By Sam Rae Harriss
Supervised by Dr. Jutta Gutberlet, Department of Geography at the University of Victoria
Supported by the Jamie Cassels Undergraduate Research Awards
Research Projects
UVic's Community Based Research Laboratory
Dr. Jutta Gutberlet, one of our board members, is a dedicated professor and researcher of sustainable livelihoods. Juggling many ongoing projects, a recent highlight has been working with waste picker cooperatives in Brazil building the first UNICATA (University of Waste Pickers).
Many students come through the CBRL and The Diverters' Foundation is grateful to have a relationship with them! Check out the extent of their work here!
Circular Economy Transitions: Informal Recycling and Expanding the Deposit Refund System in BC
By Sam Rae Harriss
Supervised by Dr. Jutta Gutberlet, Department of Geography at the University of Victoria
Supported by the Jamie Cassels Undergraduate Research Awards
This research project, conducted through qualitative interview methods, built on existing literature that has examined the contributions of informal recyclers, such as diverters, to urban waste management in the Canadian context. The purpose of this study was to examine the possibility of expanding the provincial deposit refund system in BC to include coffee cups, a change that has been advocated for by binners and diverters in BC through the annual public Coffee Cup Revolution event since 2014. Such an expansion to the deposit refund system would make it affordable for diverters to recover these materials, which are found in abundance in most Canadian cities, therefore supporting typically vulnerable populations who actively contribute to the local circular economy. The study concluded that the destigmatization of diverting, the integration of binners and diverters’ work into formal waste management systems, public education, and greater collaboration and partnership between the local community are essential to creating a new circular economy that is inclusive and socially just. By uplifting these grassroots efforts, such as the work of the Diverters Foundation, it is possible to change how we manage and interact with our waste, and to work toward a more holistic approach to the social, economic, and environmental facets of waste in BC.
Circular Solutions: An Exploration into Grassroots Social Innovation for an Inclusive Circular Food Economy in Victoria, BC.
By Katya Leslie Adams
Supervised by Jutta Gutberlet, Department of Geography at the University of Victoria.
Supported by “Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning Canada” for community engaged research.
Building on previous work that highlights the key role of Diverters in driving Circular Economy flows, this research explored the potential impact these actors could have on advancing holistic sustainable development within local food systems. The study included interviews with representatives from industry, municipal government, and non-profit organisations, as well as a solutions-based focus group involving Diverters and members of the Food Share Network, to evaluate the feasibility of integrating Diverter services into Victoria’s food recovery web. Technical findings suggest that Diverters are best positioned to address a transportation niche within food redistribution systems, thereby enhancing the resilience and flexibility of regional food diversion programs as well as demonstrating the innovative potential of collectivised waste pickers. Equally significant were the broader socio-cultural benefits found to be associated with such an initiative, which indicate that Diverter involvement in food recovery could foster greater inter-organizational collaboration, encourage the sharing of resources, improve public education, as well as legitimise, destigmatize and make visible waste picking work — ultimately contributing to greater community cohesion. Echoing previous studies, this research underscores the importance of empowering and including waste pickers within Circular Economy transitions to (co)create waste management systems that are not only environmentally sustainable and economically profitable, but also socially regenerative. By encouraging multi-scalar partnerships and working with those at the grassroots, these findings emphasizes that circular solutions can be realised in locally relevant and impactful ways, illustrating pathways toward a more inclusive and resilient (food) waste management landscape.
Grassroots Contribution to the Circular Economy
By Joseph Minor, MA Student in Geography
Supervised by Dr. Jutta Gutberlet and Dr. Crystal Tremblay
This project examines binners’ role in the circular economy. The bottle refund system ensures new products are made from existing materials and is an example of a circular system. Binners are important actors in this system and should be a part of its improvement and expansion. Binners perform vital functions as environmental stewards of Victoria’s streets and contribute greatly to the success of the local bottle refund system. This project looks to highlight your role and experiences to destigmatize your work and place it in the context of the circular economy narrative that Victoria is trying to implement.