Who We Are

Since 1978, Green Calgary has been a leading urban environmental charity supporting Calgarians in living a more sustainable life; helping them take effective environmental action in their homes, work places, schools, and communities. We've worked with tens of thousands of Calgarians in leading a greener lifestyle because we know that only by working together can we ensure a healthy city and ultimately a healthy planet.

How we live, work, and play has significant impacts to our natural world - the water we drink, the air we breath, the land that sustains us. And we believe that being an environmental steward is one of the most important roles we can have as human beings inhabiting this planet. So how can we live, work and play in such a way that allows our planet to survive and even flourish? It takes ALL of us to be more conscious, more mindful, more responsible - and that's what we've been helping tens of thousands of Calgarians do every year since 1978.  Everyday we get approached by Calgarians wanting to do better, be greener, live more sustainably. And it continues to inspire the work that we do.

For over 35 years, Green Calgary has sought to address a range of pressing urban environmental issues including pollution, waste management and resource conservation. As the nature and understanding of these and other issues has evolved over the years, so too has Green Calgary’s focus, programs and approach. Every time we've been able to introduce green practices to a mainstream audience, we've moved on with the ever present hope that one day Calgary won't need us to exist because we are the greenest citizens living in the most sustainable city in the world.

History/Timeline

1975
Clean Calgary Committee was formed to conduct community clean up activities and photometric litter indexing.
1978
Clean Calgary becomes a registered non profit society and continues to focus on clean up initiatives such as election litter, river clean up, and water pollution.
1982
Clean Calgary receives charitable status and develops a reputation as a strong proactive environmental organization.
1993
The WINshop (Waste It Not Shop) was opened to further the organization's focus on waste minimization.
1999
Clean Calgary introduces the Master Composter/Waste Advisor program.
2008
Clean Calgary introduces the Healthy Homes Calgary program.
2009
Clean Calgary Association becomes the Green Calgary Association to encompass the many programs and services the organization offers.
2014
In the wake of the 2013 floods, Green Calgary undertakes more intensive stormwater management work in partnership with national organizations including Depave and other rain water initiatives including participation in a national study through the University of Waterloo.
2015
Green Calgary introduces Green Homes & Communities program replacing Healthy Homes. The organization establishes 2 streams for its child/youth education programming to provide more specific learning opportunities for elementary and high school students (Green Kids for K-Gr 6 and Generation Green for Gr 7-12).

Throughout its history one service has withstood the test of time, namely providing information on everything from recycling locations to practical ideas about leading an environmentally friendly lifestyle. Our reputation for "not passing the buck" has made us well known as a reliable "one call" source of a wide variety of information. If we don't have the answer, we try very hard to get one.