Latest news with #OceanaCanada
National Observer
20-06-2025
- Sport
- National Observer
A new campaign fights for zero waste at FIFA World Cup 2026
With the FIFA World Cup taking place in less than a year, host cities Vancouver and Toronto are working hard to accommodate both the incoming national teams and their fans with new infrastructure. But a conservation group hopes to convince the hosts to consider the tournament's enormous waste footprint, too. Oceana Canada, an independent ocean conservation charity, has announced a campaign to mitigate the waste generated by spectators at the games. Their #ReuseForTheWin campaign calls on MLSE and BCPavco to replace single-use food and beverage containers in Vancouver's BC Place and Toronto's BMO Field ahead of the tournament. According to Oceana Canada, this could avoid the littering of 2.3 million single-use items over the course of the tournament. 'We're asking the question, do you want to have a legacy of trash coming out of the venues? Or do you want to have these stadiums upgraded [so] that you can say we've set the new global sustainability sports standard?' said Anthony Merante, senior plastics campaigner at Oceana Canada. With Toronto's landfill nearing maximum capacity, and questions on how future waste is to be managed, an abundance of single-use items is daunting. Incorporating reusable food and beverage container systems turns off the tap of the overflowing waste-tub, says Merante. 'It puts less things in the landfill. It costs less for waste management, costs [less] for taxpayers, and it costs less directly for the city to clean up a lot of this garbage if we don't make the garbage in the first place,' Merante said. A large proportion of waste that doesn't make it to the landfill and instead enters water systems are 'single-use foodware,' says Chelsea Rochman, associate professor at U of T and director of Rochman Lab. Rochman, who studies plastics that end up in Lake Ontario, found that a quarter of litter in the lake comes from cups, bottles, fast-food packaging, straws and the like. As part of her research, Rochman also works with restaurants to transition take-out orders away from single use and toward reusables. Implementing reusables in an open system where people either bring their own containers or use reusables to be returned, has proven difficult. But with closed-loop systems, like stadiums, implementing reusable foodware systems is more plausible. With the FIFA World Cup taking place in less than a year, host cities Vancouver and Toronto are working hard to accommodate both the incoming national teams and their fans with new infrastructure. But a conservation group hopes to reduce waste. 'With an event, the people are there. They usually throw the material away on site, and they do produce a lot of waste,' Rochman said. 'There is a huge opportunity to make a change, because people will return [their reusable dishes]. They're not leaving with their foodware.' BC Place, one of two Canadian stadiums hosting World Cup matches, introduced reusable cups last year, as part of a pilot program in collaboration with ShareWares. Limited to premier suits and some other segmented areas, the program replaced around 20,000 single-use cups over a six month period. Return rates were only around 70 per cent in the pilot project, so a stadium-wide expansion would require more widespread, highly-visible bins and more education for attendees. But these fixes have produced better return rates at other events like Pride Toronto, said Emily Alfred, waste campaigner for Toronto Environment Alliance. '[Pride Toronto] lost about 30 per cent of their cups in the first year. They made some changes, and they only lost 15 per cent in the second year,' Alfred said. 'And they realized, okay, we need to make it clear that these aren't souvenirs. … They changed how they gave out the cups and how they took them back, and they cut their loss rate in half.' Alfred said with the right policies, World Cup 2026 could be remembered for its zero-waste legacy. Requiring that stadiums and event spaces provide access to water-refill stations and allow people to bring empty bottles will reduce waste from single-use water bottles. And enforcing reusable foodware in spaces where people dine-in, which includes stadiums, would round out the zero-waste project. 'If they can do it at FIFA [WC],' Alfred asked, 'why couldn't we have this in every stadium all the time? Why couldn't we have it in every movie theatre? Every McDonald's could have reusable dishes.'
Hamilton Spectator
12-06-2025
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Will Canada's World Cup Set a Zero-Waste Standard, or Leave a Legacy of Trash?
