Earthub’s Earth Month Initiatives: Leading the Way in Sustainability
- Earthub Environmental Organization
- Apr 6
- 5 min read
Updated: Apr 7
Earthub has undergone many changes since we started on January 1, 2019. From a one-woman operation to 150 drop-off locations across Canada, to focusing exclusively on Ontario, and now localizing to Ottawa, ON — our journey has been one of growth, evolution, and commitment to sustainability. Despite all the changes, one thing has remained constant: our mission to encourage low-waste living and divert as much waste as possible from landfills.
For those who may not know, Earthub’s story began with something as simple as a prescription pill bottle. What started as a self-funded project grew into a larger initiative with more collection items, the support of an incredible group of volunteers, and the encouragement of our local community. The challenge of self-funding, however, became evident as we expanded — what was once manageable for one person was no longer sustainable.
Driven by passion and a determination to make a real difference, Earthub is now moving forward with exciting new projects that will continue to invest in our mission and amplify our impact for years to come. This Earth Month, we’re thrilled to share new initiatives and, as always, the data!
Workshops and Webinars
Earthub is excited to share our collection process and offer workplace collection services, including a comprehensive waste audit report from your Earth Month collections! On Earth Day, April 22nd, we’ll be hosting an online webinar, open to the general public. Tickets can be purchased here. If your workplace is looking for Earth Month initiatives or activities, look no further. Earthub has limited spaces available this month — book now!
Waste Management by Earthub
Why does your business need a waste audit? A waste audit helps identify exactly what’s being wasted. Once this is determined, Earthub’s circular economy strategies can help your business reduce waste and cut costs by optimizing existing resources.
Beyond cost savings, a waste audit can enhance your brand reputation and build employee trust. When employees know their waste is being properly managed, they can feel confident about what goes into the blue bin, rather than wondering where it truly ends up.
Book a call with us today to discuss waste management solutions for your business!
Earthub Bin Collection Service
We took a chance in November on a residential collection service trial run in Ottawa, and with huge success, we extended the service for another two months! During the trial, we diverted over 500 pounds of material.
Individuals WANT to make a difference with their waste, but with producer packaging and rising grocery costs, it can be challenging. That’s where Earthub comes in. We’re partnering with local organizations that can reuse specific items and reputable recycling companies to ensure your items are being recycled properly.
We’re thrilled to announce that this residential collection service will be available for purchase on none other than Earth Day, April 22nd! Households can purchase monthly subscriptions to divert more waste, including hard-to-recycle plastics, and watch your garbage pile shrink.
Earthub Bins come with category-specific bags to help you sort your items. In addition to these bags, the collection service also accepts unlimited egg cartons, bubble wrap, and acceptable electronics. Here's a sneak peek at our residential Earthub Bins!
Pre-orders will be available for our existing customers and newsletter subscribers. Make sure to subscribe here. Subscribers will also receive special perks, including promo discounts to The Box of Life and Velanidi!
I Spy With My Little Eye
You may spot an item category bag in our Earthub Bin preview. While prescription pill bottles were the cornerstone of Earthub, the cleanliness (or lack thereof) and shipping costs became an extraordinary burden on our organization — especially for our volunteers. The frustration of dealing with dirty pill bottles was the number one reason why our volunteer base and drop-off locations declined, and we don’t blame them for wanting to step back. The time invested in processing pill bottles could be agonizing, especially given how some of the community was dropping them off. With 187,394 pill bottles reused through our collection program, it became essential that individuals dropped off clean (no labels or medication) and sanitized bottles to make the processing more efficient.
Beyond the time and effort spent collecting, processing, and shipping pill bottles, the shipping costs (which totalled nearly $19,000) were initially covered by our Founder. Eventually, we had to implement an honour system where each pill bottle drop-off required a monetary donation of $0.10 to $0.30 per bottle to cover shipping costs (the cost varied depending on location — for example, shipping from Thunder Bay was more expensive than from Ottawa). Like any honour system, we relied on donors to contribute the required shipping fee, but it didn’t always happen.
Fortunately, as part of our Earth Month announcements, we’ve found a solution.
The sad reality is that having our pill bottles reused by Matthew 25: Ministries, a humanitarian relief organization, came with extraordinary costs — both in time and money. This item category will now be available for collection through your Earthub Bin subscription service for an additional fee, which will help cover costs such as transportation, labour, and shipping. With a much more controlled environment, we can also ensure that only clean pill bottles are collected!
River Ward Earth Day Event
On Saturday, April 26th, the annual River Ward Earth Day event will take places at Hunt Club-Riverside Park Community Centre (3320 Paul Anka Drive) from 11AM to 2PM. You'll be able to drop off your collection items that are applicable under the Items to Keep Out of the Landfill Program at this event.
The Data
There’s no better time than Earth Month to share the latest stats on items reused through Earthub! Please note, not all items are counted, and some listed here are ONLY accepted through our residential collection service. For Ottawa drop-off locations, please email environment@earthub.ca (we do not publicly post drop-off locations as they are hosted by our wonderful volunteers).
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts
As we grow into a sustainable business, we truly appreciate your continued support. The global fight to protect our planet is an uphill battle, but it’s worth every effort to ensure a sustainable future for generations to come. If you love Earthub, we'd greatly appreciate a 5-star review! As we grow our business, your feedback plays a vital role in helping us expand waste diversion across the capital.
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