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Make The World Better Magazine

Foresight Canada: Accelerating Canada Toward Net-Zero

Climate change is a global issue that requires major collaboration. Finding strong teammates to help cleantech companies scale and enact the solutions that will accelerate our way to a cleaner world is no small task. 

Foresight Canada is committed to sparking change by championing the commercialization and adoption of Canadian cleantech innovation. We spoke with Jeanette Jackson, CEO, about this organization’s bold goals and extensive efforts to accelerate climate innovation and propel Canada to the forefront of the global cleantech stage.

Jeanette Jackson, CEO of Foresight Canada.

Tell us about Foresight Canada’s mission.

Foresight is Canada’s cleantech accelerator. Our audacious goal is to see Canada become the first G7 nation to achieve net-zero. 

Our programs and initiatives are focused on three strategic priorities: Acceleration, Adoption, and Ecosystem Development.

Foresight’s flagship Acceleration programs help entrepreneurs commercialize their clean technologies, and prepare for adoption and export. Through mentorship, education programs, investor introductions, and networking events, we help cleantech ventures get to market faster. Our programs have helped more than 870 companies validate, commercialize, and scale their cleantech solutions. Those companies have gone on to create more than 7,040 green jobs for Canadians, equaling more than $2 billion in economic impact for Canada.

We also run Innovation Challenges that connect industry or governments facing sustainability hurdles with market-ready cleantech solution providers. So far, we have successfully run 52 Innovation Challenges which have resulted in the removal of nearly 69 Mt of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the atmosphere.

Through all of our activities, we are focused on growing a comprehensive Canadian cleantech ecosystem. Tackling climate change requires teamwork and collaboration across sectors, and Foresight is committed to bringing together a national network of changemakers that will accelerate Canada’s path to net-zero.

What inspired you/your co-founders to start your organization?

Foresight Canada was founded in 2013 by a group of passionate cleantech professionals who recognized the increasing challenges climate change would pose to Canada and the rest of the world. 

I initially joined as an Executive in Residence in 2015, directly working with ventures to support their growth. Since then, I have been consistently inspired by the many innovators and entrepreneurs who have utilized Foresight’s programs and initiatives to develop solutions to mitigate the effects of climate change. Now, I and the team at Foresight are driven by the vision that Canada will be a global leader in deploying climate solutions, inspiring other nations to follow our path to net-zero.

What were some of the challenges your founders encountered?

As a non-profit, the biggest challenge we face is the volume of demand for our programs and services, while trying to work within the means of our budget. The team at Foresight works on many projects “off the side of their desks,” all of which we consider to be critical to Canada’s net-zero transition. We are a passionate group, entrepreneurially-minded, and strive to go the extra mile to drive Canada towards a greener future.

Within Canadian cleantech, there is both a need for capital support and for programming that drives domestic demand. At Foresight, we’re working to address these challenges through investor-related programming, such as Investor Readiness workshops, investor matchmaking, and curated pitch events. But to reach our audacious goal, more capital and support needs to be injected into Canada’s cleantech ecosystem. This could come in the form of additional project funding, other non-equity based capital structures, or streamlined procedures to propel the cleantech sector forward.

From our experience working directly with growing cleantech ventures, this type of support could go a long way in mitigating the challenges we, and the greater Canadian cleantech ecosystem, continue to face.

What do you consider to be Foresight Canada’s biggest success?

In June 2022, Foresight-supported cleantech ventures collectively reached unicorn status, raising over $1 billion in capital. Not only is this a major achievement for Foresight, but it also shows the strength of Canada’s cleantech sector and the opportunity for Canadian leadership on a global cleantech stage. Shortly after we reached this milestone, we saw BC-based cleantech venture, Nexii, become the fastest Canadian venture to reach unicorn status on their own. It’s clear the sector is accelerating rapidly, and we expect it to grow exponentially over the next several years.

Foresight is directly supporting this growth through curated investor matchmaking events, regular investment preparedness workshops, investor showcase events like our Foresight 50 initiative, and pitch opportunities like our Demo Day events.

Securing investments, especially at the early stage, is a major barrier facing many Canadian cleantech entrepreneurs, and a challenge we need to overcome if we are to position Canada as a long term leader in supplying solutions to the global transition. To see our alumni companies’ economic impact pushed into the billions is indicative that we are on track to do just that.

What makes your organization unique?

At Foresight, we recognize that innovation can’t exist in a vacuum. That’s why we’re focused on bringing together innovators, investors, industry, governments, and academia (our Helix 5 partners) to build the most efficient and effective path to net-zero.

We combine learning programs, world-class matchmaking events, investor introductions, insightful ecosystem reports, and industry challenges with ongoing alumni support to help Canadian ventures through every stage of their journey, from ideation through commercialization.

We have made unprecedented progress in supporting and growing the Canadian cleantech ecosystem. The track record of our alumni companies is proof of our ability to validate, commercialize, and scale market-ready solutions and innovations.

How do you feel your organization makes the world better?

Through our acceleration programs, innovation challenges, and ecosystem building, Foresight is playing a crucial role in carving the country’s path to net-zero.

Since 2016, our programs have supported ventures to reduce a projected 68.9+ Mt of GHG emissions – the equivalent annual emissions of 2,000 jumbo jets.

We are very proud to have played a role in the removal of those emissions and to support cleantech ventures that are bringing world-changing innovation to the global stage, but we know we have a long way to go to achieve a net-zero economy. We are confident that the ventures we support, through our Innovation Challenges and Acceleration programming, will continue to deploy their climate solutions around the world to leave a better future for generations to come.

We are strategizers, ecosystem mappers, and partnership builders enabling Canada to win the net-zero race.

How can capital be used as a force for positive change?

Last year, Foresight completed a national survey of cleantech ventures, who identified raising capital as one of the biggest areas of support needed to grow and scale their innovation. In response, Foresight launched our Investor Readiness workshops to educate our ventures on how to prepare and pitch their solutions to investors. We also ramped up our efforts to plan and host matchmaking events, like our Foresight 50 initiative, that facilitate connections and often result in partnerships, pilot opportunities, and the deployment of capital. Last year’s Foresight 50 companies went on to collectively raise $593 million in capital support to help propel their cleantech solutions forward.

Cleantech investments such as this accelerate the commercialization and scaling of critical technologies. Once these technologies are deployed, they can demonstrate value to new investors and clients, creating a cycle of increasing support for the cleantech ecosystem.

Through increased capital investments into Canadian cleantech innovations, we can reduce emissions around the world with made-in-Canada solutions, potentially mitigating the worst effects of climate change.

Tell us about Foresight Canada’s goals.

When the Group of Seven (G7) announced their collective commitment to reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, Canada might have been perceived as an emissions reduction underdog. But don’t underestimate our determination. This bold goal is driving our country’s climate change policies and targets, and it’s inspiring our work at Foresight Canada.

The climate challenge crisis has come into acute focus over recent years. As outlined in our new annual report, our team has stepped up our commitment to accelerate the commercialization and adoption of Canadian cleantech innovation. We significantly increased our reach and impact on all metrics – helping more cleantech ventures raise more capital, generating more revenue, piloting with more customers, and creating more green jobs.

Drawing on this momentum, we will continue to relentlessly drive cleantech adoption through collaboration with our Helix 5 stakeholders. It will take a massive effort and a whole lot of teamwork, but we cannot afford to step back from the challenge of preserving a livable future for generations to come.

The 2022 BC Cleantech Awards hosted by Foresight Canada. In March 2023, Foresight will be hosting BC and Alberta Cleantech Awards events recognizing cleantech innovators in these provinces that are accelerating Canada’s net-zero transition.

Are there any upcoming initiatives or projects you’d like to share?

