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.

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…

2017

City of Richmond: Alexandra District Energy Utility

Looking to a lower carbon future, the City of Richmond developed long term commitments to cut carbon emissions to 33% of 2007 levels by 2020. Recognizing the promise of district energy, the City invested in a large ground…

2017

General Motors of Canada: Local Community Stewardship

One of the 9 corporate-wide sustainability goals set by GM in 2010 was to go beyond GM centric activities, and help educate and drive sustainability initiatives in local communities across Canada. Since 2012, GM Canada has expanded from…

2017

Sustainable Prosperity: The Smart Prosperity Initiative

Founded by respected Canadian leaders from business, think tanks, labour, Indigenous Peoples, youth, and NGO communities, Smart Prosperity harnesses new thinking to map out and accelerate Canada’s transition to a stronger, cleaner economy in the next decade. Smart…

2017

Sustainable Waterloo Region: Regional Carbon Initiative

RCI connects and empowers 67 member organizations to set GHG reduction targets. To build the sustainability capacity in an organization, the RCI offers tools to track and report on GHGs, develop policies, engage employees, learn from experts and…