Ecomom.org News http://www.ecomom.org/news Just another WordPress weblog Fri, 16 Dec 2011 20:31:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1 en The Toll of Tradition http://www.ecomom.org/news/the-toll-of-tradition/ http://www.ecomom.org/news/the-toll-of-tradition/#comments Fri, 16 Dec 2011 20:29:19 +0000 ecomom http://www.ecomom.org/news/the-toll-of-tradition/ recyclechristmas.jpgRejoice by making the - REDUCE-REUSE-RECYCLE - and COMPOSTING part of your holiday tradition this season!

The Toll of Tradition

It is estimated that each year Canadians spend about $4 billion on wrapping paper, decorations and gifts, and exchange more than 2 billion holiday cards! This accounts for a huge increase in the amount of waste generated every holiday season.

Remember, small changes do add up to big changes. If each household makes just a few small changes in the way they shop, wrap gifts, decorate or entertain, it will result in a big change for Nova Scotia.

Did you know?
• The annual waste generated in Canada from gift-wrap and shopping bags equals about 545,000 tonnes.
• Packaging makes up about half our garbage by volume, one-third by weight.
• If everyone in Canada wrapped just three gifts in reused paper or gift bags, it would save enough paper to cover 45,000 hockey rinks!

Reduce

There is a lot of excessive packaging out there on everything from toys to pre-packed vegetables and meat. Act with your feet; look for products that have an alternative with less packaging and buy your meat off the meat counter or butcher and your fruit & veg loose or from farmers markets. If it has to be packaged, try to buy it packaged in material that can easily be recycled.
You could also look for presents made from recycled material - you’d be surprised what is available, from handbags and stationary to jewellery and clothing - that way no raw materials are being used to make something new from scratch.

Reuse

Both children and adults alike may receive gifts that are better than something they had before or even something that they may not even want. Donate your old toys, games, clothes, furniture, computers and appliances to a local charity. Alternatively, with everyone trying to tighten their belts, you could try selling good-quality items through online sites (try Freecycle or Kijiji) as well as newspaper classifieds or supermarket noticeboards
Why not even buy some ‘reused’ presents? Many items that are being sold are new or in as-new condition, some in their original packaging or you could dress them up in a decorated box or gift bag. Let’s face it; fancy packaging with screws and wires just stop children getting at their new toy quickly!

Recycle

Don’t forget that you can recycle most of your waste through your curbside Blue Bag program or using one of the many Enviro-Depots. Get the whole family involved in recycling and make sure everyone knows what can and can’t be recycled - especially those visiting from outside of the area as it may be different to what they can recycle at home. For a list of accepted items go to reduceyourwaste.ca or contact your Municipality for information on how to reuse or recycle many common household items.

Compost

At Christmas most of us produce a lot more food waste but all of those fruit and vegetable peelings can be composted and your meats and fats can easily become useful compost if you place it in your green bin.

]]> http://www.ecomom.org/news/the-toll-of-tradition/feed/ Recycling Rage http://www.ecomom.org/news/recycling-rage/ http://www.ecomom.org/news/recycling-rage/#comments Thu, 02 Sep 2010 19:09:29 +0000 ecomom http://www.ecomom.org/news/recycling-rage/ drjc-wickwire-hallway.jpgEvery year, about a dozen of the literally thousands of people I speak to show signs of a condition that I call “recycling rage”. These people find the prospect of sorting their waste so maddening that no amount of reasoning will convince them that recycling is the right thing to do.

The primary symptom of recycling rage is the inability to accept reason. Statistics, research and professional experience are no match for unfounded beliefs.  For example, these folks are under the misguided impression that illegal dumping will occur anytime a change is a made. When the electronics recycling program started, I heard several sufferers proclaim that our ditches would be overflowing with illegally dumped waste. It did not happen. Ditches are not filled with old TVs. Instead, more than 3000 metric tonnes of electronic were recycled in 2009.   

These kinds of facts are no match for recycling rage.  A business owner I spoke to in an area that is moving to clear bags for garbage was so upset that they threatened to dump their waste in the ocean or on the steps of city hall. How can a plastic bag elicit such strong emotions?

Another symptom of recycling rage is that the rage is not targeted.  The sufferer is mad at everything about our system, but nothing in particular. There is no way to offer a sense of satisfaction to these sufferers. They often claim that they have no time to sort their waste. The irony is the time they spent raging against the system would be ample to time to recycle right. In some cases, it would also be more than enough time to set up a backyard composter.

It is important to remember that our solid waste system is really a wonder. You produce waste, you separate your waste, and you put it to the curb for disposal. For a few minutes of your time, you are helping the environment and generating economic activity. Here’s hoping that recycling rage will go the way of burning garbage.

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