Clean Bin Movie

 

This movie is touring the country right now. The local couple who made it decided to take part in a challenge not to buy anything and throw away as little as possible for one year. The results are encouraging!

Learn more on the website here!

Challenge update

After 16 weeks this summer The Sapperton Community Zero Waste Challenge has ended in a great success!

We collectively were able to reduce our waste by  half.  We increased the amount we composted by 50%.

Thank you to everyone who participated. I hope the changes you made will last a lifetime. Everything step we take to increase our consciousness around the waste we create, and the effect we have on the planet,  gets us closer to a greener future.

earthdance photo credit ॐ Katia Somerville

Pacific Garbage Patch

It was a few years ago when I was shocked to learn about a continent made of garbage floating in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It has been estimated to be twice the size of the state of Texas, and is known by many names, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, the Plastic soup, the Eastern Garbage Patch or the Pacific Trash Vortex. What ever you call it, it is an environmental nightmare. It is not so much one large mass, if it were it would be much easier to deal with. This patch stretches for miles and goes to great depths.It can be found in the North Pacific Gyre (also known as North Pacific Subtropical Gyre), The Gyre is a clockwise-swirling vortex of ocean currents comprising most of the northern Pacific Ocean. The garbage vortex is an accumulation of marine debris.

A great number of things can become marine debris; items such as plastic bags, syringes and other medical waste, buoys, rope, glass bottles and plastic bottles, cigarette lighters, plastic bags, beverage cans, Styrofoam, lost fishing line and nets, and various wastes from cruise ships and oil rigs. Plastic comprises over 80% of all ocean debris. The garbage vortex has been rapidly accumulating since the end of WWII. Plastic is unable to biodegrade. Instead it photodegrades, which means it breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces that are, eventually, consumed by marine life and enter into the food chain.

If that is not bad enough, it can act as a sort of “chemical sponge”. It can concentrate many of the most damaging of the pollutants found in the worlds oceans: the persistent organic pollutants (POPs). So any animal eating these pieces of plastic debris will also be taking in highly toxic pollutants.

This problem was created by humans. What to do about the garbage island is still being debated, One thing is clear, we can take steps to reduce the amount of plastic we use and dispose of. All life on earth relies on the Oceans health. Choosing to use less plastic can only help to reduce how much will eventually become a toxic waste product.

The Red Dot Campaign

The Red Dot Campaign was an initiative started in Canada to curb advertisers wasteful use of paper in advertising. The idea is simple, put a red dot on your mail box and the mail carrier will not leave flyers and advertisements in your mailbox.

You can also simply put a note on your mailbox that says no junk mail, no ad-mail or no flyers and they will get the message.

Some companies even go further and sell Postal Junk Mail Reduction Kits and U.S. residents can sign the petition to stop junk mail!  at the Forest Ethics site.

There are many ways we can reduce waste like stopping junk mail and using e-post in Canada to get your bills on-line. You can also pay your bills on-line reducing even more need for paper products and trips to the post office.

Most companies now have their weekly flyers available online, with a simple search you can find what you need.

By stopping junk mail from entering your house you will be sending a message and helping to curb climate change, deforestation and reduce consumption.

Whatever you choose, think of the environment when you go to the mail box and the planet will thank you.

Aiming for ZERO!

Recently  a news items caught my attention in the local paper. The story was about how Metro director and  Burnaby Mayor, Derek Corrigan, has called for the end of the term ” Zero Waste”.  His claim is that achieving “Zero Waste”  is an impossibility and therefore an embarrassment to even use the term.  In 2008 the 20 cities that encompass Metro Vancouver were issued a “Zero Waste Challenge” with a goal of 70% waste diversion by 2015.

With the most progressive cities only being able to achieve the lesser goal of 70% garbage diversion, the logic follows that aiming for a more substantial goal is only an extravagant exaggeration of what is achievable, and further that any politician who would aim for such a lofty goal would be  “the author of their own misfortune”.

Should we only aim for what others have been able to achieve?  Should we lower our expectations to a more achievable and less dramatic goal of 70% or dare we say 80% garbage reduction here in Metro Vancouver? What message does lowering our expectations send?

The people who have proven that more than 80 % waste reduction is achievable have not being heard.

Personal responsibility has to be the starting point.

Consumers need to demand that products be manufactured with accountability. We can not continue to buy products that will end up in landfills,  waterways and oceans. Politicians have to be willing to embrace challenges, explore alternatives and demonstrate leadership and progressive thinking.

The challenge is aptly named for its target, and we won’t stop until we reach “Zero Waste”.



Multi Family Composting

The question of what will happen this fall when the organic curb-side collections start in our city is will there be an option for multi-family dwellings?

The short answer is no, and yes! Right now the city will not be collecting organic waste from multi family units. The focus right now will be on implementing the green collection from single family dwellings, with the eventual inclusion of larger apartment units. For the time being though there are options for people living in apartments who want to reduce their household waste.

