June 20, 2002
This Saturday, Manitobans can buy compost bins at a special discount price through a one-day sale sponsored by the Manitoba government and the City of Winnipeg.
Conservation Minister Oscar Lathlin announced today that the provincial government is contributing $25,000 from the Sustainable Development Innovations Fund to help make the promotion possible. "The goal is to encourage household composting as a way of reducing the amount of organic material travelling to landfills," said Lathlin. "This, in turn, reduces the production of harmful greenhouse gases."
"Composting is a great example of how doing good for the environment can also do good for your pocketbook," said Linda Asper, MLA for Riel, on behalf of Lathlin. "If you normally buy fertilizer for your garden, one of these composters can pay for itself very quickly. Plus, it’s a way to make our province and our world a cleaner and healthier place. That’s what sustainable development is all about."
The high-quality compost bins have a retail value of $80, but will be sold for just $25 for one day only. The 2,500 bins will be available from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at four locations:
"This is a great opportunity to begin composting without making a big cash outlay," Lathlin said. "At each of the four sale locations, Manitobans can buy the equipment for a fraction of what they’d normally pay. They’ll also have a chance to talk to composting experts who can give them all the advice and guidance they’ll need."
The Sustainable Development Innovation Fund is designed to support the development, implementation and promotion of environmental innovation and sustainable development projects. Priority areas include regional waste management, environmental technology innovations and demonstration, northern environmental issues, sustainable community development, sustainable agriculture practices, ecosystem conservation, understanding the environment, eco-tourism and water.
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