuals.

''Living Green Living Well''

Living Green Living Well is a program that offers ideas and tips for households, schools, and businesses to help reduce their environmental impact. The project offers presentations to community organizations and workplaces on environmental topics including green cleaning products,

greenwashing Greenwashing (a compound word modeled on "whitewash"), also called green sheen, is a form of advertising or marketing spin that deceptively uses green PR and green marketing to persuade the public that an organization's products, goals, or ...

pesticides Pesticides are substances that are used to pest control, control pest (organism), pests. They include herbicides, insecticides, nematicides, fungicides, and many others (see table). The most common of these are herbicides, which account for a ...

sustainable agriculture Sustainable agriculture is agriculture, farming in sustainability, sustainable ways meeting society's present food and textile needs, without compromising the ability for current or future generations to meet their needs. It can be based on an ...

, and

water conservation Water conservation aims to sustainably manage the natural resource of fresh water, protect the hydrosphere, and meet current and future human demand. Water conservation makes it possible to avoid water scarcity. It covers all the policies, strateg ...

. The program also runs a blog commenting on environmental news affecting Manitoba.

''Workplace Commuter Options''

Green Action Centre works with companies and their employees to promote

commuter Commuting is periodically recurring travel between a place of residence and place of work or study, where the traveler, referred to as a commuter, leaves the boundary of their home community. By extension, it can sometimes be any regular o ...

options other than single-passenger automobiles. The program helps employers develop supportive policies and programs to support

biking Cycling, also known as bicycling or biking, is the activity of riding a bicycle or other types of pedal-driven human-powered vehicles such as balance bikes, unicycles, tricycles, and quadricycles. Cycling is practised around the world fo ...

, busing,

carpooling Carpooling is the sharing of car A car, or an automobile, is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of cars state that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people rather ...

or other forms of transportation that reduce the greenhouse gas impact of

. Green Action Centre's Workplace Commuter Options program has worked with: * Assiniboine Credit Union *Boeing Winnipeg * Health Sciences Centre *Integrated Designs *

International Institute for Sustainable Development The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) is an independent think tank founded in 1990 working to shape and inform international policy on sustainable development governance. The institute has three offices in Canada - Winni ...

Manitoba Hydro The Manitoba Hydro-Electric Board (), operating as Manitoba Hydro, is the electric power and natural gas public utility, utility in the province of Manitoba, Canada. Founded in 1961, it is a provincial Crown Corporation, governed by the Manitoba ...

MTS Allstream Bell MTS Inc. (formerly Manitoba Telecom Services) is a subsidiary of BCE Inc. that operates telecommunications services in Manitoba. Originally established as Manitoba Government Telephones after the Government of Manitoba purchased the Manit ...

*National Leasing *

Public Works and Government Services Canada Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC; ),''Public Services and Procurement Canada'' is the applied title under the Federal Identity Program; the legal title is Department of Public Works and Government Services (). formerly Public Works ...

*Taylor McCaffrey LLP *

Transport Canada Transport Canada () is the Ministry (government department), department within the Government of Canada responsible for developing regulations, Policy, policies and Public services, services of road, rail, marine and air Transport in Canada, tra ...

*United Way of Winnipeg

''Seasonal programs''

Green Action Centre runs several seasonal programs throughout the year, often in partnership with national organizations.

Car Free Day

Green Action Centre is the local coordinator for Car Free Day in Winnipeg. Car Free Day takes place on September 22 each year and is observed in many cities across

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

and around the world. The event encourages motorists to leave their cars at home and try an alternative method of commuting for a day.

Commuter Challenge

The annual Commuter Challenge takes place during Environment Week (the first week of June). It is a fierce but friendly competition that encourages participants at registered workplaces to choose environmentally preferable methods of travel to and from work during the week. In June 2014, with Green Action Centre's leadership and support, Winnipeg once again won the national Commuter Challenge (for the 11th time in the past 12 years) by registering the highest percentage of green commuters at Winnipeg workplaces during the week. The City of Thompson also won for the third straight year in its population category.

Waste Reduction Week

Waste Reduction Week is a national event across Canada that encourages businesses, communities, schools, organizations, and individuals to reduce their waste, recycle and undertake other environmentally friendly initiatives. The event takes place during the third week of October each year. Green Action Centre coordinates activities in Winnipeg for the event and is one of the coordinating organizations across Manitoba. Green Action Centre receives support for the program from Manitoba Conservation, Manitoba Hydro and the City of Winnipeg Water and Waste Department.

Walk to School Month

International Walk to School Month ("IWALK") promotes walking and cycling to students during October each year. Green Action Centre coordinates IWALK in Manitoba.

Policy Committee

Green Action Centre has a policy committee made up of board members, staff, and volunteers that develop policies on environmental issues in Manitoba. Some of the policy areas developed by the committee include: waste reduction,

, climate change,

land use planning Land use planning or ''Land-use regulation'' is the process of regulating the Land use, use of land by a central authority. Usually, this is done to promote more desirable social and environmental outcomes as well as a more efficient resource u ...

energy policy Energy policies are the government's strategies and decisions regarding the Energy production, production, Energy distribution, distribution, and World energy supply and consumption, consumption of energy within a specific jurisdiction. Energy ...

, and food and agriculture.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Green Action Centre
Environmental organizations based in Manitoba