Community Feature: Banff Isn’t Disposable

6 months. That’s how long it took Banffite Luna Kawano to launch a reusable container program in Banff. If you think it’s not possible to take environmental action quickly, Banff Isn’t Disposable proves you wrong.

Kawano launched the project after returning home from her university studies during the pandemic. She wanted to do something that would help the environment and community, so she started by looking through the Town of Banff’s Environmental Master Plan. When the document asked the question, “how might Banff eliminate single use items and plastics from the townsite?” Kawano felt compelled to find the answer.

“Because we were able to prove that this worked, there is so much excitement in the community.””

— Luna Kawano, Banff Isn't Disposable

Reusable container programs have the potential to eliminate single-use items by providing an alternative to takeout containers. Businesses charge a deposit fee to customers which they get back when the container is returned. “This model has worked in other cities, but it’s not necessarily normalized here,” says Kawano. “I wanted to prove that we could take a problem and work on a solution, from idea to completion.”

With support from Kawano’s university and the Town of Banff, as well as from locals and 8 Banff businesses, over 500 takeout containers were diverted from landfill through reuse in the 2021 summer pilot project. And momentum is building – dozens of locals signed up to volunteer with Banff Isn’t Disposable to educate the public on reuse, and the Town of Banff is shifting bylaws to reduce single-use items.

“Even though society is building knowledge around environmental issues, we’re not going faster in implementing solutions,” says Kawano. “But we can make a difference, even if it starts with just one issue. Because we were able to prove that this worked, there is so much excitement in the community.”

This September, Test Drive an Electric Vehicle!

Biosphere Institute is bringing the Plug ‘n’ Drive Mobile Electric Vehicle Education Trailer (MEET) to Banff and Canmore in September! This is a hub for electric vehicle education and awareness, and there will be free, bookable test drives available. For dates and information, visit https://www.plugndrive.ca/meet-banff-canmore/

Book a test drive

Welcome, Heidi!

Raised by the Bow River and the surrounding summits within Treaty 7 territory, Heidi is deeply committed to educating on behalf of this place that shaped her. As our new Environmental Educator, Heidi both coordinates and delivers K-12 curriculum-connected programs throughout the Bow Corridor.

Read more about Heidi here!

Banff Isn’t Disposable volunteers needed

Biosphere Institute has officially partnered with Banff Isn’t Disposable to expand this reusable takeout container program to the Bow Valley. We are thrilled about this opportunity to build the circular economy in both Canmore and Banff!

We need volunteers in Banff for the rest of the market season. At your shift, expect to promote zero waste, talk with the public, and hang out with like-minded people.

Feature Podcast: Indigenous climate action pod

As part of Indigenous Climate Action’s Amplifying Voices work, this podcast series was created through the pandemic “to build up the Indigenous rights movement in so-called Canada and to connect with Indigenous Peoples, even when we cannot meet in person.”

Find the series at https://www.indigenousclimateaction.com/programs/ica-podcast