When Jamie Cox began working as Superintendent of a 145 unit apartment building he knew he had his work was cut out for him. Recognizing that education and convenience were the keys to turning this situation around, Jamie set forth to redesign how waste was handled in his building. He had delivered to every household a waste management info package including written instructions and his home phone number in case the tenant had questions. He designed and posted maps throughout the building informing tenants of where to take their waste material, organized education sessions for tenants, regularly sends out a building newsletter including greening tips, and has set up the "Re-use Table" where tenants can give away or swap their gently used items. He permanently closed the garbage chute.

Over a period of six months, Jamie has recreated the waste management culture of his building. Now it is the recycling and composting containers that are overflowing, rather than the garbage bins.

Rick Ramsay, Chair of RRFB Nova Scotia, and Bill Ring, CEO of RRFB Nova Scotia, presented the Mobius Environmental Award for Individual Excellence in Waste Reduction to Jamie Cox of Killam Properties.

Since taking on his role as Custodial Foreman at Annapolis Valley Regional School Board, Chris Hiltz has been keenly aware that in order to ensure students recycle and compost properly, he had to do his homework. He has spent much of the past year working to make certain that not only are there waste containers in place, but that they were the right containers in the right place with the right signage and appropriate support for all involved.

Working with custodians, teachers, and administration to understand their needs, Chris learned about where the volumes of waste were generated.

He used every means available to him to remove "catch - all" containers from schools and to replace large garbage cans in classrooms with smaller ones while increasing the size of the blue boxes. If the administration or teachers in a school resisted the changes, he continued to gently persuade them. And when a custodian might question the effectiveness of the changes, Chris always made sure to show that custodian the actual results (less garbage, more recyclables and compost).

Chris went above and beyond the scope of his everyday role. His level of effort and commitment has already started to pay significant dividends in terms of improved sorting in the schools he serves.

Rick Ramsay, Chair of RRFB Nova Scotia, and Bill Ring, CEO of RRFB Nova Scotia, presented the Mobius Environmental Award for Individual Excellence in Waste Reduction to Chris Hiltz of the Annapolis Valley Regional School Board.

There are many priorities in an Operating Room – a sterile environment, well trained staff, and appropriate equipment among them. Given the importance and urgency of the work performed in those locations, sorting waste can easily fall by the wayside. That's why our next Mobius Environmental Award winner, Helga Hoffman-Orton, decided that someone needed to take initiative.

Recognizing that the hospital didn't have a green committee, this registered nurse gave a presentation to hospital management in support of forming one - a good first step. Especially considering that the health authority is building a new hospital with a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.

She researched which municipal solid waste programs accepted which materials and regularly arrives at the local waste management authority office with questions about which items, mainly packaging, could be diverted out of the garbage stream and into recycling.

Helga is now seen as the "go to" person for all questions on waste reduction and with an eye to the future, she hopes that all these accomplishments will set the stage for the creation of a green procurement policy for the hospital as well.

Rick Ramsay, Chair of RRFB Nova Scotia, and Bill Ring, CEO of RRFB Nova Scotia, presented the Mobius Environmental Award for Individual Excellence in Waste Reduction to Helga Hoffman-Orton of Colchester Regional Hospital.