In spring 2023, we are hosting our 3rd annual BC Cleantech Awards, recognizing the Canadian innovators, educators, associations, and companies that have the biggest impact on our growing net-zero economy in these provinces. This year, we are excited to be expanding the recognition event series to Alberta, hosting our inaugural Alberta Cleantech Awards in late Spring 2023. Celebrating and gathering regionally allows us to connect our Helix 5 stakeholders to increased exposure and collaboration within the Canadian cleantech ecosystem.

At a time when climate concerns are reaching all-time highs around the globe, it’s never been more important to recognize and celebrate the Canadian cleantech ventures that are moving the needle towards net-zero. Calls for nominations will open in early 2023.

What do you most want people to know about Foresight Canada?

Climate change is an urgent problem that can’t be solved by a single solution. Overcoming this challenge will require unprecedented international collaboration between innovators, industry, investors, government, and academia. Recognizing this early on, Foresight endeavoured to become so much more than an accelerator. We are strategizers, ecosystem mappers, and partnership builders enabling Canada to win the net-zero race. And, we will be the catalyst for the critical collaboration needed to drive Canada to net-zero.

How can people help or contribute to your organization’s mission?

As ecosystem connectors, we’re always looking for new collaborators and community members to move Canada on the path to net-zero. Join our dedicated Community of Innovators Slack channel, follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter, and visit foresightcac.com for more information.

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Coast Capital Savings: Helping Communities Thrive

We all aspire to lead better lives, yet financial insecurity feels like a bigger threat than ever to achieving that goal. Coast Capital Savings, a BC-based financial co-operative with social purpose at the heart of everything they do, aims to deliver financial services to its members so that they can live the real life they want.

We spoke with Erin McKinley, Senior Manager, Public Relations, about how Coast Capital connects communities with the capital and partnerships they need to thrive and seeks to lead by example when it comes to aligning purpose with business practice. 

Tell us about Coast Capital Savings’ mission.

Coast Capital is a financial cooperative with a mission to improve the financial potential of every person, partner, and community we impact. A proud Certified B Corporation, we’re guided by our social purpose of building better futures together. We look at everything we do through the lens of how we can help our 600,000 members, our employees, and communities.

We believe every Canadian deserves a financial partner who cares how things turn out. With our 80-year legacy of unlocking financial opportunities, we provide trusted and personalized advice, along with a broad suite of banking products and financial services that enable our members to save, spend, and invest with confidence at every stage in life.

What inspired your founders to start your organization?

Coast Capital has long been committed to championing people. Our roots stretch back to the mid-20th century, with the founding of one of BC’s earliest financial cooperatives. Our legacy organizations were created in the wake of the Great Depression, at a time when banks weren’t accessible and securing a loan was difficult.

Today, we continue to see that not every person has the same opportunity to thrive. Canadians are working harder than ever to get ahead, yet they’re facing record debt levels, income instability, and struggling to access what they need to thrive. Leveraging our roots, core values, and expertise, and driven by our social purpose, we’re determined to be a catalyst for the kind of meaningful change that uplifts our members, employees, and communities.

What were some of the challenges your founders encountered?

Concerned about the uncertain financial future following the Great Depression, when money was hard to come by, groups of credit union pioneers on British Columbia’s Vancouver Island, neighbouring Gulf Islands, and the Greater Vancouver cities of Richmond and Surrey formed small financial co-ops focused on helping their neighbours and colleagues obtain the financial assistance they required to better their lives.

These legacy credit unions, which would later contribute their DNA to Coast Capital, were eclectic groups of everyday citizens – farmers, fishers, meat packers, military and factory workers, telephone and civic employees, parish congregations, and white-collar professionals – all working to get ahead.

Determined to make positive change, these groups found innovative ways to pool their resources and provided their members with much-needed financial help.

What do you consider to be Coast Capital Savings’ biggest success?

At Coast Capital, the success of our members, employees, and communities is our success. As Canada’s largest federal financial cooperative, we have a legacy of unlocking financial opportunities, providing trusted and personalized advice and a broad suite of innovative banking products and financial services that enable our members to save, spend, and invest with confidence.

By embracing a social purpose business model, we’re setting the standard for making positive social contributions. We integrate our purpose of building better futures for Canadians into our day-to-day operations and across every dimension of our business.

We are also consistently working to meet broad ESG-related goals, which align with and are guided by our social purpose. Continuing to meet these goals has contributed to our status as a Certified B Corporation – a global movement advocating for a more inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economic system – since 2018.

As a part of these goals, we invest 10% of our bottom line into our communities each year – totaling almost $90 million over the past two decades.

We’re also deeply committed to the success of our employees and making our financial cooperative a great place to work. Coast Capital is a platinum member of Canada’s Best Managed Companies, one of Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Cultures, and a BC Top Employer. 

What makes Coast Capital Savings unique?

As a federal financial cooperative, all Coast Capital members are owners. The success of our members is our top priority. 

We believe that creating a better life for yourself shouldn’t be a dream. A better home, your own business, a little cash left over each month – these are all things that should be within reach. At Coast Capital, we’re helping our members with their real goals and challenges so they can live the real life they want. If it matters to you, it matters to us, because we care how things turn out.

How do you feel your organization makes the world better?

Our society faces big challenges that require big solutions and we know that achieving real and lasting change cannot be done alone. Through partnering for social purpose impact, we believe that we are achieving real, lasting change together.

At Coast Capital, partnering for social purpose impact includes:

  • Partnering with other leaders in the global movement to build inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economies.
  • Annually reinvesting 10% of our budgeted bottom line back into the communities where we work, live, and serve in support of building better futures for all Canadians. These investments are focused on partnerships with community service providers to develop programs and services that address barriers to equitable access to education, employment, and financial advice.
  • Our commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, as set out in our five-year strategy that outlines our sustained, proactive, and urgent steps to advance financial inclusion and social justice.
  • Our Net-Zero Banking Alliance commitment. As a member of this global, industry-led initiative, we are accelerating efforts to address climate change and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

How can capital be used as a force for positive change?

Social purpose businesses leverage all facets of their business as a force for change, including mobilizing capital across the business in ways that help advance their purpose and the impact they want to create. Everything from selecting partners and suppliers that are values-aligned to investing in technology and innovation helps to drive positive outputs for all stakeholders. 

We strongly believe that capital can, and should, be used to propel partnerships that drive real, tangible change in our communities. Social purpose is a collaborative practice that requires organizations to come together, work together, and share openly. No organization can solve society’s biggest issues independently and partnership is key to moving the needle on solutions.  

Tell us about Coast Capital Savings’ goals.

We are currently working to execute our five-year strategic Social Purpose Impact Plan. The plan outlines how each part of our business will work to achieve our vision and drive our shared social purpose. 

In order to advance our work, we are focused on three pillars:

  • Build and champion more equitable and inclusive employment.
  • Support Canadians with more equitable access to education and training.
  • Deliver financial tools, education, and advice for all.

You can read more about the work we are doing by visiting our website.

Are there any upcoming initiatives or projects you’d like to share?

We are particularly excited about and proud of our partnership with BC-based community resource society, DIVERSEcity, who helps newcomers and diverse communities as they settle in Canada. 

Coast Capital and DIVERSEcity have partnered to bring to life a program that supports skilled newcomer women as they navigate the credentialing and recertification process which is key to their settlement journey and to driving their earning potential. It is a powerful example of the impact that comes with partnerships.

What do you most want people to know about your organization?

Research indicates that growing income inequality in Canada negatively affects individuals, families, society, and the economy. By embracing a social purpose business model, we’re focusing on building meaningful solutions and using our products, people, partnerships, supply chains, capital, and influence to accelerate positive impacts for our members, employees, and communities

How can people help or contribute to Coast Capital Savings‘ mission?

One way that each of us can contribute to building a better future is to give back to our communities – whether that be helping a neighbour, volunteering with a local community organization, or donating to a cause you care about.

