Meet Recycling Alternative and Shift!

We are pleased to announce Recycling Alternative and Shift are joining forces to provide SBIA members with a comprehensive organics and recycling collections service at competitive and exclusive rates. The exclusive rates will be based on number of businesses joining the program, the number of streams collected from your business, and bin sharing opportunities between neighbouring businesses.

The new Preferred Organics & Recycling Collections Service Provider program will help the SBIA reach the following goals:

• reduce the amount of landfill waste being produced in Strathcona,
• increase diversion of recoverable materials,
• coordinate service to decrease trucks and emissions produced in the area,
• reduce laneway clutter and litter,
• reduce vehicle congestion, and
• provide a unique and valuable service to all SBIA members.

Recycling Alternative

Considered a leader and innovator in the sector with a social purpose-driven model, Recycling Alternative has garnered a reputation in the local community for bringing fresh perspectives to recycling models such as the Food Scraps Drop Spots, Vancouver Biodiesel Co-operative and the greenHUB though our many community partnerships and collaborations.

Over our years in business, RA has also forged operational innovations to create efficiencies, reduce carbon impact and tailor programs to suit our clients? needs. In 2009 we pioneered, and custom manufactured our first of its kind ?zero waste? truck, designed specifically to manage multiple stream collections and community curbside models with this single pass vehicle. Most recently we have begun introducing on-site composting technology to reduce on-site volumes of food waste by up to 80% and address issues such as odour, pests and contamination.

Today, Recycling Alternative operates in Vancouver and Calgary, servicing hundreds of sites with collection flexibility ranging from daily, weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly to on-call. We specialise in working closely with our customers to design recycling programs, tailored to their needs and material volumes.

We are thrilled to be working in partnership with Shift and SBIA to establish a unique, district model recycling program, built on best practices for reduction and recovery, coupled with a sustainable community focused approach and excellent customer service.

Together, we believe the collaboration of Shift, SBIA, and RA for community collection will stand out as an example to other districts and neighbourhoods seeking sustainable alternatives to traditional waste collection models.

Shift Delivery

Shift Delivery is an innovative company tackling the challenges of urban logistics, congestion and pollution in Vancouver. With their unique electric-assist cargo tricycles, Shift out competes truck deliveries in many ways: efficiency, sustainability, safety, and flexibility. Through dedication to excellence and an empowering ownership model, Shift’s aim is to be a champion in sustainable business, and to positively impact our community, now and into the future.

Recycling Alternative and Shift Collections Services Include:

• Organics
• Mixed Containers (glass, metal, plastics)
• Paper
• Soft Plastic
• Cardboard

Comprehensive Recycling and Zero Waste Options ? On-call collection:

• Styrofoam (clean packaging grade)
• Electronic Waste
• Batteries
• Light Bulbs
• Pallets and Woodwaste Pallets
• Plastic strapping
• Metal waste (non containers)

The SBIA?s Commercial Recycling and Compost Program will end on October 30th. If you choose to work with Recycling Alternative and Shift, regularly scheduled pick-ups will begin the week of November 2nd.

If you have questions regarding the new Preferred Organics & Recycling Collections Service Provider, please contact Julia Berry, SBIA Sustainability Coordinator, at julia@strathconabia.com or by phone at (604)258-2727.

Hastings Urban Tree Nursery

On Wednesday July 16^th, the Strathcona BIA and Hastings Crossing BIA became home to 14 young trees in raised planters along Hastings Street. Businesses will care for the trees for 2-5 years and before they grow too large for the planters, the trees will be moved to permanent locations and replaced with more young trees so the nursery cycle can continue. Wednesday marked an important milestone of the BIAs working collaboratively with the City of Vancouver and our business members to install an innovative and community-enhancing urban greening initiative. A DTES Capital Grant and a grant from TD Green Streets supported this project.

Project Manager J?ohn B. Mackin put together a stellar team of contractors to get the job done. Landscape Centre poured and installed the concrete planters. Lawn Enforcement filled the planters with Eco-Soil and Strathcona BIA compost, plus Pin Oaks, Red Maples, and Persian Ironwood trees. Valley Traffic Control provided expert safety measures during the installation. Meg, Johanna, and Marina from the SBIA supervised the installation from start to finish.

