Get ready to sip smarter and reduce waste with the Regional District of Nanaimo's 'Sip Smart Challenge'.

This regional contest encourages residents to bring a reusable cup when visiting participating coffee shops and cafés for coffee or other drinks. Bring a cup, get a stamp, enter to win prizes!

The 60-day challenge runs from October 8, 2026, to December 6, 2026. It’s designed to help residents create lasting reusable habits while supporting the RDN’s goal of 90% waste diversion. By making simple choices, like bringing a reusable cup, we can all help cut down on single-use items across the region!

Here's how it works:

1. Pick up a RDN Sip Smart Stamp Card at a participating coffee shops or café
2. Bring your reusable cup when you get a drink
3. Get one stamp each time you use your reusable cup
4. Each stamp counts as one entry into the prize draw
5. Submit your card to win!

You do not need to fill the whole stamp card to enter. Complete or partially-complete cards can be submitted in contest drop boxes at RDN facilities or by emailing a photo of the front and back of the card to zerowaste@rdn.bc.ca.

Enter to win one of three prizes:

• First Prize: $500 gift certificate to the winner's choice of local grocery store, restaurant, coffee shop or café, or a $500 credit to use towards RDN recreation programs or transit passes.
• Second Prize: $250 gift certificate to the winner's choice of local grocery store, restaurant, coffee shop or café, or a $250 credit to use towards RDN recreation programs or transit passes.
• Third Prize: Basket of sustainable items valued at $175

Nanaimo Area

• Affirmation Coffee - 2220 Bowen Road, Nanaimo
• Blenz Coffee - 6631 Island Highway North, Nanaimo (Woodgrove Mall)
• Bocca Cafe - 427 Fitzwilliam Street, Nanaimo
• Bodhi's Artisan Bakery - 5299 Rutherford Road, Nanaimo
• Cafe Today - 5771 Turner Road, Nanaimo
• Serious Coffee - 3657 B Hammond Bay Road, Nanaimo
• Serious Coffee - 60 Commercial Street, Nanaimo
• The Vault Cafe - 499 Wallace Street, Nanaimo

Gabriola Island

• Ground Up Cafe & Catering - 560 North Road, Gabriola Island

Nanoose Bay

• Nanoose Bay Cafe - 3521 Dolphin Drive, Nanoose Bay

Parksville Area

• Cafe 356 - 1025 Lee Road, Parksville
• Cafe Floresta - 191 Jensen Ave E #102, Parksville
• French Press Coffee Roasters - 425 Standford Ave E, Parkville
• Serious Coffee - 9-1209 Island Highway E, Parksville

Coombs/Errington

• Creekmore's Coffee Roasting Co. - 2701 Alberni Hwy, Coombs
• Serious Coffee - 1548 Grafton Ave, Errington

Qualicum Beach Area

• Courtyard Coffee - 673 Memorial Ave, Qualicum Beach
• French Press Coffee Roasters - 694 Primrose Street, Qualicum Beach
• L'ilette Cafe & Bakery - 125 2nd Ave W, Qualicum Beach

To become a participating coffee shop or cafe, please email zerowaste@rdn.bc.ca

How to Participate

Residents can join the RDN Sip Smart Challenge by bringing their own reusable cup to participating coffee shops and cafés around the region during the 60-day contest. Sip Smart Challenge Stamp Cards can be picked up at RDN facility locations or at participating coffee shops and cafés around the region. Each time participants use a reusable cup, staff will stamp their Sip Smart Challenge Card.

• Cards with stamps can be submitted in a contest drop box at participating locations or RDN facilities, or by emailing a photo of the front and back of the card to zerowaste@rdn.bc.ca.
• Each stamp counts as one contest entry. More than one card may be submitted per person.
• Participants must include their first and last name on the card along with a phone number or email address so they can be contacted if they win.
• The contest begins on October 8, 2026 at 12:01 a.m. and ends on December 6, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. PST.
• Participants wishing to enter the draw must submit a photo of their Sip Smart Stamp Card to zerowaste@rdn.bc.ca, or drop off the physical card in a Sip Smart drop box located at RDN facilities by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, December 6, 2026.
• Three eligible winners will be randomly selected by 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 10, 2026. The RDN will call/email winners by December 10, 2026 by 4:30p.m.
• This contest is open to residents of Canada who are 19 years of age or older.

Contact Information

Questions about the RDN Sip Smart Challenge contest can be emailed to zerowaste@rdn.bc.ca.

Collection Notice

Personal information collected for the RDN Sip Smart Challenge is collected under section 26(c) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and will be used for the purpose of conducting the prize draw and contacting winning participants. Winning participants will have the option to remain anonymous or consent to have their name and photo shared on social media.

Questions regarding the collection of your personal information may be directed to the RDN Privacy Officer at 250-390-4111 or PrivacyOffice@rdn.bc.ca

Participating Locations

Participating coffee shops and cafés are listed here - found on getinvolved.rdn.ca, in the Sip Smart Challenge tab. If you are not on this list and would like to be, please contact zerowaste@rdn.bc.ca

Full Contest Rules

• Please read these terms and conditions carefully, as they affect your legal rights.
• The RDN Sip Smart Challenge is governed by these rules. By entering, participants agree to follow them.
• Failure to comply with these Rules may result in disqualification or make an entrant ineligible to participate in the contest.

No Affiliation with Participating Businesses

• This contest is administered by the RDN and is not sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with any participating businesses, including businesses that provide stamp locations or businesses whose products, services, gift cards, or other items may be included as prizes.