You can also lean into your values through the businesses you support by “voting with your dollar,” –  spending your money on products and brands whose practices align with your values, which extends to where you save, invest, and grow your money. Credit Unions, like Coast Capital, are owned by their members and are, in many ways, the original social purpose businesses, founded on values and established to meet the needs of their members and communities. 

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Black Opportunity Fund: Supporting Black-led Businesses

Coming together as a community is an important and necessary step to ending systemic racism. The Black Opportunity Fund takes collective action a step further by improving the lives of Black communities through game-changing grants, partnerships, and financial support of Black-led businesses.  

We spoke with one of Black Opportunity Fund’s founders and member of the Board of Directors, Dennis Mitchell, and Executive Director, Craig Wellington, about how this Canadian charitable organization is leveraging capital to dismantle racism and disrupt ineffective funding practices.

Tell us about Black Opportunity Fund’s mission.

DM: The Black Opportunity Fund is a community-led registered Canadian charitable organization, whose mandate is to help dismantle the impacts of anti-Black racism by establishing a sustainable pool of capital to fund Black-led businesses and Black-led not-for-profits and charities, in order to improve the social and economic well-being of Canada’s Black communities.

What inspired you/your founders to start your organization?

DM: The project first began as a conversation among Black professionals about how best to serve the community, but in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor, organizing efforts accelerated. 

The Black Opportunity Fund is supported by a growing number of influential members within the Black Canadian business community from industries including technology, banking, capital markets, life sciences, marketing, and human resources. The Black Opportunity Fund continues to form alliances across the country with like-minded professionals and philanthropists.

What were some of the challenges you/your founders encountered?

DM: The usual challenges that come with an initiative such as this – awareness and skepticism at first, quickly followed by an almost suffocating enthusiasm that threatened to dilute and divert our strategic focus. 

The biggest challenge for us has been marshalling volunteers and potential partners into Black Opportunity Fund initiatives that strategically and sustainably address the needs and concerns of the Black community.

What do you consider to be Black Opportunity Fund’s biggest success?

DM: We don’t have one biggest success – the Black Opportunity Fund is not that type of organization. Our goal is to eliminate the impact of anti-Black racism, which is the denial of opportunity to Black Canadians. 

Recent successes include partnerships with SickKids, Facebook, TD, BMO, CIBC, NBF, DoorDash, UBC, and others to bring needed funding to the Black community. We have had a positive impact on Black entrepreneurs and in the areas of Black healthcare, education, and with Black students. This is what we are here for. 

CW: I believe that being able to deliver grants to Black-led businesses and Black community organizations so early in our organization’s history and to hear from the recipients about the impacts they are able to have in advancing their organizations and improving socio-economic outcomes in their communities, was truly inspiring and filled all of the Black Opportunity Fund family with immense pride.

What makes your organization unique?

CW: Black Opportunity Fund’s guiding principle, “for the community, by the community,” is rooted in the understanding that investments made into our communities, especially at scale, have not historically been Black-led and are rarely implemented with adequate consideration to the unique challenges of Black communities. BOF represents a new and world-leading paradigm in the fight to end anti-Black systemic racism in Canada. 

With a vast ecosystem of partners, extensive connections to Black communities, and unparalleled organizational expertise in growing and leveraging capital, Black Opportunity Fund is uniquely positioned to support Black-led charities and nonprofits that serve Canada’s diverse Black communities and scale Black businesses.

How do you feel your organization makes the world better?

CW: Black Opportunity Fund believes that Canada’s Black communities are a powerful investment, who provide a priceless return: we see our children and our children’s children thriving in a Canada that recognizes them for their incredible potential and awards them with the opportunities they deserve. And, by ensuring equitable access to opportunity for Black Canadians, we help to increase socio-economic outcomes for Canada as a whole.

How can capital be used as a force for positive change?

CW: There has been long standing underinvestment in Black communities. We address this by delivering sustainable and needs-informed capital streams, managed by Black people for the benefit of Black organizations, which disrupt ineffective and disempowering contemporary funding practices.

Tell us about Black Opportunity Fund’s goals.

CW: To develop a truly community driven, Black-centred approach to dismantling systemic barriers to accessing capital faced by Black Canadians, so that Black communities across Canada are prosperous, healthy, and thriving.

Are there any upcoming initiatives or projects you’d like to share?

CW: The Black Opportunity Fund just launched the Black Business Loan Program for Black entrepreneurs who have been unable to secure funding to-date through Canadian financial institutions. Black entrepreneurs may be eligible to apply for loans in the range of $10,000 to $50,000.

This new initiative is part of a $10 million, five-year commitment from TD Bank Group announced in September 2021, which is the largest contribution ever in Canada to a Black-focused, Black-led, and Black-serving organization. 

Black Opportunity Fund also recently partnered with SickKids Hospital and Walmart Canada to improve health outcomes for Black Canadian children affected by sickle cell disease. Through this partnership, the Black Opportunity Fund established a Sickle Cell Disease Patient Amenities Fund at SickKids, to help Sickle Cell Disease patients and their families with costs not covered by the government. The grant also supports easier and safer access to at-home medication via a SickKids-developed technology called a “capsule shredder,” which will be distributed free of charge to children being treated for Sickle Cell Disease through all 13 children’s hospitals across Canada over the next five years. 

What do you most want people to know about your organization?

Black Opportunity Fund is community led, community focused, and committed to helping dismantle the impacts of anti-Black systemic racism. 

How can people help or contribute to Black Opportunity Fund’s mission?

Visit the Black Opportunity Fund website and go to “donate.” Organizations seeking to develop partnerships with BOF can reach out to the Black Opportunity Fund through our contact information.

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Impact Inspiration & Initiatives Sustainability Tips

Sparx’s Sustainable Valentine’s Day Gift-Giving Guide: 25 Eco-Friendly and Zero-Waste Gift Ideas for 2023

Whether it’s romantic love for your partner, love for family and friends, or your devotion to a cause, love makes the world better. It motivates us to do better, to work harder, to grow in understanding, to act with compassion, and to share ourselves and what we have with others.

In celebration of love and its ability to amplify good, Sparx has created another sustainable gift-giving guide, this time for Valentine’s Day gifts that will help express your love while supporting the environment and other wonderful causes. Because nothing says heartfelt like a gift with real impact.

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1. Treat Them to Something Sweet 

Sustainable alternatives to decadent delights. 

Image: Drizzle

Drizzle Cacao Luxe Raw Honey: This all-natural, sustainably sourced, bee-friendly, allergen-free, Canadian-made honey has a chocolatey twist and a delicious chocolate-covered strawberry recipe. Plus, it’s made by a women-owned, certified B Corporation.

Pukka Love Tea: This soothing and fragrant tea will touch the heart of your beloved in more ways than one. Pukka is part of 1% for the Planet, Fair for Life certified, Soil Association organic certified, and B Corp certified.

Raaka Chocolate Valentine’s Day Collection: Choose from a variety of ethical and unique non-GMO, vegan, certified organic, and kosher treats to share with your beloved. Raaka crafts its single-source chocolate in small batches and practices transparent trade – its supply chain process is even integrated into its packaging. 

Ritual Chocolate Après Chocolate Bar: This 70% dark chocolate bar is infused with sparkling white wine and topped with raspberries. Best of all, the chocolate is vegan and ethically sourced, the packaging is fully recyclable, and the company is working toward net-zero and fully solar-powered goals. Also purchasable from impact-driven Canadian vendor The Better Good. 

Southbrook Wine Valentine’s Day Bundle: Canadian-made, this romantic bundle of organic wines and condiments is made by Southbrook Organic Vineyards, a company with numerous certifications, including Demeter, Ecocert Canada, LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), Sustainable Winegrowing Ontario, and VQA (Vintners Quality Alliance) for grape wines.

