COVID-19 Updates
To learn more about closures and our response to COVID-19, and for updates on District operations, visit westvancouver.ca/covid.
2021 Student Video Contest: We Can Green Can!
This year’s student video contest is all about the Green Can. We’re inviting West Vancouver students to make a video about the importance of using the Green Can at home or at school to help keep food scraps out of the landfill.
Videos should focus specifically on the Green Can and could include:
- tips to help make using the Green Can easy
- what does and doesn’t belong in the Green Can
- how to prevent your Green Can from becoming a snack for a hungry bear
- ways to reduce food waste in the first place
Get creative and make a musical about mouldy bread, a horror about a methane gas monster, or a stop-motion about reusing the leftovers.
The deadline to enter the contest is Friday, April 16, 2021.
This year’s contest is sponsored by Waste Control Services.
- Register
The contest is open to students in kindergarten to Grade 12 who live or go to school in West Vancouver. We ask students who will be making and/or appearing in a video to register for the contest before filming begins. This allows us to confirm eligibility and parental consent.
- Make a video
Once you have been registered, go ahead and make a video. All types of video including live-action, animation, claymation, stop-motion, music videos, etc. are accepted. Videos must be between 60 and 90 seconds long and demonstrate the importance of using the Green Can in West Vancouver. Need some inspiration? Check out the resources section below.
- Submit your video
Once you have created your video, upload it to a public accessible YouTube account and send us the link. For more information on posting a video to YouTube, check out how to upload a video to YouTube.
The deadline for submission is Friday, April 16, 2021.
Videos will be judged based on creativity, an understanding of the theme, technical quality, and overall message. Videos should be regionally focused on West Vancouver and demonstrate the importance of using the Green Can in West Vancouver.
First place wins $750 (first runner-up wins $150 and second runner-up wins $100).
The winning videos will be selected by a panel of judges and announced in May 2021.
When putting your video together, remember to focus on this year’s theme: We can Green Can! Be sure to spend some time thinking about the story you want to tell and how you’re going to tell it. If you’re looking for some more information and inspiration to help get you started, check out the winning videos from past contests and the links below.
West Vancouver - Green Can Program
Metro Vancouver – About Food Scraps Recycling
- in 2012, the Green Can program was introduced in West Vancouver
- in 2015, Metro Vancouver banned food scraps and other organic material from the landfill
- most West Vancouver residents (71%) are already using the Green Can program
- household garbage in West Vancouver contains 14% food scraps, food-soiled paper, and other compostable material
- when food scraps and compostable material end up in the landfill, they generate methane, a potent greenhouse gas
- plastic bags, even those labelled biodegradable or compostable, are not allowed in the Green Can
- the Green Can is collected weekly where it is taken to a composting facility to be turned into nutrient-rich compost for gardens, farms, and landscaping
- the Green Can Program helps save landfill space, reduce greenhouse gases, and create compost