Our mission is to empower the community with the practical tools, knowledge and capacity for action to make sustainability the norm. Reep Green Solutions was founded in 1999 as a joint initiative of the University of Waterloo’s Faculty of Environment and the Elora Environment Centre. The project’s goal of matching academic research with practical action in the community continues today. Reep Green Solutions was incorporated in late 2005 and joined Green Communities Canada, a national association of environmental community groups. In 2019, Reep Green Solutions celebrated the 20th anniversary of empowering the community with the practical tools, knowledge and capacity for action to make sustainable living the norm. From 1999 to 2019, Reep participants reduced 27,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions through their home renovations. Fourteen thousand workshop attendees learned about topics like managing rainwater on their property, renewable energy, or living a zero-waste lifestyle. All of Reep’s programs help people live more sustainably through energy efficiency, water conservation, waste reduction and cultivating healthy yards across Waterloo Region and beyond. The Reep House for Sustainable Living demonstrates energy, water and stormwater stewardship in a renovated LEED Platinum 110-year-old home in Kitchener. Our sustainable renovations reduced the energy consumption by 86% and the greenhouse gas emissions to less than half, with more recent additions reducing the carbon further to near zero. Workshops, tours, meetings and events draw people into the Reep House to see what is possible in their own homes. At Reep Green Solutions, we recognize that the next 10 years are a crucial time for climate action. To support the global momentum, our goal is to help people take 10,000 meaningful actions by 2030 that will collectively shift our community to a resilient, low carbon future. We believe that by acting today, we can leave our children a community that is more resilient, vibrant, caring and sustainable.