Eligibility

• To be eligible to enter the contest, participants must be residents of Canada, 19 years of age or older, and have obtained at least one stamp from a participating business on their RDN Sip Smart Challenge Stamp Card.
• Officers, directors, and employees of the RDN are not eligible to win the three prizes.

Contest Period

• The contest is open for participants to collect stamps on their Sip Smart Challenge Cards and submit completed stamp cards to the RDN from 12:01 a.m. on October 8, 2026 to 11:59 p.m. on December 6, 2026, PST.
• To enter the prize draw, participants must submit their completed stamp card with at least one valid stamp from a participating business during the contest period by emailing a photo of the card to zerowaste@rdn.bc.ca or by dropping off the physical card in a designated drop box at an RDN facility. Participants must include their contact information with their entry.
• All eligible contest entries will be assigned a number, and winners will be selected using a random number generator.
• Entries will not be accepted before 12:01 a.m. on October 8, 2026 or after 11:59 p.m. on December 6, 2026, PST.

How to Enter

• To enter, participants must pick up a Sip Smart Challenge Stamp Card from an RDN facility location or a participating location, then submit the card with at least one valid stamp from a participating business. The participant’s full name and contact information must also be provided on the card.
• No purchase, payment, or fee of any kind is required to enter or win.
• There is no limit to the number of entries per entrant. Each stamp counts as one entry, and a stamp card does not need to have all stamp spaces completed to count as an entry.
• Entries may be disqualified by the RDN if they are incomplete, contain fewer than one valid stamp, are illegible, damaged, irregular, submitted through non-permitted or illicit means, submitted using any robotic, automatic, or programmed method that artificially increases the odds of winning, or do not otherwise comply with these Rules.

Prizes

• Three prizes are available to be won through the Contest:
• First prize: a $500 gift certificate to a local grocery store, restaurant or coffee shop or café of the winner’s choice, or a $500 credit to use towards RDN recreation programs or transit passes.
• Second prize: a $250 gift certificate to a local grocery store, restaurant or coffee shop or café of the winner’s choice, or a $250 credit to use towards RDN recreation programs or transit passes.
• Third prize: Basket of sustainable items valued at $175.
• For the purposes of these Rules, a local business means a business that is owned/operated within the RDN electoral areas, City of Nanaimo, District of Lantzville, City of Parksville or Town of Qualicum Beach or has a storefront located within these areas.
• Prizes must be accepted as awarded and may not be substituted for cash or any other item. Prizes are non-transferable and non-assignable. Any prize, or portion of a prize, that is not accepted will become the property of the RDN. Refusal to accept a prize in accordance with these Rules releases the RDN from any further obligation to the selected winner.

Winner Selection*

• Three potential winners will be selected by random draw using a random number generator by 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 10, 2026. Potential winners will be contacted by email or phone using the contact information provided with their entry.
• Each potential winner must correctly answer a skill-testing question before being declared a winner and awarded a prize.
• The RDN will attempt to contact each selected potential winner within 48 hours of the draw, using the information provided by the participant. Selected potential winners must acknowledge the notification by email or by verbal confirmation over the phone.
• If a selected potential winner does not respond within three (3) days of the initial notification, cannot be reached using the information provided, is unable to correctly answer the skill-testing question, or is otherwise unable to, or does not, accept the prize in accordance with these Rules, that potential winner will no longer be considered to be a potential prize winner and an alternate potential winner will be selected from the remaining eligible entries. Up to two redraws may be made for each prize.
• A valid government issued ID will be required at the time of prize collection to verify name and that the winner is 19yrs of age or older.
• Winners must collect their prize in person from one of the RDN facilities listed below by 4:00 p.m. PST on Friday, January 8, 2027. Prizes that are not collected by this deadline become the property of the RDN and may be redistributed to other eligible entrants by random draw at the RDN’s discretion.

• RDN Administration Building – 6300 Hammond Bay Road, Nanaimo
• RDN Landfill Office – 1105 Cedar Road, Nanaimo
• Oceanside Place Arena – 830 Island Hwy W, Parksville
• RDN Parks Administration Building – 1490 Springhill Road
• Ravensong Aquatic Centre – 737 Jones St., Qualicum Beach

Odds

• Potential winners will be selected by random draw from all eligible entrants who submit a RDN Sip Smart Challenge Card with at least one stamp from a participating business by 11:59 p.m. PST on Sunday, December 6, 2026.
• The odds of winning depend on the total number of valid entries received.

No RDN Liability

• The RDN shall have no contractual or other legal obligations to any person, including any contest participants.
• By participating in this contest, each participant entrant agrees that it shall have no claim whatsoever against the RDN or any of its and its directors, officers, elected and appointed officials, employees, contractors or agents as a result of the participation in this contest, including due to any mistake or error made by, or any failure to comply with the contest rules by, the RDN or any of its directors, officers, elected and appointed officials, employees, contractors or agents.

Other Rules

• Winners are solely responsible for the reporting and payment of any and all taxes, if any, that may result in claiming a prize in the Contest. The Contest is void where prohibited by law.
• All entries become the property of the RDN, which assumes no responsibility for lost entries.
• By entering the Contest, all entrants agree to abide by the Rules and to accept the decisions of the RDN and its directors, officers, elected and appointed officials, employees, contractors or agents.
• If an entrant provides any false submission or information to the RDN, they will be automatically disqualified from the Contest. The RDN reserves the right to disqualify any entrant who has, in the RDN’s discretion, engaged in unsportsmanlike conduct, fraud or misconduct relative to the Contest
• If a prize cannot be awarded as described in these rules, the RDN may substitute a prize or prize component with another of comparable value, as determined in its sole discretion.
• The RDN may, at any time and for any reason, cancel, modify, or suspend this Contest.