the ReNews Summer 2008
Some interesting stories about Urban Impact's growth and our commitment to the environment.
- NEW AT URBAN IMPACT
- New Urban Impact website goes LIVE!
- Urban Impact expands its operations
- Urban Impact orders first hybrid truck
- URBAN RECYCLING
- Case Study: Joey's employee makes new recycling program a grassroots success
- Perspective: the stock market may be down, but recycling is still a solid investment!
- URBAN SHREDDING
- Wednesdays are "Shredding Days", once a month
- Urban Shredding-Vancity fall Shredathon success
- CSIS reports identity theft and fraud an increasingly pervasive threat
- URBAN SOLUTIONS
- BC Government encourages municipalities' 2012 carbon neutral commitment
- Green News & Notes
NEW AT URBAN IMPACT
Urban Impact’s new website goes LIVE
Urban Impact has launched a new website, provide a single, easily accessible clearinghouse of information about Urban Impact and its family of services. Now everything you need to know about expanding your recycling program, securely destroying confidential documents, and reducing your impact on the environment is just one click away.
Urban Impact expands its operations
Urban Impact is expanding its operations by moving to Knox Way, off of No 6 Road in Richmond. The new facility will house all of our processing and baling equipment. New sorting equipment will be installed and operational by mid December 2008. An open house for customers and suppliers will be scheduled once the move in has been completed.
Urban Impact orders first hybrid truck
Urban Impact is pleased to announce that we have ordered our first hybrid truck! The M2 Hybrid built by Freightliner should be operational in early 2009 on all office paper collection routes.
In the recent past Urban Impact has pursued and investigated many options for a more environmentally sensitive collection vehicles and fuels. We have explored bio diesel, hydrogen and natural gas. None of these options were able to meet all our specifications, including our weight, and most importantly, our environmental requirements.
We are extremely excited about this opportunity and expect to be converting several vehicles per year to the Hybrid option. Within 4 years all of our office paper, and possibly shredding vehicles, will be Hybrids as well.
URBAN RECYCLING
CASE STUDY: Joey's employee makes new recycling program a grassroots success
Britney Gill, an employee at Joeys Grill & Lounge on Burrard Street in Vancouver is as passionate about recycling as she is about customer service. Recognizing the importance of grassroots efforts, Britney took it upon herself to launch a paper recycling program at her restaurant. The program included the recycling of all bar and kitchen chits, receipts, newspapers and office paper.
Britney soon found her initiative was a little more daunting than she first anticipated. Even though her fellow co-workers immediately go on board with the spirit of the program, Britney quickly discovered it would be a little more challenging keep everyone accountable for its execution. Britney tacked the challenge heading on, using her days off to sit down with her co-workers, encouraging them to discuss and take ownership of the recycling program with them.
Her passion for the cause, coupled with her good-humoured “drill sergeant” approach, now has everyone in the restaurant doing their part to make the new recycling program a success. Now when she comes in for shifts Britney can take pride in seeing the Joeys team using and filling Urban Recycling’s customized recycling storage system. Congratulations to Britney and the whole Joey’s team for stepping up spreading “the recycling love”!
Check out the Resources section of Urban Impact’s new website for Green Tips showing your company how to reduce waste and expand your recycling efforts!
Perspective: the stock market may be down, but recycling is still a solid investment!
Consider this.
If you had purchased $1,000 of shares in Delta Airlines one year ago, you would have $49.00 today. If you had purchased $1,000 of shares in AIG one year ago, you would have $33.00 today. If you had purchased $1,000 of shares in Lehman Brothers one year ago, you would have $0.00 today. But, if you had purchased $1,000 worth of beer one year ago, drank all the beer, then turned in the aluminum cans for recycling refund, you would have received $214.00.
Based on the above, the best current investment plan is to drink heavily & recycle.
URBAN SHREDDING
Wednesdays are Shredding Days, once a month at Urban Impact
If you only have small volumes of personal material that require shredding, or have a home or small office, come to Urban Impact for our monthly Shredding Days. Shredding Days are scheduled on Wednesdays, once every four weeks – that’s 13 times each year.
Arrive at Urban Impact’s North Richmond facility and you will see one of one of our On-Site Shredding trucks parked outside, with our bonded drivers ready to receive and shred sensitive documents right before your eyes. The cost for the service is $25.00 for the first 100 lbs and $0.25 per lb extra for over 100 lbs.
Fall shredding day schedule:
November 5, 2008 - 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
December 3, 2008 - 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Our address is 10071 River Drive, North Richmond. Click to see a map
Urban Shredding-Vancity fall Shredathon success
Urban Impact and Vancity continued their successful series of community Shredathons with four more event this fall. Shredathon participants can avoid risking their personal or financial security by bringing old banking information, business receipts, tax and other personal information for secure destruction in Urban Shredding’s state-of-the-art mobile shredding truck. The events are free, but donations in support of community charities are welcome.
Fall event locations included:
- Vancity’s Mission Community Branch – September 13th, 2008
- Vancity’s North Burnaby Community Branch – September 20th, 2008
- Vancity Pitt Meadows Community Branch – September 27th, 2008
- Vancity’s Chilliwack Branch - October 18th, 2008
While the events were free, over $2,000 in donations, 250 lbs of food, and plenty of local awareness was raised for 4 community charities.
Check for upcoming Shredathons at a location near you in the Events [link to Events page] section of Urban Impact’s website.
CSIS reports identity theft and fraud an increasingly pervasive threat
According to the Criminal Intelligence Service Canada (CISC), identity theft and identity fraud as an increasingly pervasive threat.
The Canadian Anti-fraud Call Centre (CAFCC) reported 10,366 complaints from identity theft and identity fraud victims, with losses of more than $6 million in 2007, and more than $1 million in the first quarter of 2008 alone. One in ten Canadians reports having been a victim of identity theft, while an additional 1 in 4 says that they know someone who has had this happen to them.
Don’t become a statistic! Protect your business and your clients from fraud and identity theft with a customized document destruction program by Urban Shredding.
URBAN SOLUTIONS
BC Government encourages municipalities’ 2012 carbon neutral commitment
The Government of BC has promised to offset the carbon tax for municipalities that sign on to the province’s Climate Action Charter committing communities to beginning carbon neutral by 2012.
As of September 18th, 133 local governments have signed on to the carbon neutral commitment. Participating municipalities are required to report annually on steps they are taking to become carbon-neutral by 2012.
Contact Urban Solutions (info@urbansolutions.com) to find out how your business can make its own carbon neutral commitment to the environment.
Green News & Notes
- Burnaby launches Metro’s first used cooking oil recycling program in partnership with the Recycling Council of BC & ERM BioSource. Full story...
- Canada's largest retail associations announce plan to cut plastic shopping bag use in BC by 50 percent within the next five years. Full story...
- Starting January 1, 2009, Canadian Springs will impose a new 25-cent deposit to delivery customers of its half-litre plastic water bottles to encourage recycling. Full story...