Waste Diversion Improvement Program
Canada is one of the highest nations on Earth to generate solid waste. Of the burgeoning volumes of solid waste in municipal landfills, nearly half of Montreal's waste consists of organic materials followed by construction and textiles.
A signatory of the C40 collaboration, Montréal launched an enterprising mandate in October 2019 to drastically eliminate solid waste by 2030. WeDIP (Waste Diversion Improvement Program) is taking up on the city’s visionary plan by exploring the sources of waste generation, the historical context from a provincial and policy perspective, current state of the complex waste management system, and promising emerging technologies to counter Montréal’s increasing concerns with diverting residential and commercial waste and converting it to energy resources and alternative products. WeDIP integrates Net Impact Montréal’s mission to educate and empower citizens and businesses in the city to be change agents through awareness of the origins of waste, its harmful impacts on environmental and human health, and the economy.
Achievements
WeDIP developed into a tangible plan which entailed an eight week internship program which we brought on four ambitious, passionate, and creative interns from Concordia University who produced an brilliant video presentation (French version here) on organic food waste portrayed in the perspective of a children’s storybook and a research paper embodying the narrative of waste management in Montréal.
Upcoming activities
WeDIP’s success of the internship cohort this winter continues to develop a more innovative blueprint to coordinate a conference that gathers concerned citizens, academics, students from varied disciplines in social sciences, engineering, environmental management, law, and urban planning. However, we are open to inspired students and professionals who seek to develop their transferable skills, form strong networks with committed individuals who share their concerns about the future of Montréal’s environmental health and desire to enable the city to become an international paradigm of a zero-waste metropolis. We cordially invite you to be a panelist or present your research!
Our team
Kristi L. Heiman
Program Manager
Kristi brings her enthusiasm, natural inquiry on environmental issues, and mentoring skills to newcomers to the team. She is pursuing a certificate in Environmental Management at the University of Calgary.
Join our team!
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​Net Impact Montreal is one of the few grassroots organizations fuelled by very committed volunteers to enable Montreal reach its lofty waste reduction objectives. WeDIP has a call for action to encourage individuals concerned about waste reduction to be engaged social change agents.
Contact Kristi at kristi.h@netimpactmtl.org for more inquiries.