Coca-Cola Canada donates rain barrels to ecoCaledon

May 1, 2014 · 0 Comments

EcoCaledon is receiving 50 beverage concentrate barrels converted to rain harvesting barrels from Coca-Cola Canada.
Coca-Cola associates from the Brampton production facility joined Dufferin-Caledon MPP Sylvia Jones, ecoCaledon volunteers and Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) experts to retrofit the barrels together Saturday.
Rain barrels can help reduce water bills, conserve water during dry periods and lesson polluted run-off. The reuse of these 170-litre barrels will help in the effort to protect local watersheds.
“Water is vital to communities, to the economy, to the world and to our business,” said Coca-Cola Brampton General Manager Paddy O’Doherty. “We’re always working to conserve water, reduce the amount of water we use per liter of product we produce, support community water programs like those at ecoCaledon.”
This is the third year of Coca-Cola’s partnership with ecoCaledon. Coca-Cola has donated hundreds of rain barrels since 2011.
“We are pleased to partner with Coca-Cola to increase water conservation in Brampton and Caledon,” stated ecoCaledon Chairperson Donna Ferron. “Working together, we can engage more local families in environmental protection and keep our water clean for generations to come.”
The community is benefiting from these rain barrels beyond the important water conservation impacts. Fifteen local artists won a competition to have their designs painted on the rain barrels. Proceeds from each rain barrel ecoCaledon sells will fund local high school bursaries for students choosing to pursue environmental studies at a post-secondary institution.
For more information on the bursaries, or to purchase a rain barrel, contact ecoCaledon at 905-584-7336 or www.ecocaledon.org
EcoCaledon is an environmental action group of volunteers established by the Town of Caledon in 1995. The organization promotes programs designed to enhance and protect Caledon’s environment including battery recycling, rain saver barrels, high school education and bursary opportunities, as well as seminar and resources that encourage environmental preservation.

Dufferin-Caledon MPP Sylvia Jones was working with Coca-Cola Canada associates in Brampton, along with Colin Love, supervisor with Toronto and Region Conservation Authority and Donna Ferron, chairperson of ecoCaldon, making rain barrels for ecoCaledon to support water conservation.
Submitted photo