The Upcycle Challenge is an annual event which allows people of all ages to come to Canada's only Ocean Plastic Education and Innovation Centre to learn about the effects of plastic pollution first hand by helping us sort selected marine debris materials while learning about plastics in our oceans. This unique opportunity teaches about the effects of resource consumption, ocean conservation, the implications of plastic pollution and sustainable technologies. 

In 2015, we were able to purchase a small scale plastic to fuel machine that can convert plastic pollution back into a light crude oil on-site. This offers individuals an incredible opportunity to learn about revolutionary sustainable technologies for waste management but also gets everyone creatively thinking about solutions to our waste management systems. Ultimately, the goal is to foster an environment which can begin to transform people's understanding around what they consider waste into materials that are treated as a resource.

This year we are anticipating more then 1,500 cubic yards of marine debris from the coastlines of British Columbia. Working with hundreds of volunteers, industries, businesses, government, NGOs, artists, students and concerned citizens to clean, sort and transform these materials inside our new warehouse space. We wanted to start by thanking all of the countless volunteers, the Vancouver Island Marine Debris Working Group and the many sponsors who have made this good work possible! You are all the true heart of restoring crucial coastal ecosystems. 

We hope to see you this year! 

What to bring:
- Work gloves
- Snacks and Lunch
- Waterbottle
- Any music you would like to listen to (Must be family appropriate)

Hours of Operation are subject to change.
***Please continually refer to this schedule for updates***

October 28: 10am- 4pm
October 29: 4pm- 8:30pm
October 30: 4pm- 8:30pm
November 1: 4pm-8:30pm
November 4: 10am-4pm
November 6: 10am- 8:30pm
November 8: 4pm- 8:30pm
November 10: 10am- 4pm
** If you have a group, special visits may be arranged outside of these operating hours.

LOCATION: 7700 Vantage Way, Delta, BC 

PARKING: There is available free parking on the other side of the road in the resturant parking lot beside the warehouse space.

FOOD: Please bring your lunch and snacks for the day.

FIRST AID: There will be first aid provided on site

AMENITIES: There are washrooms and drinking water on-site

BACKGROUND
Over the spring and summer of 2018 marine debris and driftage items were recovered from the remote wilderness of Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands and residing waterways. During this time hundreds of volunteers and sponsors contributed to large scale cleanup operations to remove marine debris and drfitage along the West and East coasts of Vancouver Island. Loads of debris have been transported to our new warehouse located in Delta, BC. 

Action Tire
Association for Denman Island Marine Stewards
Bardel Entertainment 
Barnacle Babes Magazine 
BC Field Trips
BC Parks
BC Shellfish Growers Association
Black Point Cleanup
BC Shellfish Growers Association
Clayquot Cleanup 
C-Tow Marine Assistance
Department of Fisheries and Oceans
Dex-Tech Fabrication
Electric Love Music Festival
Fanny Bay Oysters
Foam Only 
Grieg Seafood
Harbour Chandler 
Kingsley Trucking 
Langely Recycling
Lasqueti Island Cleanup 
Let's Talk Trash Team
Lush Cosmetics North America
Lynn Valley Lion’s Club 
McConnell Foundation
MP Gord Johns
MV UChuck III
Ocean Wise- Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup
Parks Canada 
Pitch-in Canada 
Plascon 
Qathet Regional District
Resynergi Inc
Saltery Bay Cleanup
SamCo Printing
Savary Island Cleanup
Signal Warehousing 
Surfrider Foundation Pacific Rim 
Surfrider Foundation Vancouver
Surfrider Foundation Vancouver Island 
Texada Island Cleanup
The Funky Fungus
Vancouver Island Marine Debris Working Group
Vancouver Island University

*** We will again have our demonstration plastic to fuel machine running as an example of sustainable end of life solutions.*** Come watch bottle caps turn back into a light crude oil***