This case study is focused on answering our thesis question: What would a Zero Waste 2040 Ambassador Program look like for the City of Vancouver? It is crucial that the City of Vancouver achieves this goal due to the current problems the city is facing, such as diminishing landfill space and strict climate goals. Confusion with how to properly sort waste by consumers is a contributing factor, as well as lack of education, lack of outreach opportunities, and the need for clarification and improvement with waste literacy.

Our proposed project, Triple E’s – Zero Waste 2040 Ambassador Program, aims to address these issues through our three pillars of Education, Engagement, and Expansion. Furthermore, we will track the progress of this program in order to justify efforts, evaluate its efficiency, and provide positive publicity opportunities. Municipal solid waste (MSW) comprised 33.72% of total material delivered to the Vancouver Landfill in 2017, therefore our program will target the primary source of MSW: multi-family residential housing units (City of Vancouver, 2018). Our project will be operated by a small group of SFU students that are passionate about waste reduction. This group, called the Core Ambassadors, will connect with multi-family residential housing units throughout the community. Building on the work of “Hey Neighbour!”, we will initially target residential units with “high sociability” to gain momentum. First contact made by the Core Ambassadors will be in the form of an educational, discussion-based seminar, open to all residents and strata members of the selected building. Following this seminar, a Building Ambassador will be chosen. With the help of our Core Ambassador group, this program will target a new multi-family residential building every month. Building Ambassadors will remain active indefinitely through a rotating cycle, allowing us to mark each visited building as “en-route to zero waste”. Building Ambassadors will have the option to gain certification, either through the City or SFU, allowing them to train future ambassadors and the opportunity to join the Core Ambassador group. The purpose of Building Ambassadors will be a familiar face to provide assistance for residents, and to provide education on waste reduction through multiple avenues. Our team has learned the complexities of creating a holistic program design throughout this process. We have also developed an increasing passion and excitement for sustainable development within the community, and look forward to the future progress of Vancouver.