TORONTO, the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnaabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat Peoples, June 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In one year, millions of fans will take part in global festivities around Toronto's BMO Field and Vancouver's BC Place as Canada co-hosts the FIFA World Cup 26TM. What they leave behind could be just as monumental: a legacy of trash, or a breakthrough in sustainable sport. Today, Oceana Canada launched #ReuseForTheWin, a campaign urging Toronto and Vancouver to eliminate single-use food and beverage containers during the tournament. The campaign calls on stadium operators to eliminate single-use cups for beer, pop, and coffee during the World Cup. The stadium operator in Toronto is Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd. (BMO Field) and in Vancouver, it is BC Pavilion Corporation (BC Place, which already operates a reusable cup program in select sections and is exploring expansion). The solution is simple: ditch single-use cups bound for the trash and replace them with ones that will be collected, cleaned, re-stocked, and reused for the next game, creating a zero-waste standard in global sport. 'Every match of the World Cup could generate over 100,000 single-use items — and that's just from drinks,' said Anthony Merante, Senior Plastics Campaigner at Oceana Canada. 'We have one shot to get this right. If stadiums make the switch to reuse, Canada can leave behind a legacy of sustainable leadership, not litter.' The Problem: Single-Use Waste on a Global Stage Governments are investing nearly $1 billion to host the FIFA World Cup 26™ in Toronto and Vancouver. Unless major venues stop serving single-use items, millions of cups, trays, bottles, and wrappers could end up in landfill, incinerators, or polluting waterways. This isn't just a waste issue — it's an ocean crisis. Major sports stadiums across Canada routinely serve single-use items, many of them made from or lined with plastic. In Canada, half of all plastic waste is single-use like the products served in the stands. Yet only eight per cent of plastics are recycled, with more than 90 per cent going to landfill, incineration, or directly into lakes, rivers, and oceans. Canadians want better. An Oceana Canada-commissioned poll by Abacus Data found that 88 per cent of Canadians would choose a reusable option over single-use one if available. Right now, fans at BMO Field and BC Place lack choice. It's time to make single use history. #ReuseForTheWin. The Solution: Reuse is a Win for Everyone Each year, more than $7.8 billion worth of plastic is lost to landfills in Canada. Reusables offer a long-term, sustainable investment, eliminating the need to repurchase items that become trash after a single use. Reuse isn't just good for the environment, it's good economics. The Call to Action: One Year to Get it Right The opportunity for change is now. Oceana Canada is calling on: 'Hosting the World Cup will leave a legacy on our cities. Let's make it one of sustainability — not waste,' said Merante. 'Stadiums across the world have already been upgraded to reuse and found success. This is Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment and the BC Pavillion Corporation's moment to lead.' Oceana Canada's recommendations follow a workshop with stadium operators, policy experts, reuse providers, and government representatives from across Canada and the United States exploring practical approaches to zero-waste operations in sport. Visit to learn more and add your voice to the call for zero-waste World Cup cities. Oceana Canada was established as an independent charity in 2015 and is part of the largest international advocacy group dedicated solely to ocean conservation. Oceana Canada has successfully campaigned to ban single-use plastics, end the shark fin trade, make rebuilding depleted fish populations the law, improve the way fisheries are managed and protect marine habitat. We work with civil society, academics, fishers, Indigenous Peoples and the federal government to return Canada's formerly vibrant oceans to health and abundance. By restoring Canada's oceans, we can strengthen our communities, reap greater economic and nutritional benefits and protect our future. Find out more at . Media contacts: Vaishali Dassani, Oceana Canada, vdassani@ ,+1 647-294-3335; Rose-Marie Ménard, Pilot PMR, , +1-579-622-9925
Globe and Mail
12-06-2025
- Sport
- Globe and Mail
Will Canada's World Cup Set a Zero-Waste Standard, or Leave a Legacy of Trash?
TORONTO, the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnaabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat Peoples, June 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In one year, millions of fans will take part in global festivities around Toronto's BMO Field and Vancouver's BC Place as Canada co-hosts the FIFA World Cup 26 TM. What they leave behind could be just as monumental: a legacy of trash, or a breakthrough in sustainable sport. Today, Oceana Canada launched #ReuseForTheWin, a campaign urging Toronto and Vancouver to eliminate single-use food and beverage containers during the tournament. The campaign calls on stadium operators to eliminate single-use cups for beer, pop, and coffee during the World Cup. The stadium operator in Toronto is Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd. (BMO Field) and in Vancouver, it is BC Pavilion Corporation (BC Place, which already operates a reusable cup program in select sections and is exploring expansion). The solution is simple: ditch single-use cups bound for the trash and replace them with ones that will be collected, cleaned, re-stocked, and reused for the next game, creating a zero-waste standard in global sport. 'Every match of the World Cup could generate over 100,000 single-use items — and that's just from drinks,' said Anthony Merante, Senior Plastics Campaigner at Oceana Canada. 