The city encourages people to be stewards themselves and start their own waste diversion by balcony composting with worms or Bokashi fermenting and disposal.  These two options may not work for everyone, limited space and strata restrictions may not allow people these options. There  now several private companies who will collect waste from Multi-family unites today! I have put a page on this site with a list of them HERE

One example of a successful organic waste management program is the one at the University of British Columbia they have been operating an “in-vessel composting system”

from their web site;

UBC’s In-Vessel Composting Facility:

• capable of processing 5 tonnes of organic waste daily;
• produces compost within two weeks (excluding compost maturation time);
• has diverted over 5000 green bins (each bin can hold up to 120 litres) of organic waste from the landfill in its two years;
• it is the first of its kind at a Canadian University!
• is a model of sustainable solid waste management and integrated agricultural systems;
• is environmentally, socially and economically sustainable;
• is a clean, well-managed and efficient facility that complies with the Waste Management Act B.C. Reg 334/93 and the Agricultural Waste Control Regulation, Waste Management Act, Health Act B.C. Reg 131/92;
• provides an opportunity for students and faculty to participate in research and site testing, and
• is an award winning operation that models large-scale composting to the surrounding community, and other Canadian institutions.

Another successful project is the one running in Montreal called Tourne-Sol Composting Centre (pdf)

This project is currently collecting tonnes of organic matter and turning it into something useful- compost!

one million pounds of batteries

call2recycle is the industries largest recycler of batteries, both rechargeable and non rechargeable.

They have put forth a challenge to all North Americans to recycle one million pounds of batteries this year!

So far this year, Call2recycle has collected 150528 Kilos of batteries in Canada!

Batteries are used and thrown away in abundance.  There are many reasons why we must recycle batteries.

1. Batteries have many poisonous metals in them. They may pollute the lakes and streams. May cause burn to eyes and skin because the metal vaporises in the air when burned.
2. Recycling batteries will help in keeping heavy metal out of landfill and the air. The recovered plastic and metal is used for making new batteries.
3. Mercury oxide and silver oxide button batteries are often collected by jewellers, pharmacies and hearing aid stores.
4. One should try to use rechargeable batteries so that the wastage of batteries is reduced to some extent.
5. Older batteries can contain up to ten times more mercury than newer batteries. Rechargeable batteries can also contain heavily toxic materials and should be recycled or properly disposed of.

Compost that!

I thought I should write  a post about just what we can compost as I have learned about some things recently that I didn’t  know you can compost.

I found many incredible lists, although I am not too sure you would like to put some of these items into your composter you use for your gardens ( the condom one in particular) I found such a long list on Planet Green that I made a PAGE about it!

I  recently learned  that you can compost pencil shavings and dryer lint, nut shells and pet hair! used matches, cotton or wool clothing, tea bags, paper plates, old loofahs, nail clippings, hair from a hair brush, even the crumbs you sweep off the floor and counters!



The torch is passed

Passing the sign from Glenbrook North to Sapperton

At this months “green drinks” Jane passes the Zero Waste Challenge sign to Kathleen!

The monthly meet up of residents interested in issues related to the environment was a fun evening as usual. Many topics were discussed and a few libations consumed at the Heritage Grill – the host restaurant  and gathering place of many New Westminster residents.

Peter with the sign – encouraging us to persevere

Peter Cech from Metro Vancouver was there and encouraged us to take up this challenge.  With an open mind and desire to foster a dialogue between the city and the people, he offered his support and thanks for the residents of Glenbrook North who diligently participated in New Westminster’s first Zero Waste Challenge.  Half a dozen Sapperton participants were in attendance as well to take the torch so to speak, and try and make a difference in our own homes and businesses.

Jane holds up one family of two’s waste for the eight week challenge- total weight- 750 grams!!!

The Sapperton Zero Waste Challenge has begun – it is not too late to join us if you are interested! If you live in another area of the lower mainland please also consider a challenge in your neighbourhood! We can all make a difference when we choose to make reducing our waste a priority.

coming soon – green waste collection in New Westminster!!

Starting this fall the City of New Westminster will begin the green waste curb-side collection program.

I was curious what would be included, and if cooked food, meat and other non traditionally  backyard compostable items would be included. This is what I found on the cities website;

The Cleaner Greener Program
The Cleaner Greener food scraps and yard trimmings program expands the range of items that can be placed in the Clean Green cart, so that the amount of waste going to the landfill can be reduced even more. You can now include:

• Any kind of cooked or uncooked food scraps, including meat, fish, bones, dairy, and eggshells
• Food-soiled paper like napkins, pizza boxes that are too soiled to recycle
• Yard trimmings, leaves and grass

New Collection Carts
On average, a single-family household in New Westminster puts out about 10 kilograms of garbage for collection each week. That’s about the same as 2 regular sized garbage bags. Based on this, most houses will receive one 120-litre cart for their garbage, taking into account that the new program, as well as our existing blue box recycling service, will allow residents to recycle more than ever.

Properties with a registered suite will automatically receive a 240-litre container for garbage.

For the Cleaner Greener food scraps and yard trimmings carts, the City opted to provide one 240-litre cart to each household. This increases the amount of space available for yard trimmings and food scraps. New Westminster residents will be able to keep even more materials out of the region’s landfills as a result!

The order for the collection carts has been placed, and the delivery of the carts will begin in September 2010.  More information will be provided to residents as the program start date approaches.
Related Materials
•    Automated Waste Collection Brochure