MEDIA ADVISORY: Waste Reduction Week Event to Celebrate 103,000 lbs of
Plastic Caps Making Kids Dreams Come True

EDMONTON, Oct. 19 /CNW/ - Please join us as we celebrate our program's success to date, for a cheque presentation to the Rainbow Society for the proceeds collected is planned to cap-off Waste Reduction Week this Friday October 22, at Grant MacEwan University in Edmonton. MLA Cal Dallas, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Environment will also be on-hand to help celebrate.

WHAT:	Over 103,000lbs of plastic caps have been collected in support of the Rainbow Society of Alberta.
	MLA Cal Dallas, John Bachinski (Executive Director, BCMB), Craig Hawkins (Executive Director, Rainbow Society of Alberta), Dana Schmidt (Sustainability Officer, Grant MacEwan) and Guy West (President, ABCRC) will all be on-hand to say a few words and share in the success of the Caps Off for Kids program.
	A photo opportunity will follow where all guests will be invited to 'take it off' for the kids.
WHO:	- MLA Cal Dallas, Red Deer South, Parliamentary Assistant to Minister of Environment - John Bachinski, Executive Director, BCMB - Craig Hawkins, Executive Director, Rainbow Society of Alberta - Dana Schmidt, Environmental Sustainability Officer, Grant MacEwan - Guy West, President, ABCRC - Cherie Cohen, VP Communications & Marketing, ABCRC
WHEN:	Friday, October 22^nd, 2010 9:45am - 11:30am
WHERE:	Cafeteria (located in front of the bookstore) Grant MacEwan University, City Centre Campus 10700 104 Avenue NW, Edmonton, AB, T5J 4S2

Within the first eight months of launching the newly improved Caps Off for Kids program with local bottle depot operators the 2010 goal has already been surpassed, more than doubling anticipated efforts, with over 103,000lbs of plastic caps collected and recycled. 100% of the proceeds raised through this initiative will help support the Rainbow Society of Alberta, an organization that grants wishes to Alberta children with chronic or life threatening illnesses.

In their collective effort to minimize the impact of beverage containers on Alberta's landfills and environment the Beverage Container Management Board (BCMB), Alberta Beverage Container Recycling Corporation (ABCRC) and all Alberta Bottle Depots have partnered their efforts to recycle plastic caps.  The result is greater diversion of waste from landfills, improved safety of their operators and funds to grant wishes to the Rainbow Society of Alberta. Using specially designed plastic ice-cream 'buckets' plastic caps are being removed from empty beverage containers and recycled in the more than 218 Depots, schools, offices and private homes across the province that have embraced this program to date and contributed to the tremendous success.

"We're honoured to have been chosen as a partner in the Caps Off for Kids program," said Craig Hawkins, Executive Director of the Rainbow Society of Alberta.  "It's really a win-win situation for everyone involved. The Caps Off for Kids program helps make dreams come true for so many of our very deserving kids, allowing life-changing experiences, while helping to preserve our environment." 

Removed from the waste stream, never finding their way into our landfills, these recycled plastic caps are reborn into new products.  Additionally, the removal of plastic caps from empty beverage containers eliminates the risk of harm to depot operators who would otherwise need to remove these themselves, resulting in repetitive strain injuries. Caps left on empty beverage containers can also become projectiles during the crushing of these materials, during the recycling process.

For more information on the program, or to get a kit to start up a Caps Off program in your office please log on to www.abcrc.com/community-champions/caps-off-program/.  

For further information:

Guy West
President - ABCRC
403.264.0170 x233 / [email protected]

Cherie Cohen
VP, Communications & Marketing - ABCRC
403.264.0170 x223 / [email protected]

Craig Hawkins, Executive Director
Rainbow Society of Alberta
780-469-2935