After becoming homeless, Ryan Thomas had to weigh the few income-earning options available to those in his situation.

He always had an interest in environmental pursuits, spurred in part by Michael Jackson songs highlighting the ailing Earth, so deciding to start collecting refundable recyclables just clicked in his mind.

B次元官网网址淚t was a no brainer to pick it up,B次元官网网址� Thomas said.

He then jumped on the chance to join the upstart DivertersB次元官网网址� Foundation, a Victoria group that creates economic opportunities for recyclable collectors through a number of programs that ensure materials stay out of the landfill.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 life changing, IB次元官网网址檓 hoping itB次元官网网址檚 going to give me the opportunity to get sustainable income and do something for society that IB次元官网网址檓 proud of,B次元官网网址� Thomas B次元官网网址� who has now been with the Diverters for several years B次元官网网址� said at the University of VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 library on Wednesday (March 27).

He was there for a roundtable discussion where the Diverters shared its waste-cutting initiatives and experiences with students and faculty members.

One of the foundationB次元官网网址檚 programs coordinates with business and residents to arrange scheduled bottle and can pick-ups. ItB次元官网网址檚 seen results such as two residential buildings cutting their waste in half, but also aims to build relationships that reduce the stigma tied to diverting.

Jutta Gutberlet, a UVic geography professor whoB次元官网网址檚 been with the DivertersB次元官网网址� board since its inception, has had the groupB次元官网网址檚 members speak to her classes about their work, its environmental impact and how it supports collectorsB次元官网网址� livelihoods.

One of her students teamed up with the group on its Coffee Cup Revolution, which raised awareness about the quantity of disposable coffee cups being used in B.C. and how they lack a refund system.

The Diverters campaigned against VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 ultimately shelved fee for disposable cups as it said a 25-cent levy was too small to thwart customers from getting a cup and the money was just going back to shops. The society of B次元官网网址渂innersB次元官网网址� has instead been advocating for a system mirroring their pilot initiative, where coffee cups would have a refund like cans or bottles so diverters can financially benefit, and ensure cups get recycled as intended.

Another of GutberletB次元官网网址檚 students is teaming with the group on a project where diverters would pick up perfectly good food that was set to be thrown out and take it to organizations who can distribute it to those in need.

B次元官网网址淭hey could be an important piece in transporting the food from one place to another where itB次元官网网址檚 needed,B次元官网网址� the UVic professor said.

Greater VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 100 binners pales in comparison to countries like Brazil, where Gutberlet said such waste-sorting programs are much more widespread and up to 800,000 diverters there are keeping those recycling systems going.

B次元官网网址淲ithout them, there would be no recycling, so they are fundamental actors in the waste management system,B次元官网网址� she said.

In partnering with local events, the Diverters have provided recyclables sorting at VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 Canada Day festivities and showed attendees of the annual Moss Street Paint-In how to properly dispose of their waste in the corresponding bins.

Those events also provided interaction and connection with the wider commnuity at a time Gutberlet said the stigma associated with diverting remains one of the largest barriers to the work. She hopes more events and festivals team up with the foundation so dialogue between binners and the public can flourish.

B次元官网网址淚t just just dignifies their life so much more because they are environmental stewards.B次元官网网址�

For Thomas, the Diverters gave him a career he loves and he hopes to segway into the restoration and salvation business by finding creative uses for scrapped material. During the hours he spends diverting every day, he sees tossed items that can be reused or are still working.

B次元官网网址淲e have a beautiful playground out there (in the environment) and weB次元官网网址檙e just throwing it all away,B次元官网网址� Thomas said.

B次元官网网址淚 want to find a way to do my part.B次元官网网址�

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