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Then it was time to celebrate! The official opening of the Hastings Urban Tree Nursery was held Friday July 18^th on Princess Ave at East Hastings. Many fabulous volunteers came out to help, and Union Gospel Mission provided assistance with materials and site support. City of Vancouver Councillors Heather Deal and Adriane Carr attended, as did MLA Jenny Kwan, SBIA?s Toby Barazzuol, HXBIA?s Heather O?Hara, and representatives from TD Friends of the Environment Foundation (Kelly Lam) and Tree Canada (Richard Walker). After some very complimentary speeches, we enjoyed performances by the Git Hayetsk dancers, Sawagi Taiko, and local band Sons of Granville. Serious Sausage provided delicious meals for all in attendance. A great time was had by all, and we kicked off a great project that will continue to beautify our streets and engage the community for years to come.

MLA Jenny Kwan talks about the positive impact of urban greenery at the Hastings Urban Tree Nursery official opening.

Git Hayetsk dancers scatter feathers to show that we walk softly on Coast Salish land.

SBIA Directors Tammy Tsang and Colin Stansfield enjoy the street party

HUTN project manager J’ohn Mackin leads a tour of the nursery for our invited guests.

Sam, Joanne, and Purdy welcome guests to the street party

A volunteer poses with MLA Jenny Kwan and City of Vancouver Councillor Adriane Carr.

We couldn’t ask for better volunteers! Thank you all so much for helping us celebrate the Hastings Urban Tree Nursery.

Graffiti Removal Service Update

Thank you to our volunteers!

We want to give a shout out the awesome volunteers who have been contributing their time and efforts at the Resource Park. Ayman and Ahmed are high school students who volunteer with us through a youth volunteering initiative run by Ray Cam Community Centre. They started back in September, and have been coming on Saturday mornings to help out at the Resource Park. They consistently bring a great attitude and have done a lot of hard work at the park. Ahmed has recently gotten a job and will no longer be able to volunteer with us, so we wish him the best of luck in his future endeavours.

Mayan, an Emily Carr University graduate, heard about the Resource Park and was keen to learn more about our small-scale neighbourhood composting model. She started volunteering with us back in October, and has been regularly volunteering one morning a week since then. Mayan is also a slow food and gardening enthusiast, so we are excited to have her expertise and help with the urban garden as we head into the spring and summer time.

Our volunteers help out with all types of tasks and projects around the park. A volunteer session might involve anything from emptying and storing compost from the Joras, to power washing the site and equipment, or cleaning and organizing the sheds. Recently their work has also included planning out and working on the garden beds, including amending them with compost and planting vegetable and flower seeds. On rainy days, Mayan also helps by entering collections data from our waste collections program.

We?ve had a chance to do some fun DIY projects as well, including building worm bins from five gallon buckets, making a grow-light box to start seedlings in, as well as planting potatoes using materials from the Resource Exchange.

Ayman helped build the grow-light box, which is a 53 litre container lined with aluminum foil. A clamp light with a 60 W CFL bulb is set up to a wall timer and shines on the seedlings for 14 hours a day. We?ve started leeks, tomatoes, peppers, and various herbs all from the basement office of the SBIA using the grow-light box.

Mayan did a project where she planted potatoes in burlap sacks from the Resource Exchange. She used SBIA compost and some regular soil as a growing medium. As the potato plants come up you gradually roll the bags higher and add more compost to the bags. We?ve placed the burlap sacks on a wooden pallet for easy drainage. There are more burlap sacks, compost, and pallets available at the Resource Park for anyone wanting to try this project themselves.

There will be some upcoming volunteer opportunities at the SBIA with the Marketing committee, for anyone interested contact : info@strathconabia.com or call the SBIA office at 604.258.2727

The Pink Pearl Re-opens!

The Pink Pearl Re-opens!

The Pink Pearl is back in business! A fire in September 2009 caused extensive damage to the award-winning Chinese seafood restaurant, which opened its doors again in April.

This Vancouver mainstay is located at 1132 East Hastings Street.