If you missed the Green Living Show in Toronto, this blog is for you! Jane and I defied the TTC strike, mounted our bikes and cycled and cycled and cycled to get to the show at the Exhibition Grounds. Our determination paid off. In addition to our organic snack sampling, we encountered the following….
Home Energy
I picked up a little flyer on energy audits. To find out about getting an energy audit, visit http://www.ecoaction.gcca/. For information on financial incentives through the Ontario Home Energy Audit/Retrofit Programs, visit http://www.energy.gov.on.ca/. We would be getting an energy audit right now if it weren’t for the surprise rewiring job we just had done. Not to mention the roofing reno too (sigh).
Greener Solutions - My friend Jason Eano of Greener Solutions showed us around the little kiosk he helped build which housed green companies associated with his organization. We had an illuminating chat with Ron of Caledon Geothermal (a distributor of Next Energy Geothermal). Geothermal is best when you live near a lake or pond because installing the geothermal loop is a breeze. Unfortunately for urbanites like us, vertical loop installation is the only option and it’s the most expensive. You have to drill pretty deep – and it creates an absolute mess.
Insuladd – This non-toxic paint additive acts as insulation. The claim is that it reduces utility bills by over 20%. Just sprinkle some of this in your paint and see if it makes a difference.
Insulation - There’s fabulous spray-in insulation that fills every nook and cranny, and doesn’t break down or settle. Retrofoam has a R-value of up to 23.7 at 2x6 studs. R-value is an indication of its insulating effectiveness. Its rating is very good for a product that contains no hazardous ingredients and prevents mold growth to boot.
Windows – Jane and I salivated at the Pella display. Nice windows. Not only are they state of the art in energy efficiency, the wood in the frame is from managed forests. Of course, they’re expensive but well worth the investment. We were told that to replace the five large front windows of our house would cost about $5,000.
Home Décor
Rugs - Finally, an alternative to IKEA! Jane and I love rugs. W Studio Ltd., located at 146 Dupont Street in Toronto, sells attractive eco-friendly rugs (with vegetable dye to boot).
Cleaning
Cleaning products are often toxic and unnecessary. Jane and I have been using micro-fiber to clean our place. We picked up three fiber mitts called Enjo, created by an Austrian textile expert. The result? The product is ok. We much prefer our micro-fiber cloths that we picked up from the Carrot Common, our local eco-friendly store.
We were not impressed with President’s Choice for its ‘Green’ floor cleaning products. Check out this statement on the product label (the italics are mine): “This high performance cleaning putty will not release toxic chemicals into our rivers and lake. By using less environmentally harmful ingredients, we are helping to support a safer, cleaner environment.” No toxins or less environmentally harmful ingredients? Which one? Jane calls this double speak and I agree. How about no toxins period (including no harmful ingredients). We’ll stick to our micro-fiber.
Recycling
Irecycle – These guys encourage buildings and communities to connect and collectively arrange Irecycle to pick up unwanted computers, office equipment and cell phones. Don’t just recycle your e-waste, get others to do so too!
U Box It – Is your basement a thicket of forgotten whatnots piled in an unsightly heap? Ours is. Hence, it was with great love that I approached the representative at U Box It, a company that provides clients with a big yellow box to dispose their junk – and then finds homes for said junk. All your stuff is sorted and recycled. The price is $130 for removal.
Toronto’s new bin program may finance a program to pick up unwanted stuff for recycling for free. We are to keep posted on new developments.
Composting Toilets - Using fresh water to flush away human waste is a terrible use of this vulnerable resource. Sun-Mar was on hand to showcase its composting toilet. They use a BioDrum which eliminates the dreaded odor that people fear when it comes to water-less toilets. The toilets are ideal for cottages and remote areas of course. There could come a day when they are installed in urban homes.
