Operation Green - No More Plastic

As an organization that gives clothing a second life while helping women, Dress for Success Vancouver is already on board with the 3 Rs. When we receive donations that we cannot use, we further donate them to other organizations helping those in need. We recycle recyclables and save all take-out condiments and utensils for future eating emergencies. We're pretty good at being green.

However, when it comes to drinking water, we are not so considerate about Mother Earth. With over 250 volunteers working various shifts in our “shop”, we see a lot of plastic water bottles. In fact, we provide water to our volunteers in these nasty containers. And a lot of the time, at the end of a shift, we are left with several of them, less a few sips. I have to say that we haven’t been wasteful exactly; all partially-drank bottles find a new home either as boiled water for tea or thirst-quenchers for our plants. But seriously – what plants need bottled water!?

We decided that it’s time for a change in 2011 - we are starting the “Operation Green: No More Plastic” project. We will no longer provide plastic water bottles to our volunteers. Instead, we’ll be encouraging our volunteers to bring their own re-usable water bottles or cups with them for their shifts, so they can remain both hydrated and green.