AHOI is working closely with businesses, town councils, Government organizations, other NGOs, and community members to tackle plastic pollution by offering programs that help raise awareness about the impacts of plastic pollution and promote and support ways to successfully eliminate it. In turn, AHOI is building capacity at the community level, aiding in the transition away from single-use plastics, and making the Gros Morne Region a leader in the circular economy!

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Plastic litter and debris impact over 1200 species of marine life with an average truckload of plastic entering our ocean every single minute! To target specific sources of plastic litter and debris, AHOI's projects look at the full life cycle of plastic from the point it is made to the moment we find it discarded. Studies show that approximately 80% of plastic waste that ends up in our ocean comes from land-based sources. This is the basis for our goal of creating a circular economy where businesses are responsible for their plastic waste and we can keep it out of our oceans.

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In the Gros Morne Region, where AHOI is located, a lot of business is driven by tourism with over 200,000 visitors coming to the national park each year. With a population of less than 4000 people, this ,....... . This creates an opportunity for businesses and municipalities across the region to ensure visitors have a sustainable experience within our communities, and the impacts that result are positive ones.

 

AHOI has partnered with both businesses, tourism operators, Parks Canada - Gros Morne National Park and the Gros Morne COoperating Association, repectively created a pilot project designed to help businesses successfully transition away rom single-use plastic items and replace them with sustainable atlernatives. 

 

AHOI continues to gather baseline data on what the most problematic sources of plastic litter are to inform real solutions that can prevent plastic pollution within local communities.

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AHOI is one of 14 organizations across Canada to receive funding from Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) through the Zero Plastic Waste Initiative. This federally-funded initiative includes several programs that focus on reducing unnecessary single-use plastics (SUP) in various areas of our economy and communities. We are please to share the AHOI programs that we have developed and are currently implementing, thanks to this funding.. 

This nationally supported project is designed to uphold our global commitments under the Oceans Plastics Charter and to get us one step closer to ensuring all plastics produced in our economy are completely recoverable by 2030.

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AHOI has also formed partnerships with Gros Morne Cooperating Association (GMCA) and Parks Canada - Gros Morne National Park, to enhance and expand efforts to become plastic waste free in Gros Morne. The partnership was formed in the spring of 2021 and continues for the next three years. 

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