T.Kettle Loose Leaf Teas: Make your loved one a (heart)warming cup of certified kosher, vegan, organic, and 100% Fair Trade Strawberry Fondue Tea from T.Kettle, a values-driven company.

2. Pamper Them 

Gifts that feel good and do good.

Encircled Renew Sleep Mask: Help your loved one relax with this eco-friendly Tencel™ Lyocell and recycled polyester fleece sleep mask, made by a Toronto-based, certified B Corporation. 

Harlow Salty Soak Bath Salts: These vegan bath salts are made from Saskatchewan Red Salt, smell intoxicatingly of flowers, and come in a compostable pouch. Plus, Vancouver-based company Harlow sources from social enterprises like Hives for Humanity.

Image: Old Soul Soap Company

Old Soul Company Sweetheart Collection: Pamper your soulmate with this ethical and sustainable, all-natural collection, which includes its Be Mine soap, Be Mine heart-shaped bath bomb, Be Mine massage & body oil, tea light candles, and lip balm. 

Sequoia Soap Sets: Made by 100% Indigenous women-owned and -operated brand Sequoia, the Sweet Blends and Night Sky Four Soap Gift Sets are beautiful, sustainable, and ethically sourced.

Yukon Soap Wild Side Shave Soap: This sustainable, handcrafted shave soap is made by Indigenous-owned and -operated brand Yukon Soap, which is on a mission to make the world better by supporting economic diversification and empowering, nurturing, and elevating Northern Indigenous cultures, communities, and people.

3. Bring Them “Flowers”

Lasting gifts that serve as wonderful alternatives to classic perfumes and bouquets.

Image: Goodee

All Things Being Eco Organic Rose Geranium Bulk Essential Oil: This fragrant oil is Natural Organic Program (NOP) certified and sold by a purpose-driven BC-Based company that’s on a mission to make the world better through offering organic, ethically-produced, and locally-sourced products.

Goodee The Floral Kits: With this sustainable kit from B Corp certified Goodee, your valentine has everything they need to grow and shape their own bouquets. Plus, this kit supports multiple causes, including marginalized communities, gender advocacy, and community engagement.

Flowerink Plantable Tandem Love Greeting Card: You and your valentine can watch your love blossom with this plantable seed paper card, made from 100% recycled content. Plus, these cards are Canadian-made by a company that donates to health and environmental organizations.

Le Comptoir Aroma Love Pebble Essential Oil Diffuser Stones: These 100% natural heart and rose-shaped diffuser stones are made by a Canadian family-run business that uses recyclable and recycled materials, along with other eco-friendly practices.

Mala the Brand Candles: Check the classic romance boxes with bouquet or rosebud candles that are sustainably packaged and hand-poured in small batches by a Vancouver-based brand. Plus, a tree is planted for every candle purchased.

Recycled Ideas Pink Seed Paper Flowers Valentines Day Gift Box Set: These flowers are made from plantable seed paper and packaged in a box that can be used as a personal greenhouse. You can also find them on etsy.

Wild Coast Perfumes Floral Collection: Made with pure, all-natural, sustainably-harvested ingredients from Vancouver island, these perfumes smell beautifully of flowers and come in recyclable bottles with no plastic overwraps. Plus, $1 per every 50ml bottle sold in the perfumery goes to the Ancient Forest Alliance.

4. Get Them Ready for Date Night

Beautiful gifts that protect the beauty of the environment.

Image: Cheekbone Beauty

Cheekbone Beauty Sustain Lip Kit (Red): This gorgeous, low-waste, consciously-sourced lip kit is made by Cheekbone Beauty, a values-driven, Indigenous-owned and -operated, Certified B Corporation that’s part of 1% for the Planet and donates to multiple causes. Check out this guide for recycling its lipstick. 

Elate Refillable Cosmetic Cases: These fully customizable cosmetic cases are recyclable, made from bamboo, and sustainably packaged. Plus, Elate donates 2% of its profits to causes that share its values every year: 1% to social and 1% to environmental initiatives.

Luna & Rose Recycled Silver Heart Necklace: Ethically crafted, this heart-shaped necklace is made from recycled sterling silver by a company that is part of 1% for the Planet.

Treats Designs Tagua Valentine Heart Pendant: Made from sustainable tagua, with natural dyes and a tumble-until-they-shine method, these pendants are created by a BC-based artist. They are also available for purchase through sustainable, Vancouver-based Hemp & Company.

5. Spend Quality Time with Them

Want a truly zero waste alternative? Consider giving your valentine the gift of experience — because nothing takes the single out of single-use more than creating lasting memories. 

There are plenty of sustainable ways to engage in quality time with your beloved. For example, you could go for a picnic using sustainable items, such as beeswax food wraps, zero waste bamboo cutlery, and reusable storage bags, and have a beautiful, waste-free moment that has a truly positive impact.

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Would You Be Our Valentine?

Are you engaging in purpose-driven efforts to make the world better? We (not-so-secretly) admire that. Contact us for a free marketing consultation. We would love to gift wrap your message and help deliver it to your audience.

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Purpose-Driven Marketing Tips

Mind the Value-Action Gap: How Reframing Consumers as Investors Can Improve Marketing Results for Purpose-Driven Brands

When it comes to making purpose-driven purchases, there’s a gap that can’t be ignored. While 65% of consumers want to buy from purpose-driven brands only 26% do. To make the world better, we need to narrow this divide. So how can you empower more people to choose purchases that are better for the world? Here are six recommendations purpose-driven brands can incorporate into their impact marketing so customers are empowered to vote with their dollar.

Focus on Customer Education

We’ve all heard that phrase of “voting with your dollar” as a way to directly align purchasing behaviour with desired outcomes. The problem is, it’s not that easy or simple for most people to do that. 

We believe that most people, given no other barrier, would choose to purchase a ‘better’ option for the planet, however affordability and perceived cost are genuine hurdles to being able to cast one’s vote. 

For example, in today’s world, environmentally sustainable products tend to require more time, effort, and ingenuity to make and, as such, their cost is typically higher. The consequence: it’s hard for these products to exist in large supply. 

In order to empower consumers and businesses to choose purpose-driven products and services over the “default option,” brands need to provide resources that will educate consumers about true cost. Once made aware of this information, perceived value will begin to shift and purchasers will be equipped to decide if a brand’s impact is really worth their investment.

Explain Return on Investment

This brings us to a critical point – purpose-driven brands should consider treating their customers more like investors. 

Investors want to feel that the reward is greater than the risk, they want to see tangible impact, and they want to know they can trust your brand. Also, by reframing customers as investors, the end game for companies and brands shifts to ensure they’ve considered how their customers can feel invested in seeing the brand they support thrive. 

Aligning marketing efforts to meet these needs and viewing customer purchases as capital to support your cause will help bridge the value-action gap and create a more-deeply engaged customer base.

Draw Lessons from Luxury Brands

That people are willing to pay more for one type of product relative to another, regardless of a difference in quality, is not new. 

Luxury brands, for example, have already figured this out. Consumers of luxury goods, such as a $4000+ purse, spend their money because it allows them to make a statement about the vision they want to project.

If purpose-driven brands follow this example and clearly communicate why their products or services are worth the premium price, it will encourage customers to invest. For instance, Patagonia has been very successful in both selling products at a high price point and expressing their values. Their customers support and participate in Patagonia’s impact by purchasing their products to the point where the Patagonia brand is now symbolic of a more conscientious purchase. 

Communicate the Reward Rather Than the Risk 

You know what your brand’s vision for the future is, but does your audience? 

If there’s one important lesson to draw from investor psychology, it’s that people opt for a reason to believe in something working out. The key for purpose-driven brands is not to just talk about your product or service, but to truly market your vision for the world. 

