SURREY - The City of Surrey was presented with a national award for its "Rethink Waste" collection program.
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) awarded the city with the Sustainable Communities Award during the 2014 FCM meeting, held on Prince Edward Island earlier this month. Coun. Bruce Hayne accepted the award on behalf of the city.
Surrey's waste collection program was launched in Oct. 2012 and met its 2015 goal of 70 per cent regional waste diversion a few months later. It involves a curbside organics collection system and a fleet of compressed natural gas waste collection trucks.
Mayor Dianne Watts said the award highlights the city's commitment to future growth and sustainability as outlined in the 50-year Sustainability Charter.
"Surrey is expected to grow to over 750,000 residents in the next two decades, which means we need to plan for this growth," she said. "We eagerly anticipate the completion of the Bio-Fuel Facility next year, making Surrey home to the only fully integrated, closed-loop waste management system in North America."
The FCM Sustainable Communities Award recognizes innovation in municipalities across Canada.