Sometimes, you have to think outside the box when it’s time to throw things in the bin. That is what Car Mechanic and EcoChampion Maxime Héon did when he noticed how challenging it was for crews to park their trucks beside a dumpster and then throw metal or wood debris over the tall walls. Sometimes, the parts were so heavy they had to be left on the ground, posing a hazard for flat tires or injury, especially if parts were buried under the snow. Maxime came up with a better solution. Inspired by the waste ramps at his local community EcoCentre, Maxime suggested building one onsite at CN’s Taschereau Yard.
“Maxime’s idea was to enable our trucks to drive up a ramp and have two containers – one on each side for wood and for metal parts,” says EcoChampion Dana-Andrew Leblanc, Manager, Mechanical Car in Montreal.
Once Maxime’s suggestion was approved, Car Mechanic, Lead Hand and EcoChampion Yannick Martel helped finalize the design and set up the contractors while Car Mechanic and EcoChampion Guylaine Labbé built and painted the signs for the bins. The 50-foot-long ramp was installed last summer, and now the top of the container sits below knee-level, making it easy to toss debris in.
“Thanks to the new ramp, everything is clean, safe and efficient, and the carmen really appreciate it,” says Dana-Andrew.
Yannick unearthed another perfect solution to a stretch of gravel road in the yard that was riddled with potholes.
“Yannick was talking to our snow cleaning contractor during the winter and discovered they were getting rid of 7,900 tonnes of asphalt material that was removed from an old road,” says Dana-Andrew. “Because they didn't have any use for it, they offered it to us. Those granules are very good to make roads with – and it was free recycled material."
“We rebuilt roads in our repair track and some sections of the yard used by truckers to deliver wheels to our repair track,” says Dana-Andrew. “Now, the road is great. This was really a win-win for everyone and a creative way to reuse material.”
CN’s EcoConnexions Employee Engagement program – a partnership with Earth Rangers – drives sustainability across CN's network by empowering employees and their families to conserve energy, reduce waste, and improve housekeeping.
Visit our Delivering Responsibly section to learn more about sustainability at CN.
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