If you want consumers to invest in the true cost of the product or service you’re offering, you have to connect what you’re selling to that vision of a better world, and one very effective way to do this is with storytelling. 

When purpose-driven companies use storytelling, it proves that the reward customers receive from investing in purchases from brands are worth the risk. This is vital for attaining customer loyalty and gaining long-term investors, rather than short-term consumers.

TOMS’ Our Story page presents a compelling narrative, which traces the company’s impact goals and accomplishments from 2006 to the present. Along with these highlights, it showcases their signature design and communicates tangible progress so customers can read more about their impact story.

Report Your Impact

Investors live and breathe progress reports – the same is true of your customers. What your company or organization is doing to help improve the world has to go beyond your product or service. 

Your active and ongoing work to create impact needs to be documented publicly and transparently in order to provide your consumer base with the updates they require to continue investing. 

Whether you use social media, press releases, e-mail newsletters or other documentation, your steps to live out your vision can’t be taken in secret. They have to be a part of your communications flow, ingrained into your online presence, and something your audience can easily access through your website.

Seventh Generation, for example, publicly presents their Climate Impact Report. Key takeaways and infographics furnish the page, along with a link to download the full report. They also publicly share product safety data sheets.

Build Trust with Third-Party Recognition

Deciding whether or not to make an investment requires trust. Your customers don’t want to have to conduct due diligence every single time they think about making a purchase. That’s what makes involvement with trusted third parties so vital – it’s a quick and effective way to build trust.

Organizations like UN Global Compact invest significant resources (i.e. spend money on marketing) to inform consumers about brands that are committed to reliable and higher standards of operation. 

Participating in initiatives like UN Global Compact’s Sustainable Development Goals proves that your brand is one that people can trust to deliver the impact you promise. People believe in the UN’s criteria and goals, and that in turn will enable them to believe in your brand.

B Lab is an international network of organizations designed to lead economic systems change and to make business a force for good. Their B Corporation Certification is awarded to companies that are dedicated to impact, demonstrating a high level of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability.

1% for the Planet is an initiative that was co-created by Patagonia founder, Yvon Chouinard, which drives environmental philanthropy. Companies that gain 1% for the Planet Certification meet the commitment of donating 1% of their sales to environmental causes.

Certifications such as these, along with other recognitions such as third-party partnerships, programs, initiatives, and event participation all indicate to your customers that they can trust they will have a real impact when they invest in your brand’s goods and services. It proves your brand’s commitment to doing good, and that commitment will make your customers want to commit too. 

Conclusion

Ultimately, we believe most people will want to shop for better items or services given the opportunity. With price still a barrier –  real or perceived – reframing conscious consumers as investors helps to rethink your approach to building a long-term, sustainable, successful enterprise. 

The capital clients or donors bring with them is an investment in making the world better – which means tapping into what we know about investor behaviour and psychology can be an important way to help bridge the value-action gap.

Get in Touch

If you’re looking for more ideas on how to align your marketing efforts to achieve this goal, we’d be happy to talk. Plus, check out Make The World Better Magazine to see how purpose-driven organizations are affecting positive change in the world. 

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Circular Economy Leadership Canada: Advancing Innovation

From implementing zero-emission transportation to banning single-use plastics, Canada is at the forefront of environmentally-conscious initiatives. Yet, even with advocates and industry leaders paving the way, there is still a knowledge gap about a game-changing model of production and consumption: the circular economy. 

The Circular Economy Leadership Canada (CELC) is working to bridge this awareness gap to advance the circular economy in Canada. We spoke with Paul Shorthouse, Managing Director of CELC, about being a “network of networks” for circular economy innovation.

Tell us about Circular Economy Leadership Canada’s mission.

Circular Economy Leadership Canada (CELC) is uniquely positioned as a multi-sectoral, national organization dedicated to advancing the circular economy in Canada. CELC is working to connect Canada’s circular economy community and serves as a bridge to similar networks around the world. We provide thought leadership, technical expertise, and collaborative platforms for accelerating systems change and the transition to a low-carbon, circular economy in Canada.

What inspired you/your founders to start your organization?

The Circular Economy Leadership Canada initiative is a project of The Natural Step Canada, a non-profit charity based in Ontario focused on creating a more sustainable future through effective systems change and social innovation. CELC was officially launched in 2018 at the G7 Oceans Partnership Summit in Halifax and was originally made up of a small number of corporate leaders, non-profit think tanks, and academic researchers. This group was part of an earlier Ontario-based Circular Economy Lab that was largely focused on eliminating plastic packaging waste and pollution. 

What were some of the challenges you/your founders encountered?

The key issues we’ve faced include the low level of awareness among businesses, governments, and the public in terms of the circular economy and its benefits for Canada, as well as the fragmented and siloed nature of our supply chains. These are two areas we are working to address: raising awareness about what the circular economy is and its benefits and acting as a cross-sector platform to create systems change.

What do you consider to be Circular Economy Leadership Canada’s biggest success?

One of our greatest successes was the launch of the Canada Plastics Pact (CPP) in January 2021. Circular Economy Leadership Canada acted as an incubator to form and launch this network that now consists of more than 90 key stakeholders across the entire value chain in Canada, focused on creating a circular economy for plastics packaging in the country, including its roadmap to 2025.

What makes your organization unique?

We currently have more than 45 partners across Canada coming from all sectors and regions, as well as a handful of international partners, with CELC acting as a “network of networks.” CELC is dedicated to bringing value to our partners by filling existing gaps in the marketplace and supporting efforts to accelerate the transition to a circular economy in Canada. 

We do this by serving as a national hub that connects people to the knowledge, networks, and opportunities to help achieve circular innovation; fostering constructive dialogue between government and industry on critical issues where collaboration is key to the system transition required to achieving circularity; making the business case for new approaches by shining a light on corporate leadership and circular innovation; championing a national circular economy strategy and a coordinated innovation ecosystem; and accelerating circular economy transitions in key sectors through our Circular Economy Solutions Series, focused on taking advantage of opportunities and tackling the barriers.

How do you feel your organization makes the world better?

We’re hyper-focused on the circular economy which addresses our planet’s triple environmental crises: climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. The circular economy model leverages actionable business strategies to eliminate waste and pollution from our economy, reduce the demand on our ecosystems and natural resources by keeping materials and resources in use for as long as possible, and regenerate nature in the process. 

Tell us about Circular Economy Leadership Canada’s goals.

Our goal is to advance a circular economy in Canada across all sectors and supply chains, enhancing innovation and improving the competitiveness of Canada’s economy over the long term.

Are there any upcoming initiatives or projects you’d like to share?

Circular Economy Leadership Canada’s work is carried out through our Solutions Series work streams where we have a number of projects underway in areas that include plastics, food systems, metals and minerals, construction and built environment, and finance. You can find more at circulareconomyleaders.ca/solutions-series/ 

As one example, CELC has recently launched a project in collaboration with BOMA Canada, Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions (PICS), CSA Group, and others from the real estate sector exploring the use of circular strategies to extend the life of existing buildings – including innovative leasing and renovation – and, in turn, preserve the embodied carbon found within buildings. 

What do you most want people to know about your organization?

To advance the circular economy in Canada, we must work together in partnership to create the systems change we need. Through our collaborative approach and CELC’s platform for convening, we can accelerate the opportunities and tackle the barriers together.

How can people help or contribute to Circular Economy Leadership Canada’s mission?

We welcome organizations to join our network as Circular Economy Leadership Canada Partners, investing in the work streams we have underway, establishing the business case for action, and helping to communicate the benefits and advantages for Canada in transitioning to a more circular economy.

