Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Join the Green Living Challenge!


The first module of The Queen of Green Coaching program is waste. I presented my 'families' with this small blurb (below) about why reducing our waste is important, asked them a few questions written by the Queen of Green, and through those questions picked from the list of goals; one goal to improve on something they are already doing to reduce waste, and a second goal that is new to the family.

Everybody was very interested and we had great conversations about boring waste! We even picked some really big goals!

Another thing I asked them to do was check out the rules about recycling and waste in their city (not all of my families are in CKL) You might be surprised at some things you thought you could recycle and you cant, or vise versa. At the very bottom of this post I will attach the Do's and Dont's for the City of Kawartha Lakes, although I will be taking a tour of the recycling plant in a few weeks and I would like to improve on that list and re post after.

Check out the small blurb and the goals, maybe
you want join in and pick a goal?



The City of Kawartha Lakes has a 38% waste diversion rate (diverted from being landfilled), and of that up to 1/5 is rejected at the recycling facility. We cannot solely rely on recycling, also it is not just the end result of the materials to be considered; it is also the natural resources that go into producing them, the energy that goes into manufacturing them, and the fuel used to ship that material around.  

When waste ends up in a landfill it breaks down and leaches into the environment, and although landfill sites are engineered to reduce, control, and monitor the levels of leachate, small amounts do end up in our water.

Waste is a waste! The average person produces 4.5lbs of garbage every single day (that is 1642.5 lbs a year). We pay for it when we purchase packaged products and then we pay for it to be land filled or recycled through property taxes.

Let’s help save the world and reduce our waste!
 
Possible Goals

o   Use cloth shopping bags

o   Stop using produce bags

o   Carry a travel coffee mug and re usable water bottle

o   Use reusable containers at meat counter and for bulk purchases

o   Stop buying disposable products (paper towels, dinner napkins, swiffer cloths, plastic cutlery, paper plates, saran wrap, tinfoil, ziplock bags, party favours, and feminie hygiene products)

o   Buy bio degradable disposable products (q tip, toothbrushes)

o   Buy products made from recycled materials (paper, garbage bags, toilette paper, tissues)

o   Reuse and return produce and egg containers from farmers stands

o   Compost

o   Make your own cleaning products (vinegar/water for everything)

o   Re sell, donate, and buy second hand

o   Stop buying single servings (Keurig, yogurt cups/tubes, pudding, cheese sticks, juice boxes)

o   Litterless lunches

o   Refuse straws (or anything disposable, taking your own containers for takeout or eat in)

o   Cloth diapers

o   Switch to paperless billing

o   Make your own yogurt

o   Re use plastic (cold storage only) and glass jars for tupperwear or storage

o   Print on both sides, or don’t print at all


 
These are the goals my 'families' and I picked
 
Compost x3
Recycle better x3
Purchase products made from recycled goods x2
Switch to cloth grocery bags
Switch to vinegar for cleaning x3
Cut back on throw away wipes/paper towels
Try homemade toothpaste x3
Switch to rechargeable batteries for business
Stop using produce bags x2
Switch to the diva cup x3
Make own beauty products
Reusing and up cycling items, recycling less

 
 
 
 
 
 
Kawartha Lakes Waste and Recycling Information

·         Containers must be rinsed and free of residue to recycle

·         Remove caps and lids (still recycle them)

·         Recycling in clear bags will not be collected

·         Cardboard needs to be broken down into manageable sized pieces

·         Remove tape, staples, and other material from boxes

·         2 bag weekly limit (40lbs max per bag)

·         No limit on recyclables

 

 

Blue Bin Yes

Glass jars • milk/juice polycoat containers • tetra packs • fibre coffee cups and fibre ice cream containers • cans • take out containers • foil baking pans • aluminum foil • plastic bags (sandwich, grocery, frozen food, milk, dry cleaning) • clean plastic wrap • empty aerosol cans • empty paint cans • plastic containers with 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 on them • plant and flower pots • large plastic pails(up to 5g) • plant trays and cells • foam (cups, plates, take out containers, food trays, egg cartons)

 

Blue Bin No

Light bulbs • mirrors • dish or window glass • straws • metal pots/pans • coat hangers • vhs tapes • tarps • solar pool covers • plastic cutlery • motor oil or anti freeze jugs • toys or other large plastic items that do not fit in box • packing peanuts • dog food bags • bubble wrap • Keurig single serving cups • broken glass • plastic containers without numbers 1,2,3,4,5,6,7

 

Green Bin Yes

Newspapers • insert flyers • photographs • catalogues • magazines • phone books • mail • writing paper • envelopes (including window envelopes) • brown paper bags • fibre egg cartons • toilet/paper towel rolls • non-metallic wrapping paper • greeting cards • gift bags (rope, metal handles or other decals removed) • boxboard (cereal, cracker, detergent, drug, shoe, gift and tissue boxes) •  wax coated boxes (frozen food boxes and ice cream cartons) • cardboard • clean pizza boxes • soft cover books • telephone books

Green Bin No

shipping envelopes with bubble liner • polaroid’s • biodegradable paper products • pet food bags • peat pots • clementine boxes • paper towel/ facial tissue • fibre contaminated with motor oil or pet waste • paper coffee cups and ice cream containers (go in blue box) • metallic wrapping paper

 

Orange Box Yes

paint • solvents • batteries • pressurized cylinders • fertilizers and pesticides • anti freeze coolant • empty oil containers • oil filters • cleaners • shampoos • soaps • detergents • fire detectors • automotive products • swimming pool chemicals • fire extinguishers • photography chemicals • liquid glues • metal halide lamps • thermometers • thermostats • ultraviolet lamps • fluorescent tubes and bulbs (CFLs) • flea/tick products • rat poison • wood preservatives • hair dye • hairspray • hydrogen peroxide • jewellery cleaner • nail polish and remover • perm lotion or solution • rubbing alcohol • lighter fluid

 

Orange Box No

unknown materials • leaking or open containers

• fireworks • flares • ammunition • explosives

 

Other facts

Tires, hazardous waste, leaf and yard waste, scrap metal, and E Waste are free to dispose of at the Linsday/Ops Landfill

Anything 50% or more metal is considered scrap metal

Staples accepts empty print cartridges

Terra Cycle recycles cigarette butts
 
 
 
Thanks for reading my blog!
Julia Taylor
@sogreenithurts








 

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