By Jess Blackwell ![]() Whether you own a restaurant or a law firm, chances are you have plastic pens, markers, and similar writing utensils in the drawers of your store or office. Unfortunately, most of these items were intended to be single-use and are not refillable, nor are they typically recyclable through mainstream government-run recycling programs. This means that most of these single-use items end up in the garbage. The good news, however, is that Terracycle has partnered with Staples to provide Canadians with a free, convenient means of keeping these old writing utensils out of our landfills. How does it work? Basically, all you need to do is save up your old plastic pens, markers, mechanical pencils, and highlighters, and then drop them off at a participating Staples store near you. If you go to the Terracycle page here, you can enter your postal code to find the nearest st ore. We have also partnered with Staples to offer this recycling program at our triennial REmarket event, so feel free to save up your eligible office supplies and bring them down to our next REmarket! And, circling back to our previous tip about using what you already have, just be sure to use up the pens, pencils, and highlighters you already have before dropping them off to be recycled! By Lisa McNair ![]() Not sure what to do with your old mattress, furniture, appliances, or other large items, like carpets? First, consider donating usable items to those in need. Many local secondhand shops, such as The Salvation Army and Value Village, accept furniture items, and you can also visit toronto.ca/reuseit for a list of organizations that accept donations. If your items can't be donated to those in need, the City of Toronto's garbage collectors will pick up these large items for free, provided you live somewhere with curbside pickup. However, foam and polyester pillows can be placed straight in your household or building garbage bin. By Lisa McNair Did you know that the average Toronto household throws away more than 30 lbs of clothing and other textiles each year?
Instead, let's consider:
Together, we can eliminate textile waste! By Katelyn Marie Poyntz ![]() Did you know that 10% of domestic water is used in the kitchen, and over 60% is consumed in the bathroom? Here’s how you can cut back on your water usage:
*This post is based on content originally posted on Wylderr.
By Jess Blackwell If you live in the Downtown Toronto area, chances are that you’ve heard of two different events aimed at reducing waste by collecting donations and engaging in other environmentally focused activities: Community Environment Days and REmarket. But what are Community Environment Days, and how are they different from REmarket? While both events are aimed at reducing waste, there are several key differences between them:
Below, we walk through each of these differences in more detail. 1. They are run by different groups. While REmarket is run by the St. Lawrence Neighbourhood Association Waste Reduction Group (WRG), a community-led group of local volunteers, Community Environment Days is run by the City of Toronto, through its ReduceWasteTO program. 2. They are held in different locations and venues. While REmarket is held at the St. Lawrence Market (specifically, in the temporary tent just south of the main market building), Community Environment Days are held throughout Toronto and, because of this, occur in various locations and venues. You can find more information about when and where your local Community Environment Day is happening here. 3. They collect slightly different items. While both events collect a wide variety of common items in various conditions, REMarket collects some items that are not collected during Community Environment Days and vice versa. For example, while REmarket does not collect household hazardous waste, Environment Days do. Similarly, while REmarket collects used office supplies, such as pens and ink/toner cartridges for recycling, the city does not currently offer this service through Environment Days. The chart below breaks down some of the key differences between what these events accept. Chart by Trudy Coles 4. They offer different services.