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Textile Lab for Circularity: Weaving a Circular Solution

No shirts, no shoes, no service. Clothing is essential for survival and navigating modern society; however, the shirts on our back have also evolved to be emblems of our status and reflect our unique personalities — all great qualities until it’s time to retire that novelty souvenir t-shirt we wore once as a joke. 

The Textile Lab for Circularity is fighting fashion and textile waste in Canada through extensive research and collaboration with industry players. We spoke with Megan Bourassa, Impact Strategist & Project Manager, to learn more about the Textile Lab for Circularity’s fashion-focused initiatives in the circular economy space.

Networking at the first in-person social innovation lab on textile waste, in 2017.

Tell us about Textile Lab for Circularity’s mission.

The Textile Lab for Circularity is a social innovation lab connecting unlikely allies across Western Canada to divert fashion and textile waste from landfills and move the industry toward circularity. We envision a thriving circular textiles economy in British Columbia by 2031. 

We believe that collaboration is key to making the circular economy a reality, and we strive to build the spaces for strategic cross-sector connections and industry clusters to form and flourish. 

What inspired you/your founders to start your organization?

While facilitating a social innovation lab for the hospitality industry in 2015, our founder Sara Blenkhorn witnessed the severity of the textile waste problem. She saw that textile waste resulted from almost every stage of the product life cycle, with no comprehensive, scalable solutions to divert this waste from the landfill. Folks working on solutions were isolated from each other, and she saw an opportunity to bring them together to make more progress, faster. 

She launched the first textile-focused lab through her consulting firm Leverage Lab. This two-year interactive lab program resulted in a whitepaper that mapped the flows of textile waste in Metro Vancouver and identified leverage points to take action. 

The first lab identified that in Metro Vancouver alone, upwards of 22,000 tonnes of textiles make their way to landfills annually. We also know that approximately 95% of this landfill waste is repairable, reusable, or recyclable, showing a large opportunity for the circular economy. This opportunity is what inspired Sara to start the Textile Lab for Circularity. 

What were some of the challenges you/your founders encountered?

There are a few challenges we’ve encountered and continue working on, including pivoting from in-person programming to 100% online due to the pandemic; pivoting to the changing needs of the industry during this turbulent time, thus redesigning our offerings to work for companies that had pivoted away from long-term climate and waste prevention strategies to short-term pandemic mitigation; and minimizing Textile Lab for Circularity added-value activities to extend the lifetime of our initial funding save money. 

As well, there are some challenges we’re encountering on an ongoing basis, including juggling the back and forth between the industry needing regulation and legislators waiting for the industry to take the lead. 

And more recently, we have seen an emerging need in our networks for reshoring textile/fashion production due to unstable supply chains. However,  there are gaps in the workforce and infrastructure to make that a reality at the moment.

What do you consider to be Textile Lab for Circularity’s biggest success?

Our biggest success since our official formation in 2019 is our massive pivot that led to producing our now-annual Building Your Circular Strategy Workshop! 

From 2017-19 we partnered with Vancity, The City of Vancouver, Metro Vancouver, and the Vancouver Economic Commission to convene 25 businesses and organizations from textiles-related sectors to collaborate on the issue of regional textile waste. We mapped the regional textile system through participant and network interviews and secondary data sources, and we produced the whitepaper, Unravelling the Problem of Apparel Waste in the Greater Vancouver Area. This study revealed a systems map of apparel waste flows in the Lower Mainland, establishing critical baseline data. This foundation positions us well to identify and act on opportunities that disrupt the conventional take-make-waste process.

The Textile Lab for Circularity was formed as a result of this whitepaper and its five leverage points for systemic change: increasing industry collaboration, investing in circular fibre development, educating consumers, levelling the playing field, and, ultimately, making circular fashion business models mainstream.

We designed and began marketing a Phase 2 lab in the winter of 2020 to take serious collaborative action on the leverage points that the whitepaper identified; however, COVID-19 disrupted this plan. Unfettered, we performed an in-depth analysis of the leverage points and the emergent needs of the industry. We determined that our lab model could be parsed out into two phases: an educational workshop to level the playing field and tangible pilot projects down the line. 

As a result, we successfully recruited and guided nine organizations through our new educational program and are now gearing up for a second cohort. 

What makes Textile Lab for Circularity unique?

We act like mycelium around the complex systemic issues of textile waste, transmitting knowledge, connections, and resources between key nodes when they wouldn’t otherwise relate. We believe that by breaking down silos in this highly-competitive industry and open sourcing key research and resources, we can move the whole industry further, faster. 

We also employ the science-based Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development, grounding our programs in a holistic methodology that accounts for the long-term well-being of both people and planet. This helps us guide the industry toward addressing the root problems, rather than implementing band-aid reactionary strategies. 

The first cohort of the Textile Lab for Circularity’s virtual Building Your Circular Strategy program, launched in October 2021.

How do you feel your organization makes the world better?

Our organization is composed of sustainability experts with deep experience in education and facilitation. We make the world better by championing collaboration in an increasingly competitive world. By creating safe spaces for exploration, open conversation, and sandboxes for play, we are able to spark ideas and partnerships otherwise inaccessible. 

We also aim to facilitate and normalize the open sourcing of key research to move the industry forward together.

Tell us about Textile Lab for Circularity’s goals.

As mentioned, we aim to create a thriving circular apparel industry in British Columbia by 2031. To get there, we are focused on taking action on these five leverage points designed to catalyze systemic change: 1) increase industry collaboration in the collection, sorting, recycling, and design for the environment; 2) invest in circular fibres development, recycling technology, and collection infrastructure; 3) educate consumers, designers, and brands about their role in a zero-waste fashion future; 4) set a level playing field that supports the reduction of apparel waste; and 5) make circular fashion business models mainstream. 

Are there any upcoming initiatives or projects you’d like to share?

One project we’d like to share is our upcoming landmark research project, the Roadmap to Textile Recycling in Western Canada. This roadmap is a cross-sector study engaging folks from government, industry, non-profit, academia, and funding to forge a path through the complex ins and outs of making scalable textile recycling in Western Canada a reality. 

The second initiative we’d like to share is gearing up for the second cohort of our one-of-a-kind Building Your Circular Strategy program. This four-session training is designed to spark circular strategies for long-term resilience in BC’s fashion and textile organizations. Together, we help companies understand their current system, set a circular mission, and develop a custom plan for embedding circularity into their business model. Teams will leave with their own internal Circular Strategy and the confidence to implement and communicate it internally and externally.

What do you most want people to know about your organization?

We truly believe that the future is collaborative. Together, we have the know-how, the resources, and the passion to make the apparel industry circular. As a non-profit organization, we are not driven by money but rather by the quality of the connections we facilitate. We measure our success on impact — all the way from individual conversations to systemic shifts.  

How can people help or contribute to Textile Lab for Circularity’s mission?

Non-profit, laser-focused Social Innovation Labs like ours are a key ingredient in catalyzing and accelerating innovation. We realize this is still a new concept to many, so please join us, support us, and amplify our work!

Some ways to get involved is to join or sponsor one of our programs, subscribe to our newsletter, and follow us on social media at @textilelabforcircularity.

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Circular Rubber Technologies: Re-Tiring Rubber Waste

The oil and gas industry may be known for its controversial environmental footprint, but part of this impact may be where you’d least expect: rubber tire waste. Once a site is done with any fracking and drilling, leftover equipment is often left behind to waste away. 

Circular Rubber Technologies (CRT) saw this issue and decided to do something – or should we say some tonnes — about it. We spoke with Maartje van der Sande, Co-Founder & CEO, about repurposing end-of-life mining tires and reducing their waste in the process.  

This photo shows how large off-the-road (OTR) tires are.  By processing one of these tires, we expect to generate a revenue of roughly $4,000 and save around nine tonnes of CO2 emissions. From left to right: Talia Hoffman, Maartje van der Sande, and Bram van den Berg.