Travel
Jane fell head over heels in love with the Smart Scooter. Her amour was fueled in large part by the fact we rode our bikes all over god’s creation to get to the show (#$%@ transit strike). Despite her rekindled love for the motor, there is a hitch…. The energy is only as green as its source. In Toronto one would power up the battery using coal and nuclear (green thumb’s down). The scooter also gets up to 35 kilometers per hour – too slow for cars and a frustration to cyclists since they both have to keep to the right. Upside: they’re awfully cute, come in an assortment of snappy colours and may be a serious alternative when fuel gets really expensive. Personally, I’m all about people power and am still a devotee of my bike.
Stuff
I am not a big fan of buying stuff for stuff’s sake. But if you must, why not go green? At work I use a promotional company called TPS (The Promotional Specialists) for our hats. TPS has embraced green in a big way: organic and bamboo hats, biodegradable pens, etc. Jane and I snafooed two biodegradable pens from their kiosk. I’ve attached the pen to my recycled note pad to jot down all my writer-thoughts.
In the News
European Commission Sues to Force Italy to Take Out the Garbage
Southern Italy doesn’t know what to do with its garbage.
Canadian schools sent brochures, DVDs from climate change skeptics
Climate change skeptics are alive and kicking and trying to get at your kids.
Showing posts with label Recycling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Recycling. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Plastic: the ok, the bad and the ugly
Last month I wrote about reducing holiday goodie wrap. Not only does plastic and aluminum take its toll on the environment but our health as well.
What about the hard plastics that comprise most of our packaging, including toys? Are some plastics more toxic and prone to leaching than others? The answer is yes.
Plastic will outlast us by hundreds of years. While it’s important to reduce this petroleum product in our lives, that’s often easier said than done. There are some plastics though that you definitely want to steer clear of. Plastic is assigned a number depending on what it is. The following is a lowdown on what’s toxic and what’s not….
#1 plastic – Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) – WARNING
Toxicity: Considered not as toxic as the other plastics but is under current investigation by Health Canada. Contains UV stabilizers and flame retardants.
Found in: Pop and water bottles. Shampoo bottles. Synthetic fibers (ie. polyester).
Recyclable?: Commonly recycled.
#2 plastic – High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) – OK
Found in: Margarine containers, milk jugs, cleaning product bottles and shopping bags.
Recyclable?: Bottles are commonly recycled.
#3 plastic – Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) - AVOID
Toxicity: Vinyl chloride is a carcinogen. Emits dioxins during manufacturing and incineration. There is some support that PVC products, such as toys, leach.
Found in: Pressure pipelines for water and sewage, vinyl records and siding. With plasticizers such as phthalates, PVC softens for use in children’s toys, adult sex toys, clothing, upholstery, hoses, tubing, flooring, roof membranes and electrical cables.
Recyclable?: Rarely recycled.
#4 Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) – OK
Found in: Computer components, dispensing bottles, wash bottles, tubing, plastic bags for computer components, and various molded laboratory equipment. Its most common use is in plastic bags.
Recyclable?: Not commonly recycled.
#5 Polypropylene (PP) – OK
Similar to #4
#6 Polystyrene (PS), a.k.a. Syrofoam – AVOID
Toxicity: Uses benzene – a carcinogen.
Found in: Take-out containers, packaging.
Recyclable?: Not commonly recycled due to its low weight and low scrap value. Toronto was set to include syrofoam recycling in 2008 until the recycler that was lined up went belly up. Read on for details.
#7 Mixed Bag – Usually Polycarbonate – AVOID (esp. drinking bottles)
Toxicity: Made with a highly toxic chlorine gas derivative and carcinogenic solvents. Jury’s still out if it leaches the hormone-disrupting chemical bisphenol A.
Found in: Hard plastic used for refillable baby and water bottles, eyeglass lenses, compact discs and DVDs, MP3 player cases.
Recyclable?: Not commonly recycled.
Tips on Reducing Plastic:
What about the hard plastics that comprise most of our packaging, including toys? Are some plastics more toxic and prone to leaching than others? The answer is yes.
Plastic will outlast us by hundreds of years. While it’s important to reduce this petroleum product in our lives, that’s often easier said than done. There are some plastics though that you definitely want to steer clear of. Plastic is assigned a number depending on what it is. The following is a lowdown on what’s toxic and what’s not….
