CAREERS   l  MEDIA ROOM   l  CONTACT US
Metro Vancouver Logo Skip navigation links
About Us
Boards
Services
Planning
Outreach
 
 
Home Email page Print Share this page Increase text size Decrease text size
 
 
About SmartSteps
Business Tools
Events Calendar
Library
Product/Services Directory
Legislation and Regulation
Business Case Total Cost Assessment

SmartSteps - Business Tools for Sustainability 

SmartSteps is a program of tools, technical assistance and information to help your business become more eco-efficient and more competitive. Our goal is to help you find specific, cost-effective actions you can take to reduce the amount of materials and energy your business uses.

Please be advised that Metro Vancouver’s SmartSteps website is currently under revision.
In the meantime if your business needs assistance here is a list of alternative service providers. Please be advised that this is by no means a comprehensive or preferred list.

Recycling Council of BC
Climate Smart BC
BC Hydro
Fortis BC

 


Expand All | Collapse All

 Current SmartSteps Projects

 News

Introduction to Sustainable Purchasing Session - Feb 24, 2012 -Buy Smart Network

Join session leaders Coro Strandberg and Tim Reeve along with guest speaker Amanda Pitre-Hayes for a practical, engaging and inspiring introduction to sustainable purchasing!
This seminar is designed for purchasing, sustainability and corporate responsibility staff in public, private and non-profit organizations - and for anyone else who wants to understand the fundamentals of sustainable purchasing.
 You’ll learn:
-How to integrate environmental, social and ethical factors into the procurement process
-Key components of a sustainable purchasing tendering toolkit
-
What’s needed to overcome barriers and recognize the best opportunities for sustainable purchasing in your own organization.

Best of all, you’ll benefit from the insights and lessons learned of others in the field, and gain the practical knowledge and confidence to take your own first steps.

Greenpeace's November 2011 Guide to Greener Electronics
Greenpeace continues to tweak its Guide to Greener Electronics with the eighth edition of the ranking tool, now looking at energy issues along with chemical and e-waste criteria. This guide ranks leading mobile and PC manufacturers on their elimination of harmful chemicals and establishing responsibility for their products once they are discarded by consumers.
Back to top

Resources

SmartSteps logo

 

Watch video clips
required Flash Player
Park Royal Recycling Program
Whitecaps Recycling
Solid Waste Management Plan
Electronic Waste Policy

Fast Facts

Recycling and Disposal Rates by Sector - the overall waste generated by each sector, detailing the proportions which are recycled and disposed.  

 

 

0

200,000

400,000

600,000

800,000

1,000,000

1,200,000

1,400,000

Single Family

Multi-Family

Commercial (ICI)

Construction

(DLC)

Recycled

Disposed

Composition of Disposed Waste by Sector - shows the breakdown of waste disposed into the source sectors. 

Both graphs taken from Metro Vancouver's Strategy for Updating the Solid Waste Management Plan Feb 2008 (Revised March 15, 2008)