3Rs Ambassador Volunteer Program
Background
The 3Rs Ambassador Volunteer Program was developed by the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) Working Group, a citizen’s advisory group that provides input to Solid Waste Management Services about waste diversion initiatives to help Toronto divert 70% of their waste from landfill.
In 2008, City Council approved the 3Rs Ambassador Volunteer Program. The primary focus of the 3Rs Ambassador Volunteer Program is to help increase waste diversion rates by educating residents living in apartment buildings and condominiums about the 3Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
There are over 5000 multi-residential buildings in Toronto, which house nearly half the city’s population. In 2008, the average residential waste diversion rate was 44%. Multi-family residential buildings, on average, diverted only 15% of the total amount of waste they generated, compared to 59% in single-family households.