#1 plastic – Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) – WARNING
Toxicity: Considered not as toxic as the other plastics but is under current investigation by Health Canada. Contains UV stabilizers and flame retardants.
Found in: Pop and water bottles. Shampoo bottles. Synthetic fibers (ie. polyester).
Recyclable?: Commonly recycled.
#2 plastic – High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) – OK
Found in: Margarine containers, milk jugs, cleaning product bottles and shopping bags.
Recyclable?: Bottles are commonly recycled.
#3 plastic – Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) - AVOID
Toxicity: Vinyl chloride is a carcinogen. Emits dioxins during manufacturing and incineration. There is some support that PVC products, such as toys, leach.
Found in: Pressure pipelines for water and sewage, vinyl records and siding. With plasticizers such as phthalates, PVC softens for use in children’s toys, adult sex toys, clothing, upholstery, hoses, tubing, flooring, roof membranes and electrical cables.
Recyclable?: Rarely recycled.
#4 Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) – OK
Found in: Computer components, dispensing bottles, wash bottles, tubing, plastic bags for computer components, and various molded laboratory equipment. Its most common use is in plastic bags.
Recyclable?: Not commonly recycled.
#5 Polypropylene (PP) – OK
Similar to #4
#6 Polystyrene (PS), a.k.a. Syrofoam – AVOID
Toxicity: Uses benzene – a carcinogen.
Found in: Take-out containers, packaging.
Recyclable?: Not commonly recycled due to its low weight and low scrap value. Toronto was set to include syrofoam recycling in 2008 until the recycler that was lined up went belly up. Read on for details.
#7 Mixed Bag – Usually Polycarbonate – AVOID (esp. drinking bottles)
Toxicity: Made with a highly toxic chlorine gas derivative and carcinogenic solvents. Jury’s still out if it leaches the hormone-disrupting chemical bisphenol A.
Found in: Hard plastic used for refillable baby and water bottles, eyeglass lenses, compact discs and DVDs, MP3 player cases.
Recyclable?: Not commonly recycled.
Tips on Reducing Plastic:
- Take a canvass bag with you when shopping and out and about in case you find yourself shopping.
- Chose packaging that will break down faster – glass (although glass is energy intensive to make – still you can recycle it and it won’t leech into your food).
- Try to avoid packaging that your municipality does not recycle.
- Bring your own containers to stores. Works best in eco-friendly stores.
Resources
Ecoholic
Wikipedia
In the News
Saskatchewan's critical choice - Nuclear power is dirty, dangerous and expensive — and it won't solve global warming either.
Earth Hour
Mark March 29th in your calendars. Be part of a global symbolic campaign. Turn your lights off for one hour at 8pm. Get your work place to do the same. Spread the word.
Europe, Cutting Biofuel Subsidies, Redirects Aid to Stress Greenest Options
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Reincarnation for stuff
I learned something new this week. As a mid to long distant runner I go through a lot of running shoes. Where do running shoes go to die? Why, in my closet. It doesn’t need to be this way. The Running Room, a Canadian retail outlet, will take in my exhausted running shoes and give them to halfway houses. Of course, you could send them to Goodwill, the Sally Ann, etc. as well.
Here are other companies and organizations that take in stuff…
Car Heaven
Where old clunkers go to when they should die.
Dominion
First order of business is reducing your plastic bag collection by using cloth bags. For the odd plastic bag that ends up in your kitchen, collect them and take them to your local Dominion grocery stores to be recycled. Don’t have a Dominion store? Ask your local grocer if they will provide that service.
Cell Phone Outlets
All cell phone company retail outlets will take in your old phone for recycling. Never throw your toxic phone away.
Know of any more? Please let me know.
In the News
Bush to Skip U.N. Talks on Global Warming
He’s got his own plan. And Harper loves it!
Nations Agree to Speed Up Climate Goal
Way back when, the representatives from all over the world gathered in Montreal to do something about the ozone layer. The now 20-year old Montreal Protocol, a model for Kyoto, has effectively prompted the phase out of ozone-depleting substances and is way ahead of schedule.
