We want to congratulate Troy Walker, Senior Vice President, Miller Waste Systems Inc. as our Volunteer of the Year!

Troy played an instrumental role in the resurgence of the Transportation Committee. This Committee wasted no time making an impact at W2RO. Through Troy’s leadership, the committee brought back the bi-annual Boat Cruise, put together committee-led webinars and panel discussions to highlight the issues and challenges facing the equipment supply chain including providing technical advocacy for W2RO’s advocacy initiatives during the current tariff trade war. Most recently, the Transportation Committee helped organize the 30th edition of the Truck Driving Championship, successfully bringing this event back after a 6-year absence. In addition to his work on the Transportation Committee, Troy gives back to the waste and recycling sector by being a mentor for our Mentor & Leadership Program, sharing his insights and providing one-on-one guidance to help mentee navigate the challenges and opportunities they face in their careers.

We want to congratulate Region of Peel as our Industry Innovation Award Winner for their Rethinking Peel's Multi-Residential Organics Diversion.

With 30% to 40% of garbage from multi-residential buildings consisting of food and organic waste, Peel recognized the potential to divert this material from landfill and to treat it as a resource.

In 2024, Peel garnered council approval to proceed with a mixed waste processing diversion program to collect and divert the organic waste from multi-residential settings.

In 2024 Peel began to design two new voluntary multi-residential pilots.

The new round of pilots was launched in 2025 at 16 properties with eight testing a dedicated organics chute and eight testing a coloured bag system.

A key innovation in this round of pilots was empowering property managers to take ownership of resident engagement, distribution of pilot materials and reinforcing program participation to residents.

Starter kits containing in-unit organic bins, magnets, information cards and green bags for the coloured bag pilot, along with targeted communications and consistent messaging have driven improvements over initial pilots in 2016.

Early audits show significantly higher recovery rates and lower contamination rates, particularly for the coloured bag pilot.

We want to congratulate Walker Industries as our Community Builder Award Winner!
 

Building Community Through Action

Walker’s approach to community engagement is built on action. We empower our employees to support the causes that matter to them most by offering two paid volunteer days each year, with a goal of 100 percent utilization. In 2024, we increased our volunteerism rate from 15% to 22%. Our team is united by the belief that by investing our time and energy into our neighborhoods, we help build a more sustainable future, together.
 

Our Meaningful Impact in 2024

In 2024, our commitment to community was brought to life in powerful and tangible ways:

• Over 4,000 hours of volunteer time were dedicated to local causes that matter.
• 500 employees from across our organization stepped up to support local initiatives—showing up not because they had to, but because they genuinely care.

We extended our support to 20 communities across the country, ensuring that our impact was widespread and meaningful.

Our volunteers worked alongside 154 non-profit and community organizations including 30 food banks, addressing diverse needs ranging from food security and housing to youth mentorship and environmental sustainability.

W2RO is proud to continue our Scholarship Program, aimed at inspiring the next generation of students to pursue careers in the waste and recycling industry.

W2RO awards five (5) scholarships of $2000 each to outstanding students. We are committed to supporting students in their educational journey toward making a difference in this essential field.
 

While applications for the 2025 scholarships are not yet open, stay tuned for upcoming announcements and opportunities! To qualify, applicants must be enrolled in a college, university, or trades program that leads to a career in the waste and recycling sector. Applicants must also be Canadian residents enrolled in an accredited Canadian trade school, college, or university.
 

Want to Learn More About Our Awards and Scholarship Program? Connect with Us Today!
If you have any questions or want to learn more about one of our programs, we warmly invite you to connect with our team at info@w2ro.org