April 18, 2011 - Biodiversity is the theme under which Earth Day will be marked on April 22, a theme aimed at encouraging us to take stock of our accomplishments and our efforts to preserve the diversity of life forms on Earth.

SITQ will be celebrating the occasion by once again taking part in the April 21 hazardous waste and computer equipment collection organized in collaboration with the Éco-quartiers of the Ville-Marie borough. This type of collection is a practice that SITQ engages in year round, yet Earth Day provides our real estate management teams with an extra opportunity to dispose of hazardous materials such as paints, solvents, batteries, light bulbs or fluorescent tubes in a safe and responsible manner. In 2010, 24.5 tons were collected by 596 businesses as a result of this initiative embraced by three Éco-quartiers in Montréal.

SITQ will also be repeating its contribution to the conVERTir tree planting program by planting as many trees as the amount of waste its properties recycle. We will therefore plant 220 trees (to match the 215 kg/100 sq. m. of recycled paper and cardboard, and 5 kg/100 sq. m.of glass, plastic and metal we recycled) at strategic locations, e.g. along roadsides for windbreak purposes or to help minimize erosion.

Last year, we planted 256 trees through this program on farmland in the Chaudières-Appalaches region. Planted along a riverbank, these trees will stem soil erosion and serve as organic filters to improve the quality of the river water. This planting exercise is part of the Corridors Verts program organized by Jour de la Terre Québec, which helps fight farming-related forestland erosion. By promoting the restoration of our forestland through developing a network of green corridors, we contribute to the process of re-linking together our vast Québec forests in order to better protect our biodiversity.

To know more about Earth Day