CALGARY, AB - March 07, 2016 /CNW/ - Two post-secondary student teams have been named 2016 Scotiabank EcoLiving Green Challenge Regional Champions by Enactus Canada, the country's largest student leadership development organization and proud program supporter, Scotiabank.

The Scotiabank EcoLiving Green Challenge empowers post-secondary students to develop and deliver projects that teach viable solutions to relevant environmental issues. Since the program began in 2010, 5,116 students have helped conserve over 4,000,000 litres of water, diverted over 2,000,000 pounds of waste and introduced 1,254 businesses to green business practices.

"Congratulations to Mount Royal University and the University of British Columbia and all of the teams for their incredible work on the Scotiabank EcoLiving Green Challenge. The talent and drive of these students continues to inspire us," said Laurie Stang, Senior Vice President, Prairie Region at Scotiabank. "Scotiabank is proud to support the challenge as part of our commitment to environmental awareness and supporting a greener future, which we do through our Scotiabank EcoLiving program. I want to wish the regional winners the best of luck in the national competition in Toronto."

The following Enactus student teams from Mount Royal University and the University of British Columbia stood out to the judges at the Enactus Canada Regional Exposition - Western Canada on March 4 because of their dedication to tackling local environmental issues:

Enactus Mount Royal University created a social enterprise aimed at reducing the amount of coffee cup waste in Canada by sourcing compostable coffee cups and creating a collection system. This year alone, 46 businesses have been exposed to green business practices and 50 pounds of waste have been diverted from landfills thus far.

The Enactus teams at the University of British Columbia created Green Pursuit, a project that transforms cooking oil waste produced by UBC's on-campus restaurants into ASTM-certified biodiesel and uses it to fuel UBC's on-campus fleet service trucks. Through Green Pursuit, 37,000 pounds of waste has been diverted and CO₂ emissions have been reduced by 100,000 metric tonnes.

"These teams are making a real impact on the long-term sustainability of their communities through their environmental education projects," said Nicole Almond, Enactus Canada president. "They are a perfect example of how Enactus' socially-conscious student leaders are building a greener Canada."

These teams will now move on to the national level of competition taking place May 2-4 at the 2015 Enactus Canada National Exposition in Toronto, Ontario.

ABOUT ENACTUS CANADA: Enactus Canada, this country's largest student leadership development organization, is shaping generations of entrepreneurial leaders who are passionate about advancing the economic, social and environmental health of Canada. Guided by academic advisors and business experts, more than 2,650 entrepreneurial post-secondary students led 288 community empowerment projects and business ventures this past year in communities coast-to-coast. As a global network of 36 countries, Enactus uses the power of entrepreneurial action to transform lives and shape a better, more sustainable world. For more information, visit enactus.ca.

About Scotiabank 
Through our global community investment strategy, Scotiabank (TSX: BNS) (NYSE: BNS) and its employees support causes at a grassroots level. Recognized as a leader for our charitable donations and philanthropic activities, in 2015, Scotiabank contributed $67 million to help our communities around the world.

Scotiabank is Canada's international bank and a leading financial services provider in North America, Latin America, the Caribbean and Central America, and parts of Asia. We are dedicated to helping our 23 million customers become better off through a broad range of advice, products and services, including personal and commercial banking, wealth management and private banking, corporate and investment banking, and capital markets. Follow us on Twitter @ScotiabankNews.

About Scotiabank EcoLiving
Scotiabank EcoLiving, which launched in 2010, is a unique program focused on educating Canadians on the shared benefits of home energy efficiency and green home improvements. With its emphasis on demonstrating how people can save money by saving energy, and at the same time reduce their impact on climate change, Scotiabank's EcoLiving program communicates the advantages of energy efficiency and sustainable practices. To learn more, visit ecoliving.scotiabank.com.