'We have one shot to get this right. If stadiums make the switch to reuse, Canada can leave behind a legacy of sustainable leadership, not litter.' The Problem: Single-Use Waste on a Global Stage Governments are investing nearly $1 billion to host the FIFA World Cup 26™ in Toronto and Vancouver. Unless major venues stop serving single-use items, millions of cups, trays, bottles, and wrappers could end up in landfill, incinerators, or polluting waterways. This isn't just a waste issue — it's an ocean crisis. Major sports stadiums across Canada routinely serve single-use items, many of them made from or lined with plastic. In Canada, half of all plastic waste is single-use like the products served in the stands. Yet only eight per cent of plastics are recycled, with more than 90 per cent going to landfill, incineration, or directly into lakes, rivers, and oceans. Canadians want better. An Oceana Canada-commissioned poll by Abacus Data found that 88 per cent of Canadians would choose a reusable option over single-use one if available. Right now, fans at BMO Field and BC Place lack choice. It's time to make single use history. #ReuseForTheWin. The Solution: Reuse is a Win for Everyone If BMO Field and BC Place fully switch to reuse, up to 2.3 million single-use items could be avoided during the tournament. Reuse creates local green jobs in collection, cleaning, and delivery, while cutting waste management costs. All fans would get a guilt-free, zero-waste experience at every match. Toronto and Vancouver could create a sustainability legacy for their stadiums and cities. Each year, more than $7.8 billion worth of plastic is lost to landfills in Canada. Reusables offer a long-term, sustainable investment, eliminating the need to repurchase items that become trash after a single use. Reuse isn't just good for the environment, it's good economics. The Call to Action: One Year to Get it Right The opportunity for change is now. Oceana Canada is calling on: Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd. (BMO Field) and the BC Pavillion Corporation (BC Place) to ditch single use and switch to reuse ahead of the FIFA World Cup 26™. Toronto and Vancouver to pass reuse bylaws ahead of FIFA World Cup 26™, requiring refillable and reusable food and beverage service at stadiums, restaurants, festivals and other large venues. (Read and sign the petition at The Coca-Cola Company, one of the largest 2026 World Cup sponsors, to invest in the transition to reuse at World Cup venues. 'Hosting the World Cup will leave a legacy on our cities. Let's make it one of sustainability — not waste,' said Merante. 'Stadiums across the world have already been upgraded to reuse and found success. This is Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment and the BC Pavillion Corporation's moment to lead.' Oceana Canada's recommendations follow a workshop with stadium operators, policy experts, reuse providers, and government representatives from across Canada and the United States exploring practical approaches to zero-waste operations in sport. Visit to learn more and add your voice to the call for zero-waste World Cup cities. Oceana Canada was established as an independent charity in 2015 and is part of the largest international advocacy group dedicated solely to ocean conservation. Oceana Canada has successfully campaigned to ban single-use plastics, end the shark fin trade, make rebuilding depleted fish populations the law, improve the way fisheries are managed and protect marine habitat. We work with civil society, academics, fishers, Indigenous Peoples and the federal government to return Canada's formerly vibrant oceans to health and abundance. By restoring Canada's oceans, we can strengthen our communities, reap greater economic and nutritional benefits and protect our future. Find out more at
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Will Canada's World Cup Set a Zero-Waste Standard, or Leave a Legacy of Trash?
New Campaign Urges Toronto and Vancouver to Act Now TORONTO, the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnaabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat Peoples, June 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In one year, millions of fans will take part in global festivities around Toronto's BMO Field and Vancouver's BC Place as Canada co-hosts the FIFA World Cup 26TM. What they leave behind could be just as monumental: a legacy of trash, or a breakthrough in sustainable sport. Today, Oceana Canada launched #ReuseForTheWin, a campaign urging Toronto and Vancouver to eliminate single-use food and beverage containers during the tournament. The campaign calls on stadium operators to eliminate single-use cups for beer, pop, and coffee during the World Cup. The stadium operator in Toronto is Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd. (BMO Field) and in Vancouver, it is BC Pavilion Corporation (BC Place, which already operates a reusable cup program in select sections and is exploring expansion). The solution is simple: ditch single-use cups bound for the trash and replace them with ones that will be collected, cleaned, re-stocked, and reused for the next game, creating a zero-waste standard in global sport. 'Every match of the World Cup could generate over 100,000 single-use items — and that's just from drinks,' said Anthony Merante, Senior Plastics Campaigner at Oceana Canada. 