PlastiCanada
Welcome
to the
PlastiCanada Podcast
by Canada Solves
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Our Mission
Founded by Cordelia McCrillis in 2020, PlastiCanada is a podcast that aims to discuss plastic-related issues and the amazing responses to those issues by individuals, organizations, and governing bodies within Canada. With the support of organizations like Ocean Wise, Chantiers Jeunesse, WWF Canada, and Cumhachd Music, PlastiCanada will interview individuals from across Canada’s 10 provinces and 3 territories who are making a difference in their communities today.
"Environmental sustainability is, to us, a grassroots issue - as such, we are proud to highlight the Canadians paving the way to create more sustainable communities in their regions."
“Plastic is polluting our rivers, lakes, and oceans, harming wildlife, and generating microplastics in the water we use and drink.
Every year, Canadians throw away 3 million tonnes of plastic waste, only 9% of which is recycled, meaning the vast majority of plastics end up in landfills and about 29,000 tonnes finds its way into our natural environment.”
- Office of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, 2020
Our Goal:
Produce educational or thought-provoking interviews with individuals focused on sustainability issues, especially regarding plastics, from each province and territory in Canada.
Engage individuals of all ages, from seniors to youth, to learn more and hopefully become involved in local initiatives, education, and events in their communities.
Highlight communities that might not otherwise have a voice - Indigenous and BIPOC communities, rural groups and organizations, and small business owners of all backgrounds.
Provide accessible educational resources for Canadians of all backgrounds and ages to utilize.
So what exactly is the problem?
Watch CBC’s The National’s take on our plastic situation. Produced in 2017, not much has changed… or has it? Check out our PlastiCanada podcast to learn more.
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The National is CBC Television's flagship news program. Airing six days a week, the show delivers news, feature documentaries and analysis from some of Canada's leading journalists. Find more information:
Video Credits
EPISODE LIST:
Episode 3
So, plastic is everywhere. But industry and government professionals are on top of things, right?
Episode three takes you through the enormity of the plastics problem, a few global statistics, and how much plastic waste the average North American discards daily. Although intimidating, this kind of data is important to truly understand the scale of the plastics issue globally, and how we fit into the equation as Canadians.
We also look for inspiration in this episode - from a gorgeous eastern Canadian island we haven’t ‘visited’ yet - Prince Edward Island - and a female entrepreneur who also sought to inspire others to reduce their average household waste after choosing to move to Canada.
Listen with us as Claudia Cotici takes us through her journey toward #ZeroWaste to a more minimalist lifestyle, and what she is doing to inspire others through her initiative, Zero Waste Creative.
Prince Edward Island, the traditional and unceded territory of the Abegweit Mi’kmaq First Nation, boasts stunning views of rolling hills, renowned agriculture, and over 1,100 km of shoreline. Once there, you're never more than 15 minutes from the beach… and neither is your plastic waste.
June Feature: PlastiCanada and the OATHE Project podcast collaboration
This month, we decided to do things a little differently after the amazing team at the ‘One Act at a Time to Help the Earth’ Project (OATHE) invited us to participate in their podcast episode. We are proud to cohost their episode “One Beach at A Time”. Read more in our podcast-related blog, our BlogCast!
Episode 2
For our second episode, Cordelia speaks with Kaitlyn Hawkins, Lab Manager with the Civic Laboratory for Environmental Action Research (CLEAR).
“CLEAR is a collective of researchers from a wide range of disciplines (from ocean science to filmmaking), career levels (high school students to full professors), and skillsets. As a feminist and anticolonial science laboratory, we understand introductions as a way to articulate our accountabilities and make our relations apparent.”
With this perspective in mind, we are excited and grateful to introduce a fresh approach to science and learning that incorporates history, respect, and the organic roots of our scientific questioning.
We begin with a story of environmental sustainability engagement, learn about a Plastic Forest, and explore what ‘Citizen Science’ means.
Beautiful Newfoundland and Labrador, the ancestral home of the Mi'kmaq and Beothuk, is sculpted by the ocean waves and surrounded by rugged natural beauty. But what is pollution doing to that stunning environment… and to us? Listen on to learn more.
Episode 1
In this Episode, Cordelia speaks with Mr. Denis Lanoë, VP of Operations and General Manager at Copol International Ltd.
Copol International Ltd. is a plastics (cast polypropylene) manufacturing industry located in Nova Scotia, Canada. Listen as they discuss the Canadian plastics industry, what it means to have a ‘Circular Economy’, as well as current and future sustainability research the company is engaged with… this is our first-ever episode, so let us know what you think! Submit your ideas or comments below.
Special thanks to Mr. Lanoë, Copol International Ltd, Ocean Bridge, Chantiers Jeunesse/ WWF Canada, and Cumhachd Music for helping to make this happen.
Nova Scotia’s Cape Breton Island, traditional territory of the Mi’kmaq people, is home to miles of stunning coastline, biodiverse environments, and… a cast polypropylene manufacturing facility? Let’s listen to find out more.
Have an issue you’d like to hear discussed? Know an organization or individual you think we should interview? Contact us.
We welcome all suggestions that will:
Offer substantive content around sustainability issues in Canada’s provinces and territories, especially regarding plastic production and use
Offer a unique story or perspective on how Canadians are addressing plastics issues in their community
Provide an opportunity to voice to a marginalized or underrepresented individual, community, or organization that is finding solutions for waste management in their community
Offer an evidence-based perspective of sustainability issues in Canada
If you know of an individual that you think we should interview, please send us a link to their website or provide a bit of background information on the individual, organization, or policy you would like discussed. Let us know why you think this story would be important to highlight.
We try to answer every unique suggestion! Please note that we do not respond to pitches that are from emails offering generic or promotional content irrelevant to our mission and/ or audience.