Environment Lethbridge - Squaring the Circle: Expanding the Circular Economy in Lethbridge

Over the past year, Environment Lethbridge and their community partners expanded circular economy activities in Lethbridge under one unified program. The initiative kept items out of the landfill through "freecycle" events, art and craft supply swaps, and repair cafes. Participants learned new skills to carry into their everyday lives through workshops on topics like vermicomposting and building compost bins from pallets. In total, the program engaged more than 13,600 people and kept an estimated 8,000 items out of the landfill by passing them on to someone else to use. Developing community resources was also a key part of the program. The team worked with other organizations to install Little Free Libraries for sharing books and other items, and created storytelling tools such as a magazine, a video series and digital narratives.

While the measurable impacts of this project are striking, a key outcome has been a shift in awareness and conversation among Lethbridge residents about how to deal with their "stuff." Environment Lethbridge also learned that how they talked about their work mattered. They quickly realized that the term "circular economy" didn't resonate with residents, so they shifted to simpler, more tangible terms like "share and repair." The positive community response shows there is an appetite for more circular practices, and Environment Lethbridge plans to continue building on this success.

The Biosphere Institute of the Bow Valley - Driving the Circular Economy in the Bow Valley – and Alberta

The Bow Valley region is a hub for tourism and events, but where many people gather, waste is sure to follow. A single-day waste audit found more than 1,000 disposable coffee cups in Banff's downtown garbage bins. Through its "Driving the Circular Economy in the Bow Valley – and Alberta" project, the Biosphere Institute of the Bow Valley worked with municipalities, tourism and hospitality associations, businesses, and event organizers to expand circular practices across the region.

From the Banff Borrows reusable cup system, which has helped avoid more than 89,000 disposable cups over two years, to strengthening community collaboration, the Biosphere Institute frames the circular economy as more than a waste reduction strategy. Their work shows it can be a holistic framework that fosters community resilience, enhances affordability and equity, and deepens our connections with one another and with the natural environment.

Through cross-sector collaboration, the Biosphere Institute deepened community understanding of how circularity can be further embedded in daily life in the Bow Valley, and for some, it is already a familiar practice. For instance, through collaboration with the Îyârhe Nakoda community to share learnings, it was recognized that many principles of circularity, such as respecting resources, minimizing waste, sharing, repair, and reciprocity, have existed within Indigenous ways of knowing for generations.

One of the project's most significant outcomes was shifting the Bow Valley's circular economy efforts from isolated ideas and standalone initiatives to more integrated, established systems focused on reuse, repair, sharing and waste prevention. The Bow Valley's reusable cup system expanded to Canmore, and a collaborative effort among several partners laid the groundwork for a better system to support the maintenance and expansion of reusable foodware systems into the future. To make circularity part of everyday life and meet people where they are, the Canmore Public Library added a Library of Things to its offerings. Now 415 items are available to borrow, with a food dehydrator and a sewing machine among the most popular. Hands-on events like the Share & Repair Fairs drew about 450 participants, who came together to learn skills, exchange resources, and build community around a sharing economy.

The Biosphere Institute also launched a Towards Zero Waste Event Working Group. The Working Group brings together municipalities, event organizers, waste management experts, reuse providers, tourism groups, and local partners to share successful strategies, address operational hurdles, highlight innovative approaches, and accelerate the adoption of circular practices at Bow Valley events. Research into event organizers' needs led to the creation of a Towards Zero Waste Event Toolkit to leverage learnings and best practices for future events. 

To learn more about the project's results, read the Biosphere Institute's Driving the Bow Valley’s Circular Economy Report or project webpage.

The Biosphere Institute's work demonstrates that building a circular economy requires immediate, practical opportunities to participate, alongside long-term commitments to cultivate the relationships, infrastructure, knowledge, policies, and culture needed to make circular practices the norm. Their team continues to build momentum in the Bow Valley with the launch of the ReUse Bow Valley System & Hub, which will pilot the local reuse of construction materials and household items as a test for long-term infrastructure.

Join us in Advancing Circularity in Alberta 

The journey to a circular future in Alberta, where products, components, and materials are kept in use, will continue to rely on collaboration. Alberta Ecotrust is thrilled to support organizations across Alberta working to shift practices and policies away from a linear system, alongside our funders and collaborators, including Dow Canada, a key contributor to our circular economy work. We look forward to connecting with more organizations across Alberta and Canada that are launching exciting projects and innovative approaches to circularity, and we invite anyone interested in working with us to reach out.