Stories From the Trails: Meet the Minds Behind Banff Borrows - A Conversation with Karli Fleury
With over 1000 disposable cups thrown away daily during peak season in downtown Banff, leaders in the national park have collaborated to find a solution.
Banff Borrows is a reusable cup program aimed at reducing waste specifically and the environmental footprint of both visitors and the community generally.
We caught up with Karli Fleury, Director of Workforce and Destination Initiatives at Banff and Lake Louise Hospitality Association (BLLHA) in early July to discuss progress, key learnings, and the future of Banff Borrows. Karli is one of the minds behind the program and has been involved in implementing the new initiative in Banff.
Q. How’s the program been going?
A. Like with any new program, you will have early adopters and those who will wait and see before they adopt. We were fortunate to have some local sustainability industry leaders (Arctos & Bird - Wild Flour Bakery and Little Wild Café) lead by example and test the concept in early 2024. From there, interest was generated very quickly amongst the business community, and we are proud to have 12 different locations piloting Banff Borrows through peak season. This sample size is perfect to work out challenges and monitor trends to improve the program in multiple operational settings.
Q. Have there been any challenges?
A. Of course! It goes without saying that introducing a new concept and circular system with multiple operators will bring challenges. This is the purpose of the pilot, to work out the challenges in the overall program and for each individual operator.
Effectively engaging and educating residents, the workforce, and visitors to use the program has been the greatest challenge. With new people coming and going constantly, a new peak season workforce, language barriers and time constraints during each transaction we are working hard to educate before customers arrive to cafés. A great example of how we have responded to this challenge is the Banff Borrows timber frame signs spread throughout downtown Banff.
Banff is trailblazing in Canada and North America with this program in a visitor economy, We are creating best practices in hopes that other similar destinations can adopt our Banff Borrows model.
Q. What have been your key learnings from this program?
A. Collaboration is key. The partnership created between Town of Banff, The Biosphere Institute of the Bow Valley, BLLT, BLLHA, and Muuse is really what the trailblazing aspect of this pilot is. Each agency has distinct functions and audiences, and together we have far more reach to educate, relationships to lean on, and skills to utilize in such a massive undertaking. Alignment in messaging and goals amongst this group has been essential to our collective success, and without all the partners at the table we likely would not be in the positive position we are today.
There will be many more key learnings and takeaways after we evaluate the program post peak season.
Q. How can Banff & Lake Louise Tourism members support?
A. Participating businesses can support by imbedding this program into their regular onboarding and training programs as part of day-to-day operations. Simply asking your guests if they would like their coffee in a reusable cup at each transaction can have a significant impact on program uptake and waste reduction. It’s easy to connect this circular economy initiative to national park community values for both the workforce and visitors once the concept and impact are understood in simple ways.
Other businesses can include this initiative in guest communications prior to, and upon arrival. An example of a great opportunity is to add this into any “Welcome to Banff” communications conference and event groups typically send out to attendees and delegates.
Q. How do you envision this program growing throughout the community?
A. We see the evolution of this program to scale in the number of cups being borrowed and the number of participating businesses. Banff Borrows was intentionally named to be inclusive of other reusable products such as containers, pizza boxes and more. We hope to introduce more products once we have established best practices with the reusable cups.
The ultimate goal of the program is to be a tourism leader and create a template for other communities to adopt in their visitor economies. It’s exciting and motivating to think about Jasper Borrows, Whistler Borrows, Tofino Borrows, and beyond.
The collaboration between BLLHA, the Town of Banff, the Biosphere Institute of the Bow Valley, and BLLT is a true example of a partnership pushing forward an initiative that positions Banff and Lake Louise as a leader in nature positive tourism. We’re working together as a destination on the path towards Zero Waste. Banff Borrows is a big step in this direction.
Shoutout to the members who are already participating: Rimrock Hotel, Stock at Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, Maclab at Banff Centre, Happy Camper at Moxy, Sudden Sally, Downtown Sally, Happy Camper, Wild Flour Bakery, Little Wild, Coyotes, Fenlands, Second Cup Banff, and the Banff Farmer's Market. More coming soon!
Find out how your business can participate in this program.
Banff Borrows
Stories from the Trails is a series sharing learning, success, and insights, from our members and partners as we journey together towards the 10-Year Vision for Tourism. This story embodies the Nature Positive & Climate Action Trail.
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Share your story! What initiatives are happening in your business or organization that support our shared vision for tourism? Email us! memberservices@banfflakelouise.com