October 15, 2012 PROVINCE MARKS WASTE REDUCTION WEEK WITH WRAPP GRANTS Fourteen projects aimed to reduce waste, including a project to provide bicycle repair workshops for youth and low-income individuals, will receive support from the Provincial Waste Reduction and Pollution Prevention (WRAPP) Fund, Conservation and Water Stewardship Minister Gord Mackintosh announced today to mark Waste Reduction Week “These workshops will not only teach valuable bike repair skills, but will also encourage respect for our environment by promoting alternative transportation options and encouraging people to repair and reuse items,” said Mackintosh.  “The volunteers at the Winnipeg Repair Education and Cycling Hub are really making a difference in our community by sharing their experience with others and encouraging a more sustainable future.” The fourteen projects will receive more than $175,000 in funding and will also include a composting project for apartment residents in West Broadway and expansion of the recycling facility at Peguis First Nation. The WRAPP Fund supports improved waste reduction and pollution prevention practices in Manitoba.  Priority areas are organic waste management and composting, construction and demolition waste management, pollution prevention and waste management system development and planning.  Several environmental sustainability projects are also being supported. “These projects are consistent with the TomorrowNow strategic action green plan’s goal of incorporating environmental sustainability practices into activities that will protect, enhance, conserve and rehabilitate Manitoba’s environment for today and the future,” the minister said. Since 1999, Manitobans have recycled more than 737,909 tonnes of material, equal to almost 100,000 full garbage trucks.  A total of 290 projects have been supported with more than $4.8 million in grants from the WRAPP Fund since its creation in 2000.  Information on the fund is available at www.susdev.gov.mb.ca. Waste Reduction Week in Canada is held between Oct. 15 and 21.  This year’s theme, Too Good To Waste, is about encouraging appreciation for the beauty of the planet and the importance of working toward sustainability by conserving resources and curbing wasteful practices. More information about Waste Reduction Week is available on the Green Action Centre website at www.greenactioncentre.ca. - 30 - BACKGROUND INFORMATION ATTACHED

WRAPP Grant Recipients