While you can donate your new and used unwanted items at both events, each event offers some special services. For example, community members can pick up free compost from this year’s Environment Days, and the city will also be selling small household organics bins. REmarket does not currently offer either of these services. In contrast, REmarket offers a repair cafe (run by Repair Café Toronto), free bike repairs (run by CultureLink Bike Hub), and a totally free market (called FreeMarket). The city does not currently offer these services through its Community Environment Days. Summary In conclusion, while similar, these events each offer unique services and benefits that can help you reduce your waste and make a positive impact on the environment. But if you happen to miss your local Environment Day, have no fear — REmarket is coming up soon! The next REmarket is scheduled for June 14 and 15, 2023, and we hope to see you there! By Lisa McNair ![]() Bad things happen when the wrong items and recycling get together! In fact, if you put items in your recycling bin that shouldn’t go there, it all goes to the landfill. These items are a no-no for the blue bin:
For more detailed information, you can refer to the City of Toronto's Waste Wizard tool. By Katelyn Marie Poyntz ![]() Everything you use or consume has to be made or grown, and this all takes energy. To create energy, we burn fossil fuels that emit carbon or other gases. Carbon is the most common, but there’s also methane and nitrous oxide, which deliver 25 and 300 times more warming potential than carbon, respectively (wow!). A “carbon footprint” is actually the sum of all the gases emitted to create an item, which is why it’s referred to as a “carbon dioxide equivalent” (CO2e). Everything you do has a carbon footprint! The carbon footprint of an item includes everything that is required to produce that product: the materials used to make it (including the transportation of those materials to the factory), the making of the item at the factory, transportation of the finished good to the store (where you will then buy it), and what happens to that item once you’re done with it (reuse, recycle, or landfill). Everything has a carbon footprint, and it all adds up! In the coming weeks, we’ll share information about the carbon footprints of some common items. Determining the carbon footprint of an item is complex, so the numbers will only be approximations. However, these facts will give you an idea of the environmental impact of common items and help you make decisions about your daily habits or which items to buy at the grocery store. And why should we care about choosing items with lower carbon footprints? Greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere, which leads to global warming and climate change. Selecting items with lower carbon footprints can help fight climate change! *This post is based on content originally posted on Wylderr.
By Jessica Blackwell ![]() While well-intentioned, our eagerness to start doing better can sometimes lead to wasteful behaviors. And remember: waste is one of the natural enemies of sustainability! Whether you’re a small business owner looking to make your business more sustainable or an individual trying to be more environmentally conscious, you can have a big positive impact by using what you already have. One common mistake that people make when trying to improve their sustainability is to throw out or otherwise waste the products they already have. For example, people may dispose of plastic single-use pens without using them, throw out plastic-packaged foods, or bag up all their fast-fashion clothes. Many individuals and businesses feel this pressure to ditch their current, less sustainable products and run out and buy fancy new products that are marketed as more sustainable alternatives to what they already own. They might feel like they have to go out and drop $100 on a fancy, top-of-the-line glass container set or feel pressured to go on a shopping spree at this season’s most popular eco-conscious fashion brand. But before you throw away what you already own to “upgrade” it to something else, ask yourself: Is this really necessary? Do I really need this new item? In spite of marketing tactics and social pressure that might tell us otherwise, the products we already own are often still perfectly capable of serving their intended purpose or can be useful in another way. So, first and foremost, use up what you already have before making any low-waste or eco-conscious swaps. And if you do decide to upgrade an item, just remember to do so as responsibly as possible. For example, if the item is still usable, you can benefit others in your community by donating it to a local charity or other cause (such as our REmarket event). If it’s entirely unusable, try to find a way to recycle the item, whether that’s through your city’s recycling program or a private operation, like Terracycle’s many programs. The first step to creating a more sustainable world is REthinking what we do and how we do them, and learning to use and appreciate what you already have can be a great first step on this path. *This post is based on content originally published at lumida.ca/blog.
By Katelyn Marie Poyntz Did you know that 63% of the food Canadians throw away could have been eaten and that 30% of it is comprised of vegetables? Use these simple tips to save those veggies:
![]() What do you end up throwing out the most? Start keeping track of your food waste habits to help identify what you can do differently to make a positive impact. Together, we can help keep usable produce out of the trash! *This post is based on content originally posted on Wylderr. By Jess Blackwell
Over the next 10 weeks, we'll cover each of these tips in more detail, sharing valuable information that can help you run your business more sustainably. But remember: everyone has to start somewhere, and all those baby steps in the right direction add up. So don’t feel pressured to make a bunch of changes all at once—you can always start by picking one thing at a time off this list. And, no matter what, don’t let any setbacks or hiccups freak you out! Changing habits and deeply-entrenched ways of thinking both take time, so there’s no need to feel ashamed if you find yourself struggling to make these changes or if you find old behaviors popping up again. Just forgive yourself and keep at it! *This post is based on content originally posted at: www.lumida.ca/blog
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Welcome to our blog!This is where you can find more in-depth information on how to reduce waste in our local communities and live more sustainably. Categories
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Community info below is related to the SLNA itself and not the WRG committee.
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