The projects that make a difference

The Clean50 Top Projects annually recognize those projects completed in the prior two years based on their innovation, their ability to inform, and inspire other Canadians. The Top Project of the year is then selected each year at the Clean50 Summit, from votes cast by both incoming and Alumni members of the Clean50.

2019

City of Waterloo: Poop Power

Dog waste, while it is a small price to pay for the glory that is dogs, is a stinky reality. It collects and overflows in garbage receptacles in parks everywhere. This collection method attracts flies, detracts from park…

2019

CN: EcoConnexions: Major Cross Canada Reforestation Program

CN’s EcoConnexions From the Ground Up program was launched in 2012 to promote environmental sustainability through the greening of communities, including Indigenous communities, along their rail network in Canada and the United States. Working together with their partners,…

2019

Dextran and Enviro-Stewards Inc.: Saving Water & Energy

Dextran Products, a Toronto-based pharmaceutical manufacturer, was looking to slash their water use in order to save money, comply with municipal programs, and become a more socially-responsible company. With the assistance of the Toronto Regional Conservation Area’s Partners…

2019

Ecology Action Centre (EAC): Deep Energy Retrofit

In 2013 the Ecology Action Centre (EAC) found themselves with what is, in many ways, a happy problem — they needed more space to accommodate their growing number of staff and volunteers — and for which they found…

2019

Embedding Project: The Road to Context

The road to Road to Context is easier than it might seem.  Several of the corporate members of the Embedding Project — a long-term partnership hosted at the Beedie School of Business at Simon Fraser University involving dozens…

2019

Enbridge Gas: “Saving By Design” Program Review

Science tells us that expanding our use of fossil fuels is bad for humanity and the ecosystem.  While alternative solutions exist, they’re often more expensive (for now) as technology evolves, and so new home and condominium construction continues…

2019

Network for Business Sustainability: Collaborating with Competitors

Addressing sustainability challenges can make unlikely bedfellows. Yet if messy, complex sustainability issues, such as climate change, deforestation, and fisheries management are to be tackled, organizations far more comfortable competing must sometimes learn to collaborate. Simply managing one’s…

2019

Plug’n Drive: Electric Vehicle Discovery Centre

In 2015 Plug’n Drive conducted a secret shopper study that uncovered some of the reasons why electric vehicle (EV) sales at the dealers were less than they ought to be be. The results of that study showed that…

2018

Bowery Project: Mobile Urban Farms in Vacant City Spaces

Using that now iconic building block of urban life, the milk crate, Bowery Project engages communities in transforming vacant lots into productive, literally blossoming spaces.Their mobile urban farm model — all the food is grown in the crates,…

2018

Canadian Tire Corporation – Resource Recovery Centre

Canadian Tire Distribution Centres located primarily in Brampton, Ontario overhauled a facility designed to sort and recycle damaged products from the supply chain and reverse flow processes. The overall objective of the project was to implement streams to…

2018

City of Nelson – Community Solar Garden

There can be a lot in a name and the fact that the solar power project model chosen by the City of Nelson, in the Kootenay Region of British Columbia is called a “Community Solar Garden” tells you…

2018

Credit Valley Conservation – Greening Corporate Grounds

In an ever-urbanizing watershed, the impact of development can be reduced by restoring wildlife habitat and increasing biodiversity, but going natural isn’t going to happen on its own. Credit Valley Conservation (CVC) created the Greening Corporate Grounds (GCG)…

2018

Mesh Exchange – FoodMesh – Food Recovery Platform

What Mesh Exchange CEO, Co-Founder Jessica Pautsch did with her food recovery platform is take the old maxim “Waste not, want not” straight into the 21st Century. After all, if technology can get that guy at the office…

2018

Queen’s Solar Design Team – Solar Education Centre

Moving house is always stressful but few of us will ever face the very literal sort of house moving challenge The Solar Design Team at Queen’s University overcame constructing the Queen’s Solar Education Centre (QSEC). In 2013, The…

2018

Sustainability Advantage – Future-Fit Business Benchmark

Taking the Washing out of GreenWashing Increasingly words like “earth-friendly” and “green” are pasted onto to just about anything like so many brightly coloured stickers onto fruit. The prefixes “enviro” and “eco” are tossed about like disposable stir…

2018

York University – Solar Charging for Electric Vehicles

Experimental / Experiential Solar Charging Station Project spawn knock-offs on 3 continents! The original goal of York University’s Free Solar Charging for Electric Vehicles project, led by Professor José Etcheverry, was to design and build a photovoltaic solar…

2017

City of Hamilton: Hamilton Bike Share Program

Initially proposed by the McMaster Sustainability Office and the McMaster Students Union, the idea of a bike share system in Hamilton was pitched to Peter, Project Manager, Sustainable Mobility Programs with the City of Hamilton, for a student…