Tell us about Circular Rubber Technologies’ mission.

Circular Rubber Technologies’ purpose is to turn the world’s waste streams into value, and we are on a mission to redirect at least 300,000 end-of-life mining tires from landfills through the production of 1 million tonnes of our rubber reclaim product. In doing so, we’ll reduce CO2 emissions by 3 million tonnes and generate CA$1 billion revenue.  

What inspired you to start your organization?

After over a decade in the oil and gas industry, I decided it was time to start focusing on making the world a better place instead of contributing to projects that had a negative impact on future generations.

I got involved in several projects which led to a realization that most mining companies bury their end-of-life mining tires on site. If you have ever seen one of these giant tires, you’d understand that burying thousands and thousands of these tires would have a huge environmental impact. 

I also learned that there are roughly 20 million tonnes of virgin rubber being used every year to make new tires. These two facts and the huge disconnect between tire waste on one end and the need for raw materials to make new tires on the other end sparked the idea for Circular Rubber Technologies and became one of our biggest drivers: closing the circle and ensuring end-of-life tires become new tires again.  

What were some of the challenges you encountered?

At Circular Rubber Technologies, we work with large multinationals: mining companies for the feedstock of our product and tire manufacturers as our reclaim product customers. The first challenge is obviously getting your foot in the door – finding the right people at the right level in the organization to talk to so they can champion your idea within their organization. This isn’t something that can be done overnight; it takes time and persistence. Meanwhile, we try to operate as lean and fast as possible since we’re a start-up.  

Another challenge, which I think all start-ups face, is to stay optimistic when things do not go as planned. For example, when we shipped 18 big bags of rubber feedstock crumbs to our testing facility, we did not anticipate that due to the transportation, the crumb was no longer free-flowing, but it was basically a solid one-tonne rubber block. Luckily, we rallied our team to come up with a solution to break up the rubber block into crumbs again. However, the challenges didn’t end there; we were shut down by inspection when we were finally producing our product because the neighbours complained of the rubber smell.  

We have overcome these challenges, and, in hindsight, I am actually thankful they happened. We have been able to learn from them, optimize our process, and improve our design. With all these hurdles, I think the biggest challenge is sometimes to stay optimistic, keep the team motivated and the end goal in mind, and be open and creative in addressing any unexpected situations. 

A endless amount of tires are waiting to be processed. This is just one location where the giant OTR’s are being collected. The majority stay in the mines and are never processed.

What do you consider to be Circular Rubber Technologies’ biggest success?

Apart from all the great technical successes we have had and the milestones we have reached in terms of technical de-risking, scale up, product development, and initial sales, I am especially proud of the fact that we have recently become a benefit corporation and reached a pending B Corp status. 

This speaks to the values we cherish as a team and the standards we hold ourselves and the organization accountable to. I believe this is Circular Rubber Technologies’ biggest success in that we have been able to cement these beliefs, values, and our purpose in the foundation of the business. 

What makes Circular Rubber Technologies unique?

We provide tire manufacturers with a sustainable alternative to virgin rubber. We ensure that tires that would otherwise be landfilled or end up in low-grade applications get used to make new tires. We provide a true circular solution: tires can be tires again. 

How do you feel your organization makes the world better?

We solve two problems in one go. Firstly, we help mining companies direct one of their largest operational waste streams to be processed in a true circular manner. At the same time, by selling our product to tire manufacturers, they will be able to produce more sustainable tires. By using our product, they will need less virgin rubber, which means fewer rubber plantations and less CO2 emitted. 

A proud moment: the first full pallet of product during the development phase and scale-up. This pallet was later sold to the first customer for the use into new tires. Circular Rubber Technologies CCO Marc Beeldsnijder (left) and CEO Maartje van der Sande celebrate this accomplishment.

Tell us about Circular Rubber Technologies’ goals.

Our most important goal currently is to get our first facility operational in the second half of next year. This will be a huge milestone for Circular Rubber Technologies, and it will mean we will be able to convert roughly 5,000 giant mining tires into our reclaim product each year.

Our subsequent goal is to quickly expand within Canada and beyond. We see a strong and growing demand for more sustainable materials and products, and tires are no different. Global tire manufacturers are increasingly searching for sustainable alternatives to lower their carbon footprint, and we plan to help them by providing them with a continuous stream of our high-quality reclaim on each continent. 

Are there any upcoming initiatives or projects you’d like to share?

As mentioned above, we have recently reached the pending B Corp status and are now working to become a fully certified B Corp over the course of the next year. We are about to release the key findings of some interesting work we have done with the Impact Institute to determine the true price of virgin synthetic and natural rubber and Circular Rubber Technologies’ alternatives. And, of course, people should stay tuned on the progress we are making with the realization of our first facility based in Alberta, Canada.

What do you most want people to know about your organization?

We are an impact company. The more successful we become, the greater the impact we make. 

How can people help Circular Rubber Technologies’ mission?

I think more generically, if we truly want the circular economy to work, we must also revisit the first part of the circle: the manufacturing of products and the consumers that use them. This is a fundamental part of the circle in the circular economy, and we often forget that we all have a role to play here: by making more conscious choices on consumption and use of products and simply by consuming less, we make it easier to solve the waste reduction side of the circular economy. Essentially, if we generate less in the first half of the circle, there’s less to “clean up” in the second part of the circle.

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Enerkem: Repurposing Waste to Fuel Our Lives

Landfills often seem like a necessary evil as a result of our consumption of everyday products. But what if there was a way to reclaim waste from landfills and natural biomass waste and use it to power our lives?

Over the past 20 years, Montréal-headquartered Enerkem has developed and commercialized a unique chemical recycling technology to produce advanced biofuels and circular chemicals from non-recyclable waste and residues of forest biomass. We spoke with Valerie Gonzalo, Public Relations and Communications Consultant, to learn more about this disruptive clean technology company.

Enerkem Alberta Biofuels, located in Edmonton, Canada, is the world’s first major collaboration between a large city and an innovative waste-to-biofuels producer.

Tell us about Enerkem’s mission.

Our mission is to establish Enerkem as a world-class provider of disruptive clean technology to enable the production of biofuel and circular chemicals from waste that cannot be recuperated or recycled. In this way, Enerkem offers an innovative, sustainable solution for waste management, energy diversification, and the implementation of a circular economy.

What inspired you/your founders to start your organization? 

Enerkem’s breakthrough technology was initially inspired by the research and development led by Dr. Esteban Chornet, Professor Emeritus at the Université de Sherbrooke in Québec. In the 1940s, Esteban’s father ran sawmills in Mallorca, Spain; the country was then emerging from a long civil war with little access to energy sources. The electricity needed to power the sawmills was produced mainly from sawdust, using a rudimentary biomass gasification process. This was developed into what has now become Enerkem’s unique technology.

More than 1.3 billion metric tons of municipal solid waste is generated around the world every year. Enerkem’s technology provides a sustainable waste management solution which is complementary to recycling and composting.

What were some of the challenges you/your founders encountered?

Two of the most important challenges we faced were financing our operations and adapting our technology to market requirements. We have met both with great success.

To support our development, we have raised over CA$1 billion in mostly private funding since 2000. The list of our investors includes major businesses and organizations, such as Suncor, Repsol, Rho, Braemar, Monarch Alternative Capital, and Avenue Capital Group, to name but a few.  

Since our foundation, we have devoted great efforts to adapt our technology to the needs of the market. We have tested and validated several different feedstocks, from solid waste coming from several municipalities to dozens of other types of residues such as forest biomass. Our technology was rigorously scaled up from pilot to demonstration to commercial stage during a period of over 10 years of disciplined efforts. We clearly succeeded as evidenced by the fact that we are now involved in major industrial projects here and abroad.

What do you consider to be Enerkem’s biggest success?

