The city of Port Coquitlam is looking for four households to participate in its second annual Waste-Loss Challenge contest.
Starting Oct. 26, residents can sign up to be one of the families selected for the challenge and will compete to reduce what they send to the landfill between January and April 2013.
Participants are expected to document their journey through blogs, Facebook and advertisements and the community is encouraged to follow along and learn about reducing waste.
"We're seen as leaders in managing waste and one of the reasons for our success is that we're continually working to engage the community to make change," said PoCo Mayor Greg Moore. "If we can inspire and learn from each other, that's even more powerful."
Participants can submit an online entry form or video through www.portcoquitlam.ca/wasteloss between now and Nov. 26. Contestants are being sought from a variety of different households, including families with children, couples, individuals and seniors (Only households receiving city garbage collection may participate).
Those chosen to take part in the challenge will be announced in December.
"We all want to reduce waste," said Coun. Brad West, who chairs the environmental enhancement committee. "The Waste-Loss Challenge is about looking at waste in a different way and treating recyclables, food and plant material as resources that don't belong in the landfill."
Waste from the households selected for the contest will be monitored between January and April and the champion will be proclaimed during Earth Week (Apr. 16-22).
Prizes for contestants include a new iPad, an iPod Touch, a Kindle Reader and a one night stay in a theme room at the PoCo Inn and Suites. Households chosen for the contest will also receive a year's supply of compostable paper food scrap bags.
For more information go to www.portcoquitlam.ca/wasteloss.
