Alcan International Micro-business Network |
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Lead Organisation: |
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Alcan Inc. |
Where: |
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Canada, USA, Brazil, Thailand, Malaysia |
Time period: |
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ongoing |
Web link: |
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http://www.reseau.qc.ca/micro-entreprises |
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Partners: |
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Aims/Objectives: |
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| Increasing aluminum recycling and the recycling of other discarded materials. | | Raising community awareness of the many benefits of recycling. | | Instilling principles of sustainability and entrepreneurship in school children. | | The partnership addresses the three legs of sustainable development: | | Environment - Students become directly involved in scrap collection and recycling of aluminum cans, grocery bags and paper. | | Society - Through the micro-businesses, students learn important skills that will benefit them throughout their working years. | | Economy - Once set up, individual school micro-business programs become self financing with revenues resulting from recovery and recycling of aluminum cans and grocery bags, and the sale of gifts and novelty items. | |
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Measurable results and specific
targets: |
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| 179 schools in 5 countries have successfully set up a micro-business programs, with over 30,000 children participating in the programs. | | School children in Brazil, for example, collected approximately 1,262,400 aluminum cans in the year 2000 alone. | |
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Implementation mechanisms
and further application: |
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| A website has been established to provide updated information. | | Alcan and its partners continue to provide ongoing support to the micro-business initiatives already underway. | | Following the provision of some seed funding, individual micro-businesses are intended to become self-financing with implementation of their revenue-generating business operations. | | Capacity building takes place through the training of primary school teachers to develop their own skills in providing environmental education to their students; and | | Development of educational materials, environmental training books, and specially designed workbooks that teach business management skills in an environmental and socially responsible context. | | The success of the program in different regions has demonstrated that it can be adapted to meet different cultural and social customs and educational practices, making it a useful international model. | |
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CONTACT: |
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Name: |
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Eric Gagnon |
Email: |
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eric.gagnon/maison@alcan.com |
Organisation: |
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Alcan Inc. |
Address: |
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1188 Sherbrooke St. West |
City: |
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Montreal |
State/Region: |
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Quebec |
Postal Code: |
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H3A 3G2 |
Country: |
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Canada |
Telephone: |
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+1 514 848-8121 |
Fax: |
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+1 514 848-8162 |
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