Montreal, July 25, 2016 - As part of Fonds Éco IGA's Turnkey project, 14,929 people were able to take home a rainwater barrel or a residential compost bin from one of the 217 participating IGA stores throughout Quebec and New Brunswick. That makes 9,654 barrels and 5,275 compost bins distributed between April 16 and July 16, 2016. Residential compost bins, a new addition this year, were an instant success, with over 5,000 units distributed, greatly exceeding initial forecasts. Many people wished they could take home a compost bin along with their rainwater barrel. This distribution has been growing in popularity each year, and the 2016 edition was no exception. Setting a new participation record since the creation of the program, over 31,000 citizens registered for a chance to take home one of the two items for the modest sum of $30.

Millions of litres of drinking water saved and tons of organic matter diverted from landfill

Thanks to the rainwater barrels distributed, up to 46 million litres of drinking water will be saved between now and the end of the summer, equivalent to the amount of water consumed in a day by more than 118,000 Quebec and New Brunswick citizens. This water can be used for jobs like gardening and cleaning that don't require potable water, while lessening the burden on municipal water treatment facilities at the same time.

As for the compost bins, they will help divert up to 791 tons of organic matter from landfill in 2016, equivalent to the contents of over 41,000 domestic waste bins.

More than 85,500 ecological items distributed over seven years

This project that began seven years ago has distributed over 85,500 ecological items to citizens, including 72,409 rainwater barrels. Spurred on by this success, IGA grocers have committed to continuing their involvement with Fonds Éco IGA for a ninth consecutive year.

Pierre Lussier, director of Jour de la Terre and Fonds Éco IGA, remarks on citizens’ considerable involvement: "Citizens always seem enthusiastic about the idea of getting a rainwater barrel," he notes, "and we are pleasantly surprised by their enthusiasm for this year’s latest addition, the compost bins!"

IGA grocers and Jour de la Terre want to thank the citizens and remind them to watch for new projects that focus on the joy of working together to make responsible choices.

About Fonds Éco IGA

Fonds Éco IGA was founded in 2008 by Quebec’s IGA retailers who will donate their ninth $1-million this year. It is managed by Jour de la Terre, an organization that helps people and organizations to reduce their environmental impact. Fonds Éco IGA finances concrete, sustainable projects that respond to environmental realities and aim to protect, conserve, and promote environmental practices. Since it was created, Fonds Éco IGA has financed more than 1,400 projects in communities throughout Quebec, with the recent addition of cities in New Brunswick. . iga.net/fondsecoiga

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