75% Diversion Rate at the 2016 Ottawa Race Weekend

TORONTO, June 22, 2016 -- The Canadian Plastics Industry Association (CPIA) is proud to have partnered with Run Ottawa to achieve the remarkable success of diverting 75% of the waste generated in the on-course areas of the 2016 Ottawa Race Weekend, which took place on May 28-29, 2016.

"The CPIA is thrilled to continue our partnership with Run Ottawa to build on the lessons we learned about away-from-home recycling in 2015," states Krista Friesen, Vice President of Sustainability at CPIA. "We are committed to understanding and promoting the fact that recycling in the event-based sector is achievable and an important element of successful events like the Ottawa Race Weekend."

Building on lessons learned at the 2015 Ottawa Race Weekend and the Canada Army Run events, the partners procured and distributed specially marked recycling stations throughout the grounds at City Hall's Festival Plaza and in Confederation Park. The recycling stations included signage and recycling bins for paper, plastic/metal/glass containers, organics, and thermal blankets used by racers. Most importantly, the recycling stations were staffed by a crew of recycling volunteers from the Ottawa Titans Water Polo team who assisted runners and attendees to ensure everything was put in its proper place.

"We are so proud of the recycling results from this year's Race – a 75% diversion rate is an incredible success, and an important component in the Ottawa Race Weekend contributing to healthy environments and lifestyles," said John Halvorsen, Race Director. "And we are very grateful to the Ottawa Titans volunteers for the valuable role they played – they were an incredible resource in educating and engaging the runners about the importance of recycling."

Of the total 12 tonnes of waste that were generated from the on-course areas, 8 tonnes were diverted from landfill through recycling and organics programs. The materials collected for recycling included plastic bottles and containers, paper and cardboard, and laminated foil heat blankets and granola bar wrappers. Once consolidated by the race volunteers, these materials were collected and managed by Cascades Recovery at their Ottawa-based material recovery facility. The organics were shipped to Orgaworld's Ottawa-based plant in Gloucester, Ontario for processing.

The 2016 Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend welcomed close to 47,000 participants in six races, including the Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon, the Scotiabank Half Marathon, the Ottawa 10K, the HTG Sports 5K, the Ottawa 2K and Scotiabank Kids Marathon. The Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend is one of only two running events in the world to host two IAAF Gold Label races – the Ottawa 10K and the Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon. The 2017 Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend will take place on May 27-28, 2017.

The Canadian Plastics Industry Association is the national voice of Canada's plastic industry, representing the interests of processors, material suppliers, equipment manufacturers and brand owners across the country since 1943.

A photo accompanying this release is available at:
http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=40658

CONTACT: Darlene Gray, Marketing Specialist
         Canadian Plastics Industry Association
         905-678-7748 x239
         [email protected]
         
         Susan Marsh, Marketing Director
         Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend
         613-234-2221
         [email protected]