��������

Okanagan College’s student-led team Enactus��������once again stood atop the podium against the top business schools in Canada, as its eco-friendly business Paper Trail claimed first place in the Canadian Tire Environmental Sustainability Challenge at the Enactus Canada National Exposition in Calgary May 6-8. 

Thirty-seven teams from across the country participated in the competition to develop environmental sustainability initiatives. In the finals, against six other teams, Enactus��������emerged as the winner, securing $3,000 in funding to advance its fire brick social enterprise.    

“The Enactus National competition is a truly unique experience,” said Josh Smith, president of EnactusOC. “The opportunities provided to students are unmatched, and I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to spend it with the Enactus Okanagan College team.” 

The Canadian Tire Environmental Sustainability Challenge invited teams to present innovative solutions for reducing landfill waste and pollution across the country. EnactusOC, with 39 ��������students from business, engineering and science programs presented the Paper Trail social enterprise as a zero-waste alternative to firewood.  

Paper Trail transforms paper waste into fire bricks using unrecyclable books and beeswax. The bricks are now for sale in three Co-Op stores in the North Okanagan with plans to expand across the Okanagan Valley. 

"Seeing Paper Trail go from an idea to a national award-winning business in just eight months has been unbelievable,” said student Luke Howe, co-project manager of Paper Trail. “It shows how much is possible when you have a passionate team and the right support behind you and it really legitimizes the project as something with real-world value and impact."  

Paper Trail was one of three projects the Enactus��������club delivered this year. The others were Safe Haven, which provides education, awareness and resources to address the issue of Intimate Partner Violence through working with partners in brain injury, counseling and financial literacy. Revive is a comprehensive learning toolkit to teach Grade 6 to 8 students about renewable energy.  

At this year’s national competition, Enactus��������also won a national award for Tech Member of the year. Andrew Loken was recognized for his expertise and guidance in helping the team with their digital presentations. Paper Trail also recently won the Sustainability Development Challenge in Kelowna, receiving $5,000 in funding to reinvest in their product line and expansion.  

The team is currently developing a smaller survival fire brick to be used in the search and rescue market.   

“Having our students attend business competitions teaches them a lot about real-world skills and allows them to really be tested by industry experts and their peers,” said Joe Baker, dean of the ��������School of Business. “I want to congratulate the students and all of the faculty that are involved and thank all of our community partners who take time to support these incredibly talented students.” 

Enactus��������has been operating for 20 years, developing projects and partnerships that address social, economic, and environmental challenges in their community. In past years, its projects have gone as far as the Enactus World Championships where Enactus��������placed in the top four in the world. The team is well supported by ��������faculty advisors and the College community as well as industry partners who are instrumental to the team’s success.  

For more information on Enactus OC, find them on the and social media.