Mission Statement
Care for our environment and improve the quality of life in our communities through sustainable operations, open dialogue with our neighbours, and local partnerships that support environmental education for Hamilton students.
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HIEA and Climate Change
HIEA member companies recognize the importance of Climate Change and acknowledge our role as a partner to develop solutions to reduce our emissions. HIEA supports Canada's 2050 net-zero emissions commitment and where possible go further and faster.
For more information about HIEA and climate change statements and other commitments of individual companies, please visit the link below.
HIEA Members
HIEA is a member-run, not-for-profit organization serving local Hamilton steel, industrial, agricultural processing and shipping, manufacturing, chemical, and recycling companies. HIEA's members represent the historical, present and future industrial core of Hamilton and surrounding communities. HIEA's members are committed to the local community, to improving company environmental performance, and to the City of Hamilton and surrounding communities. To find out about our members, please see 'Member Companies' below.
Benefits of Membership
HIEA represents its members through its expertise in environmental regulation, enforcement, and policy development as well as existing professional relationships, project collaboration, and stakeholder engagement with:
• Government of Canada
• Ontario Government
• City of Hamilton
• Local environmental groups
• Individual Hamilton Residents
• Conservation Area and Other Project Partners
• Educational Institutions
Through HIEA, members are part of a network of business and environmental professionals with a depth of environmental regulation and policy expertise and experience.
Members also have year-round support from HIEA staff.
Circular Economy
In a circular economy companies reduce raw material use, redesign materials to be less resource intensive and recapture "waste" as a resource to manufacture new materials and products.
HIEA’s members have not only adopted a circular economy but practice it every day as part of their core business. Member companies use a blend of recycled and unprocessed raw materials to produce industrial consumer-ready products such as steel, carbon black, light oils, concrete inputs, and consumer-based agricultural products.
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2025 Children's Water Festival
Phase 1: Collection Phase
Wastewater is water that has been used, and is no longer clean because it might contain contaminants. A contaminant in wastewater is something harmful or dirty that gets mixed into water, like soap, oil, dirt, germs, or chemicals. We have to clean them out of the water before we let it go back into rivers, lakes, or oceans, so fish and animals stay safe and healthy!
Wastewater can come from many different places including from weather events such as snow or rain, or from our homes when we use water to take showers, do laundry or wash dishes.
Another place wastewater often comes from is factories, where it can be created by many different industrial activities. An industrial contaminant in wastewater is something harmful or dirty that comes from factories or industries. For example, factories might use chemicals or metals when they make things like toys, cars, or clothes.
Sometimes, tiny bits of these chemicals or metals can mix into the water, making it unsafe for fish, animals, and people. No matter where wastewater comes from, it is important that we clean it so it is safe for use in our communities.
Water is a finite resource. Our planet has a lot of water, but most of it is salty ocean water that we can't drink or use for growing food. Only a small part of Earth's water is fresh and safe for us to use, and a lot of that is frozen in ice caps and glaciers. This means we only have a little bit of clean water that's easy to reach.
That's why it's important for us to take good care of our water and not waste it, because there’s only so much clean, fresh water to go around. When we clean used water, we can reuse it over and over again, saving clean water for us and for future generations.
Scholarships
HIEA members believe that it is today’s students that will help shape the future and will work to further develop strategies that address the impacts of climate change, resource preservation, air and water pollution, and biodiversity loss for the generations to come.
To ensure Hamilton students reach their goals HIEA members have been supporting hands-on, educational programming for elementary-age students since 1978. For more mature students, HIEA's Members also proudly offer Environmental Bursaries at Mohawk College and McMaster University and as of 2022 an Endowed Scholarship for the new Honours Sustainable Chemistry Program at McMaster University.
Community Sponsorships
Since 1999, HIEA has provided financial support to initiatives that enhance and protect our local environment. Organizations interested in receiving funding are encouraged to submit applications before September 30th each year to ensure consideration.
Applications and Criteria for Funding can be found below. Our contribution level varies according to the need, our opportunity to make a difference, and our budget. The budget is established annually and approved by the Board of Directors.
Teacher Resources
This one-of-its-kind activity book was created for the Hamilton Children’s Water Festival to explain the different types of wastewater and how industrial wastewater is treated. The book also contains fun activities related to wastewater.
To download a copy of the activity book and teacher's manual, please do so below.
2022/23 Annual Report
To learn more about HIEA, please view our Annual Report to the Community. To learn about HIEA's Organizational Structure, please follow the link below.