Our biggest success is the deployment of our technology currently underway in Canada and Europe. We’ve emerged as a small local company from Québec to a world-class player in the field of waste treatment and biofuel production. 

Our first plant started its operations in Edmonton in 2016 and is the world’s first commercial-size facility capable of transforming waste into biofuels and circular chemicals. We are now involved in the construction of a second commercial-sized facility in Varennes, Québec. Varennes Carbon Recycling, carried out with a group of strategic partners including Shell as the lead investor, along with Suncor and Proman, will produce 125 million litres of biofuels from 200,000 tons of feedstock made up of non-recyclable waste and residues of forest biomass. Hydrogen and oxygen used in our process will be produced by electrolysis. Québec’s clean and renewable hydroelectricity is an essential component of this innovative industrial complex.

In Tarragona, Spain, Enerkem has joined with Repsol and Suez to create Ecoplanta Molecular Recycling Solutions, a partnership that aims to build a plant to convert non-recyclable waste into biofuels and circular chemicals. This large-scale facility will process approximately 400,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste per year from the surrounding areas and is expected to be operational by 2026. It was recently selected by the European Commission to receive €106 million (CA$140 million) in financial support and Enerkem’s chemical recycling technology particularly impressed the European Commission.

In Rotterdam, Netherlands, Enerkem is now working with Shell and the Port of Rotterdam on a projected plant to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). This project, currently under development, could process up to 360,000 tonnes of waste annually and produce up to 80,000 tonnes of circular fuel. 

Enerkem, whose head office is in Montreal, was established in 2000. Today it employs some 235 full-time employees and many external collaborators.

What makes Enerkem unique?

Enerkem is the first company in the world to design a technology that can, at a commercial scale, produce circular chemicals and biofuels from non-recyclable, non-compostable municipal solid waste. Our solution replaces the use of fossil fuel sources like petroleum and natural gas with sustainable biofuels and chemicals to produce and operate a broad range of everyday products. 

As well, our people make us unique. Throughout the years, we have built a dynamic team of specialists and researchers who are now recognized worldwide.

How do you feel your organization makes the world better?

Enerkem’s technology provides an alternative to landfilling waste that cannot be recuperated or recycled. From this feedstock, we can produce biofuels that considerably reduce the carbon footprint of hard-to-decarbonize sectors, such as heavy transportation and commercial air transport. 

Nowhere is this better illustrated than in The Sky’s the Limit Challenge, a competition organized by the Government of Canada, where the objective was to encourage research and development aimed at the difficult-to-reduce carbon footprint of air transport, which currently accounts for roughly 3% of total global GHG emissions, according to the Environmental and Energy Study Institute. Enerkem won this competition last April by producing a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) which lowers GHG emissions by 93%. What’s more, the produced biofuel comes from an iconic source in Canada: forest biomass residues which are discarded in large quantities every year.

With a dedicated innovation center in Westbury (Québec) and an affiliated research facility in Edmonton (Alberta), Enerkem has one of the most capable R&D networks of any waste-to-biofuel company.

Tell us about Enerkem’s goals.

Our long-term vision is to deploy our technology worldwide to help reduce up to 90% of waste currently produced by transforming non-reusable materials into biofuels to power vehicles or manufacture products.

Are there any upcoming initiatives or projects you’d like to share?

Our main focus will be the pursuit of our current deployment in Canada and in Europe through the projects in Varennes, Tarragona, and Rotterdam. With NOVA Chemicals Corporation, we are also conducting a very promising research project on plastics at our Edmonton research centre. The objective is to convert synthesis gas produced from used, non-recyclable plastics to feedstocks for virgin-grade plastics, a significant step toward a circular economy. 

What do you most want people to know about your organization?

We are currently in the right place at the right time; we have a unique technology and are developing projects at an accelerated pace in Québec, Canada, and abroad. We have the ability and the obligation to make a difference for the future of our planet. And we are working on it every day.

How can people help or contribute to Enerkem’s mission?

Everyone can play a role in building a circular economy. When consuming, think circular. Be aware that waste will be produced when a product is discarded and favour the one with the lowest environmental footprint.

Consumers can also contribute to our mission by staying informed about the impact current technologies can have on improving waste reprocessing and the production of circular materials such as biofuels. Technology has a major role to play to address the environmental challenges we face. People need to be aware of the evolution of this fascinating, promising world. 

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Sparx’s CAMSC Certification: Gaining National Recognition as a Minority-Owned and -Led Organization

The Sparx team is excited to share that, this November, we were recognized by the Canadian Aboriginal and Minority Supplier Council (CAMSC) as a minority-owned and -led organization. 

This nationally recognized certification is a sign of our continued commitment to “walk our talk” when it comes to making the world better by supporting and adhering to diverse and inclusive business practices.

We are proud to celebrate this milestone and look forward to building new relationships with a community of like-minded organizations committed to leading positive change.

What is CAMSC Certification? 

CAMSC is a Canadian not-for-profit organization dedicated to growing Indigenous- and minority-owned businesses by “connecting them to procurement opportunities with companies and governments committed to a diverse and inclusive supply chain.” Through championing and advocating for BIPOC-owned businesses, CAMSC helps to create economic value, expand opportunities, and boost innovation. 

According to CAMSC, certification confirms that businesses “are 51% or more owned, managed and controlled by Aboriginal peoples and/or visible minorities,” operate in Canada, and are for-profit enterprises.  

Why We Pursued CAMSC Certification

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are central to our vision of a better world. 

We saw CAMSC certification as a way in which to connect with and support a diverse group of mission-aligned organizations and individuals who are in pursuit of greater economic opportunity, especially for excluded and underrepresented groups.

Having a well-established, nationally recognized certification as part of our identity will also enable our existing and potential partners to feel confident that, by working together with Sparx, they too can help build a more diverse and inclusive Canadian economy.

Hamish Khamisa, Founder and President of Sparx Publishing Group, stated, “More than any one project Sparx has worked on, I am exceptionally proud of building an organization that prioritizes and practices diversity, equity, and inclusion. The quality of work we produce is directly tied to this diversity and something our clients benefit from every single day. The CAMSC certification, ideally, can help demonstrate that companies who choose to work with diverse suppliers can gain outstanding results.”

How CAMSC Certification Furthers Our Mission

Our mission at Sparx is to help purpose-driven and minority-owned and -operated organizations market their world-changing message, and an inclusive economy is a crucial step to achieving this vision of a better world. Participating in systemic change within Canada through CAMSC certification is just one of several steps we’re taking to advance our mission of inclusivity.

Through supporting Indigenous- and minority-owned businesses, as well as having a demonstrably diverse workplace, we’re following through on our commitment to the UN Global Compact’s Sustainable Development Goals Program. Specifically, this certification helps affirm our progress on SDG 8 and SDG 10, which aim to “promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all,” and to “reduce inequality within and among countries,” respectively.

Our CAMSC certification is also a large stride toward our goal of becoming B Corp-certified, as managing and creating inclusive workplaces and attaining procurement through a diverse and inclusive supply chain are two key factors in achieving B Corp certification.

Receiving CAMSC certification will also enrich our relationships with new and existing clients because it proves that we “walk our talk,” that we are mission-aligned with impact-driven organizations, and that we are truly committed to promoting and expanding diversity, specifically by supporting groups that have been systemically excluded from equitable economic participation.

Building a Better World, Together

Sparx is proud to be part of this like-minded community by having a nationally recognized certification, and we’re thrilled to support minority- and Indigenous-owned businesses as part of a more vibrant and diverse Canadian economy. We are eager to help build a world in which systemically excluded groups have greater opportunities to thrive. 

Are you on a mission to create tangible positive change? Reach out to us. We would love to work with your values-aligned organization and to help promote or achieve your supply chain diversity goals.