Knives, forks and spoons made from potatoes are part of the mountain town of Banff’s strategy to manage waste generated in public spaces and from large public events.

           Banff deployed the biodegradable and reusable cutlery for Canada Day festivities last summer as part of the town’s “towards zero waste events” initiative, says Anne Ruzicka, regional recycle coordinator for the Bow Valley Waste Management Commission. The event also included compostable bags in bins for organic waste, and biodegradable drinking cups made of corn starch.

           Ruzicka and other speakers discussed the often-neglected opportunities for reducing waste in public spaces and from…

           Shannon Hames cuts bicycle tire inner tubes into purses with pizzazz – turning a profit at the same time.

           Neil Wiens’s company pulverizes otherwise waste drywall into a compost that farmers can use to counter the high amount of salt used in animal manure-based fertilizers.

           Hames and Wiens were among several entrepreneurs who spoke at the Recycling Council of Alberta’s annual conference, where participants learned that recycling trash is creating unexpected and environmentally friendly business opportunities.

           “Entrepreneurs are the backbone of the Alberta (economy),” Norm Jede, director of environmental products and services at Alberta Employment, Immigration and Industry, told the conference…