'We have one shot to get this right. If stadiums make the switch to reuse, Canada can leave behind a legacy of sustainable leadership, not litter.' The Problem: Single-Use Waste on a Global StageGovernments are investing nearly $1 billion to host the FIFA World Cup 26™ in Toronto and Vancouver. Unless major venues stop serving single-use items, millions of cups, trays, bottles, and wrappers could end up in landfill, incinerators, or polluting waterways. This isn't just a waste issue — it's an ocean crisis. Major sports stadiums across Canada routinely serve single-use items, many of them made from or lined with plastic. In Canada, half of all plastic waste is single-use like the products served in the stands. Yet only eight per cent of plastics are recycled, with more than 90 per cent going to landfill, incineration, or directly into lakes, rivers, and oceans. Canadians want better. An Oceana Canada-commissioned poll by Abacus Data found that 88 per cent of Canadians would choose a reusable option over single-use one if available. Right now, fans at BMO Field and BC Place lack choice. It's time to make single use history. #ReuseForTheWin. The Solution: Reuse is a Win for Everyone If BMO Field and BC Place fully switch to reuse, up to 2.3 million single-use items could be avoided during the tournament. Reuse creates local green jobs in collection, cleaning, and delivery, while cutting waste management costs. All fans would get a guilt-free, zero-waste experience at every match. Toronto and Vancouver could create a sustainability legacy for their stadiums and cities. Each year, more than $7.8 billion worth of plastic is lost to landfills in Canada. Reusables offer a long-term, sustainable investment, eliminating the need to repurchase items that become trash after a single use. Reuse isn't just good for the environment, it's good economics. The Call to Action: One Year to Get it RightThe opportunity for change is now. Oceana Canada is calling on: Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd. (BMO Field) and the BC Pavillion Corporation (BC Place) to ditch single use and switch to reuse ahead of the FIFA World Cup 26™. Toronto and Vancouver to pass reuse bylaws ahead of FIFA World Cup 26™, requiring refillable and reusable food and beverage service at stadiums, restaurants, festivals and other large venues. (Read and sign the petition at The Coca-Cola Company, one of the largest 2026 World Cup sponsors, to invest in the transition to reuse at World Cup venues. 'Hosting the World Cup will leave a legacy on our cities. Let's make it one of sustainability — not waste,' said Merante. 'Stadiums across the world have already been upgraded to reuse and found success. This is Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment and the BC Pavillion Corporation's moment to lead.' Oceana Canada's recommendations follow a workshop with stadium operators, policy experts, reuse providers, and government representatives from across Canada and the United States exploring practical approaches to zero-waste operations in sport. Visit to learn more and add your voice to the call for zero-waste World Cup cities. Oceana Canada was established as an independent charity in 2015 and is part of the largest internationaladvocacy group dedicated solely to ocean conservation. Oceana Canada has successfully campaigned to ban single-use plastics, end the shark fin trade, make rebuilding depleted fish populations the law, improve the way fisheries are managed and protect marine habitat. We work with civil society, academics, fishers, Indigenous Peoples and the federal government to return Canada's formerly vibrant oceans to health and abundance. By restoring Canada's oceans, we can strengthen our communities, reap greater economic and nutritional benefits and protect our future. Find out more at Media contacts: Vaishali Dassani, Oceana Canada, vdassani@ 647-294-3335; Rose-Marie Ménard, Pilot PMR, +1-579-622-9925
CTV News
31-05-2025
- General
- CTV News
Calving season ends for North Atlantic right whales as conservationists hope for population recovery
A pair of North Atlantic right whales interact at the surface of Cape Cod Bay, March 27, 2023, in Massachusetts. For the past eight years, the North Atlantic right whale population has been fighting for its life. In 2017, 17 whales died from a combination of vessel strikes, entanglements, and unknown causes, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). They suffered 10 more deaths in 2019. In nearly a decade, 157 right whales have died or suffered serious injuries or illnesses, prompting the declaration of an unusual mortality event (UME) for the species. 'Understanding and investigating marine mammal UMEs is crucial because they can be indicators of ocean health, giving insight into larger environmental issues which may also have implications for human health,' reads the NOAA website. The calving season for the North Atlantic right whale recently ended, with the New England Aquarium reporting 11 confirmed mother-calf pairings. 'If you look over averages, 11 is actually the average number born,' said Kim Elmslie, campaign director with Oceana Canada. 'Last year, 20 calves were born and four of those calves are presumed to have died. 'The ideal number to hit is 50 calves, some models say. In 2009 there were 39 calves born, which is still a low number for this species. Every calf is to be celebrated, but we want to see more.' NOAA estimates there are roughly 370 North Atlantic right whales left; in 2017 that number sat at 431. Fifteen years ago the population rested at 477. Elmslie notes the raw numbers only tell half the story of the challenge facing the species. 'Of that population that are about 370, only 70 are reproductive females,' she said. 'If that number were to drop below 50, we'd have a crisis for the species.' Entanglements pose an ever-present threat to right whales, a fact that was hammered home this week as Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) reported an entangled whale that was spotted on the north shore of the St. Lawrence estuary. Oceana Canada said it was the first reported right whale entanglement in Canadian waters this year. DFO said the whale, which was identified as a juvenile male born in 2021, was first sighted entangled in North Carolina last December. Due to the ongoing entanglements, Oceana Canada has advocated for ropeless fishing gear to reduce the incidents. Elmslie says there is support from the fishing industry for exploring those kinds of opportunities. 'There are some unique opportunities as we see markets start to shift,' she said. 'It's a very interesting time globally. Canada might be poised in an interesting way to take advantage of these opportunities.' As the summer rolls along, Oceana Canada and other organizations will be keeping a close eye on the North Atlantic right whale population. 'Every year, everybody holds their breath,' she said.
