Western Canada Initiative Urges Oil Smart Behaviour

“One litre of used oil can contaminate a million litres of fresh water,” Manitoba Conservation Minister Oscar Lathlin announced in making his commitment to EcoDay, Saturday, June 8th.
The annual EcoDay is organized by MARRC (Manitoba Association for Resource Recovery Corp.) and its provincial counterparts in Saskatchewan and Alberta. Held at the end of National Environment Week, (June 2nd – 8th) EcoDay is intended to build and maintain awareness for the used oil recycling program under which Manitobans can recycle used oil, used oil filters and used plastic oil containers year round.
MARRC executive director, Ron Benson, says Manitobans themselves are responsible for the success of the provincial used oil recycling program. “We put out the message about the environmental hazards of used oil and Manitobans responded,” says Benson. “The response from the municipalities wanting an EcoCentre (a purpose-built used oil collection facility) has been very encouraging. Within the first year, our used oil materials collection stats improved dramatically and they’ve been improving ever since.”
The efforts appear to be having positive results.
In 2001, 11.8 million of the 15 million litres of used oil available for recycling were recovered. Of the 1.9 million oil filters sold, 1.49 million were recycled. This year, MARRC is focusing on bringing in more empty plastic oil containers.
This year, EcoDay festivities will be held in 52 locations across Manitoba. Ten will have local radio stations broadcasting on-location. The EcoCentre hosts have collected giveaways from their communities for visitors who drop in and many locations will give 1 litre of new oil free for used oil recycled.
On June 8th only, those who attend an EcoDay event can enter for a chance to win a Grand Prize of a three-day, Westcoast cruise for two, departing in September. Those who are unable to attend an EcoDay event can visit www.usedoilrecycling.com between May 8th and June 8th. Click on and tour “EcoSchool”. Then write the exam for a chance to win a Mr. Oil Drop ‘EcoSchool Graduate’ T-shirt. More than 100 communities across the three provinces are organizing EcoDay festivities.
“This is a good example of inter-provincial cooperation,” says Lathlin. “With the issues around water supply and quality that have arisen elsewhere in the country, my colleagues in Saskatchewan and Alberta agree with me that this is one of the most pressing environmental issues facing Canadians today.”