PECO - Plastic Essence Collaborative

The Canada Plastics Pact 2024 Report highlights some critical stats about our plastic use in 2022. Over 1.9 million tonnes of plastic entered the economy, with only 16% of all plastics recycled and a mere 4% of soft plastics recycled. It's high time we take action and make a difference! Here are five simple ways you can help: 1) BYOB - Bring Your Own Bags 2) Drop off your used bags at a Depot 3) Avoid shrink-wrapping luggage 4) Replace one item a year permanently (use a bar of soap) 5) Pick up plastic debris when possible. Let's all strive for a zero-waste lifestyle and protect our planet today! #zerowaste #plasticfree #ecofriendly #sustainability #recycle #environment #noplastic #gogreen #reuse #zerodechet #zerowasteliving #savetheplanet #nature #lesswaste #green #greenliving #plasticpollution #zerowastehome

Canada is a young nation, still navigating the twists and turns that shape its people. The very name "Canada" comes from the Huron-Iroquois word "kanata", meaning "village" —an idea we are still striving to embody. We have yet to truly unite as a people. Only now are we reckoning with the injustices inflicted upon Indigenous communities, taking steps—however overdue—toward reconciliation. We are a country of adaptation. In 1812, British troops from Canada set fire to the White House. Two centuries later, we opened our homes to Americans stranded after 9/11. History keeps turning, and we keep adapting, forging friendships where there was once conflict. Then came Saturday. A slap across the cheek from the Trump administration—a familiar echo of history, though this time, the blow was heavier. But we can take it. We can adapt. #wecanadapt Adaptation is our defining trait. The French and English shaped our early years, and today, we stand as a global beacon of human rights and civil protection. We have innovated beyond our years—peanut butter, the jetliner, kerosene, the snowmobile, newsprint, the gramophone, braille, the Canadarm—all born of Canadian ingenuity. And we’re just getting started. Now, it's time to adapt again—this time, our economy. We are home to some of the world’s brightest minds. Let’s invest in them. We have the longest railroad on Earth. Let’s leverage it. Our resources are as vast as Trump’s daily tirades. Let’s use them wisely. Let’s rise to our name and finally become the kanata—the village—we were always meant to be. #wecanadapt #supportcanadian #supportcanadiansmallbusiness #canadian #madeincanada #shoplocal #buycanada #canadatariffs #resistamericatariffs #truenorth #canada *https://lnkd.in/e2-yg-u Canadarm Photo by MDA

Art Matters! I was reminded of this when I bumped into an old ad we did for ArtHouse, an organization helping disadvantaged kids get access to the arts. https://lnkd.in/gtdEkTH4 The ad is a doodle session we did on a printed poster with my own family. But more than just an ad, doodling played a critical role in our family. Where other dads coached sports teams, I would be found with my kids in a coffee shop, each kid with their doodle book, doodling away. I didn't have to teach them anything or preach the way dads do. Rather, we would just doodle together, connecting in the moment without speaking. Now, as young adults they all say how amazing this was in connecting and growing together. Art did that! Art Matters! #artmatters #artlovers #art #peco-fab #formandfunction #arthouse

Thanks to InclusionBC and Kinsight, we're lucky to have a team helping us improve our sorting process and become more efficient. We're thrilled to celebrate our first couple of months together with an award we designed for our Sorting Stars! Join us in giving them a shoutout for their hard work! #SortingStars #EfficiencyBoost #InclusionBC #Kinsight

Since November 2024, PECO has been working with three fantastic gentlemen from InclusionBC coordinated by Kinsight. They are using their autistic nature to help PECO rock the sorting stations. And they have been doing just that! Sorting the plastics we get is a challenge. It requires patience and focus. With a bit of guidance and support, each member of the team is continuously improving their technique and speed which is really helping with our studio's overall productivity. Thank you, InclusionBC and Kinsight for your guidance and leadership. If only other businesses understood the value you bring through those you support!! #inclusionBC, autism, PECOFab, #plasticfree, #Softplasticwaste #burnaby, #vancouver

4% recycled plastic waste—let that sink in. That’s an overwhelming mountain of plastic still out in circulation. The culprit? Soft plastics. Flexible, stretchy, and crinkly plastics like overwrap, shrink wrap, and everyday packaging are the nightmare of recycling systems. These materials clog shredding machines, get classified as "too difficult to handle," and are ultimately tossed, burned, or shipped off—often to the U.S., only to end up in places like Indonesia. And the bad news? By 2050, we’re on track to see three times these amounts choking our planet. The Plastic Pact, alongside the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) model, is attempting to map the plastic crisis: identifying how much plastic producers inject into the market versus how much gets collected. But here’s where the wheels come off: The government is playing catch-up. Companies self-report their plastic data on a voluntary basis, leaving gaping holes in the numbers. Some businesses, like KMS Tools, outright boycott the EPR system, claiming it doesn’t fit their business model. And they’re not wrong that the Recycle BC program, on which EPR is based, caters largely to the food industry. Meanwhile, rural businesses remain ghosts in the system—unaccounted for and unmonitored. Prevention is getting left behind. Tackling soft plastics at the source—before they ever enter the recycling stream—is where the real opportunity lies. Innovation, collaboration, and grassroots efforts need serious funding and support. We need ideas that help consumers reduce their soft plastic footprint before it spirals into a waste crisis. This is the seed of a circular economy, and it’s not getting watered. Here’s the reality: our soft plastics crisis is only just beginning. If we don’t shift focus to the entire lifecycle of plastics, we’re doomed to stay stuck in this failing system. Consumers need to be part of the solution, empowered to evaluate and change how they interact with soft plastics. Every single touchpoint matters. Recycling alone isn’t the fix—it’s barely holding the line. Let’s stop treating the symptom and start addressing the disease. #RecycleBC, #EPR #BC #Vancouver #sustainability #PlasticPact #softplasticwaste #plasticscrisis

Transforming plastic waste into monumental artworks? Check out our full Anubis piece! Made from recycled materials, this creation is not just art, it's a statement. We're on a mission to sculpt a sustainable future. Learn more about our process and passion. #ArtFromWaste #EcoInnovation

Ever wonder what it takes to take the road less travelled? So many of us, both young and old, are wondering how we can make a better world? How can we loop-out of the grind and bring a new idea to life? Something that resonates with everyone while balancing nature in the process. How do we do this when everything seems so easy for the big guys and so impossible for the small guys? These are the typical questions of the makers, the innovators and as Robert Frost wrote in his famous poem, those that take the road less travelled. These questions and more are part of a podcast featuring PECO and the takeaways that might inspire to dream big and take the Road Less Travelled. https://lnkd.in/g8vnkwkf

I am very excited to share a spotlight on PECO in a 3-part podcast series called the 5C's (Clarity and Collaboration for the Community of Climate Changemakers). The 5C's founder, Charlene Norman, is a friend and colleague of mine for many years. As a consultant in the Toronto area, she hones her skills in business management from her advisory in SME's to her accomplished executive roles in a variety of fortune 500 companies. In short, she's someone you want on your side. Join us on a 3-part series as Charlene pulls out the "essence" of Plastic Essence Collaborative. Episode #1: ARTISTIC ALCHEMY: TURNING PLASTIC WASTE INTO MASTERPIECES https://lnkd.in/gm9HYezv About 5C's: The 5C's podcast, book and community are about shining a light on a better path. Think of it as a global village of business people giving Planet Earth a hand up. You can find Charlene Norman on: LinkedIn - (https://lnkd.in/gEAk358Z) Website - https://lnkd.in/g7TyeZTv