OKOTOKS - The Town of Okotoks is blessed with excellent public servants in every area of its municipal administration. Wasan Jema, waste program specialist in the waste services unit, is one of them.
She earned a master’s degree in microbiology, and another in environment and management from Royal Roads University where, in 2015, she was awarded the Governor General’s Gold Medal for her research work. Four years later, she was one of 50 North American women of Arab heritage to receive the Arab Woman Excellence Award under the auspices of the Life Transformation Academy.
As waste program specialist, Jema spearheaded the development of the Recycling 101 workshop that was recently offered for the first time to Okotoks residents. A similar program is also being offered in schools to Okotoks fourth graders.
“Our goal in developing the workshop was to raise awareness about the importance of recycling and its positive impact on the environment,” Jema said. “By informing people about the benefits of recycling, the workshop helps them understand how it is possible to reduce waste, conserve resources and prevent pollution.”
Another purpose of the workshop and school program is to promote behaviour change. By educating participants in recycling processes, techniques and resources, it equips them with the tools they need to adopt recycling habits in their daily lives. For example, understanding why we have blue, green and black bins for our waste helps divert recyclable materials away from landfills.
The workshop included presentations on key aspects of waste management, interactive discussions to get people involved and share what knowledge they have, and hands-on activities like how to sort different waste into their respective recycling bins. In the future, it may be possible to include practical demonstrations of recycling processes and techniques.
“For example, participants could observe how recyclable materials are processed at the recycling facility,” Jema said.
The development of the Recycling 101 workshop was a collaboration between the waste management and environmental sustainability units and aligns with the Town’s acknowledgement of its broader responsibility to encourage recycling and waste reduction. By providing participants with information on proper recycling practices, the workshop helps ensure compliance with local or regional waste management regulations and promotes a culture of responsible waste disposal in the community.
The curriculum covered benefits of recycling, different recycling streams (such as paper, plastics and glass), proper disposal methods and information on local recycling programs.
“An important part of our approach was to focus on the social aspect in the hope of getting people to make small, simple changes that can affect the whole system,” Jema said.
“One significant issue is combining organics and garbage with recyclable waste material. We want to make sure people know how to sort their waste correctly and encourage them to use the three streams – blue, green and black – that we have in Okotoks. This is the first, and most important, step in our waste management program.”
