Race to Recycle: A Unique Partnership between the Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend and the Canadian Plastics Industry Association

TORONTO, May 22, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Canadian Plastics Industry Association (CPIA) is proud to announce a new partnership with the Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend to deliver an enhanced recycling program which will help reduce litter and minimize the environmental footprint at this year's race taking place this weekend, May 23-24, 2015.

The Race Weekend team has completed months of intensive planning and training to deal with waste generated from the 150,000-200,000 participants and spectators expected over the course of the weekend. With help from CPIA staff and member companies and Cascades Recovery, the event is setting the stage to capture and recycle the plastic cups and bottles, thermal blankets, paper and organics that are generated at the race and that were thrown away in the past.

"We run and walk to help keep a healthy lifestyle, and now we can recycle and compost for the environment," said Race Director John Halvorsen.

The Race Weekend attendance has as many people as a small city and creates large volumes of recyclables, organics and waste. Halvorsen said that marathons and races around the world are looking at ways to divert waste from landfills and have a smaller environmental footprint.

Given the City of Ottawa's advanced recycling and composting program, the Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend diversion system has been adapted for this unique public space event. Everyone can now recycle as if they were at home. "The concept is simple, extend our home recycling experience to the Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend venue," said CPIA's Vice President of Sustainability, Krista Friesen.

Visitors and participants will see specially marked collection centres with recycling bins for paper, plastics, organics, and thermal blankets. Located throughout City Hall's Festival Plaza and in Confederation Park, a crew of recycling volunteers will also assist attendees to ensure everything is put in its proper place.

"We are not only helping to manage the central event location, but volunteers at the race's hydration stations will also be collecting all the used cups and food packaging for recycling" said Friesen. "We are looking to let nothing go to waste," she said.

In addition to logistical and technical support provided by CPIA staff, two member companies have also backed this recycling initiative. Wittmann Canada, a machinery manufacturer based in Richmond Hill, Ontario, originally identified the partnership opportunity between CPIA and the Race Weekend, and has remained involved in coordination for the project. Polykar, a Montreal-based manufacturer of industrial, commercial and institutional garbage bags and food packaging, has donated the bags that will be used to collect material at all of the recycling stations throughout the Race Weekend grounds.

When it comes to recycling, Cascades Recovery is one of the leading waste management companies in North America, handling over 1.56 millions tons of recyclable materials every year.

Find out more about the Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend (http://www.runottawa.ca/races-and-events/tamarack-ottawa-race-weekend/), the Canadian Plastics Industry Association (www.plastics.ca) Wittmann Canada (http://www.wittmann-group.ca/), Polykar (http://www.polykar.com/) and Cascades Recovery (http://www.recoverycascades.com/).

The Canadian Plastics Industry Association is the national voice of Canada's plastics industry, representing the interests of processors, material suppliers, equipment manufacturers and brand owners across the country.