Join us Friday, February 1 from 5pm to 7pm for the 2019 Garbage-Free February Kick-Off - presented as a special Green Drinks event at Troubled Monk Brewery!

The 13th annual Garbage-Free February Campaign is working with a theme of energy efficiency to help us reduce our energy waste. ReThink Red Deer has applied to the Energy Efficiency Education grant program of Energy Efficiency Alberta and, if successful, we will be launching a comprehensive year-long initiative to work with home and business owners to monitor and improve their energy usage - PLUS zero-emissions landscape makeovers and the incubation of a Community MicroGrid (like the one in Brooklyn, NY) in the College's new Alternative Energy Innovation Lab!

Background:

In the winter of 2006, a single individual took up the challenge to try a garbage free existence for a month. From that first experiment in sustainable living, Garbage-Free February was born here in Red Deer. Officially declared in the City of Red Deer by Mayor Morris Flewwelling in 2012, and renewed by Mayor Veer in 2015, it remains a yearly celebration of sustainable living. The goal of Garbage-Free February is to make choices as a consumer (citizen) that will not produce any contributions to a landfill*. 

For the entire month of February aim to:

- purchase only recyclable and reusable goods
- learn about and use your local recycling program
- bring your own bag to the grocery store / market
- eat 100% organic food and buy in bulk
- compost any organic waste that you produce
- use www.freecycle.org and/or Neigh*Borrow in your community
come up with more ideas and share them with others

* exceptions - like toilet paper - are allowed!