Housing Riding the Green Wave
When you build, build green.
Greening your Life
Wanna be in print? Submit how you are greening your life to the Toronto Star.
It's time we tossed out our throw-away culture
Tyler Hamilton on reducing packaging and container alternatives
Other News
BBC – The Greenroom
Ecoshock Radio
Green Bloggers
Grist Magazine
Monbiot
My Green Element
New York Times – Environment
StopGlobalWarming.org
Tree Hugger
Zerofootprint Blog
Here are other companies and organizations that take in stuff…
Car Heaven
Where old clunkers go to when they should die.
Dominion
First order of business is reducing your plastic bag collection by using cloth bags. For the odd plastic bag that ends up in your kitchen, collect them and take them to your local Dominion grocery stores to be recycled. Don’t have a Dominion store? Ask your local grocer if they will provide that service.
Cell Phone Outlets
All cell phone company retail outlets will take in your old phone for recycling. Never throw your toxic phone away.
Know of any more? Please let me know.
In the News
Bush to Skip U.N. Talks on Global Warming
He’s got his own plan. And Harper loves it!
Nations Agree to Speed Up Climate Goal
Way back when, the representatives from all over the world gathered in Montreal to do something about the ozone layer. The now 20-year old Montreal Protocol, a model for Kyoto, has effectively prompted the phase out of ozone-depleting substances and is way ahead of schedule.
Housing Riding the Green Wave
When you build, build green.
Greening your Life
Wanna be in print? Submit how you are greening your life to the Toronto Star.
It's time we tossed out our throw-away culture
Tyler Hamilton on reducing packaging and container alternatives
Other News
BBC – The Greenroom
Ecoshock Radio
Green Bloggers
Grist Magazine
Monbiot
My Green Element
New York Times – Environment
StopGlobalWarming.org
Tree Hugger
Zerofootprint Blog
Friday, April 20, 2007
Little Green Munchkins
I’m not a mom, but I’m one heck of an aunt. And as an aunt it’s my duty to shower all the little munchkins in my life with gifts…of the green variety.
The following green tips are for parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents and anyone else who has little people in their lives.
The Three Rs.
Are you a parent? Do you feel overwhelmed by the number of toys in your home? How about the pressure to buy them? And what do you do with the dolls, plastic contraptions, gadgets and whatnots once they lose their appeal?
Reduce: Now I know this is a toughie but can you reduce the number of toys in your home? Rather than buy new, why not check out a toy and clothing swap? My brother and sister-in-law attend one in Fort Langley , BC and it saves them a bundle. It’s also a great opportunity to recycle the toys and clothes that their kids no longer play with or have outgrown. It’s also a great opportunity to teach kids green values. They are the ones who are inheriting the planet after all.
Reuse & Recycle: Find out about a toy and clothing swap in your community. Don’t have one? If you have the energy, start your own – even if just among friends. For those with less time on your hands (such as all of you), visit the Kids Swap, Freecycle and Buy & Sell websites for all things child-related.
Healthy Toys
The media of late has turned its attention to toxicity in our bodies. Where do these toxins come from? When it comes to your kids, are they a little too close to home? You may wonder what exactly makes up the toys and clothing that your children chew on, drool over and wear.
A great deal of attention has centered on polyvinyl chloride (PVC), found in most plastic, and phthalates, which are added to plastic to make them soft – think baby soothers. Industry claims they are perfectly safe. According to the Healthy Spaces website, studies have shown that phthalates can lead to liver, kidney and reproductive system damage. Many European countries have banned these chemicals from toys. Canada has taken their lead, putting a stop to the additives from vinyl teethers, teething rings and rattles.
Alternatives – check out your local eco-friendly store for toys sans harmful chemicals. The Grassroots store in Toronto does well by me. I go there for fun and practical baby gifts.
Other links:
Worldwide Child
Pristine Planet
Wee to Three
Healthy Spaces - The Canadian Institute of Child Health (CICH) and Canadian Child Care Federation (CCCF).
Eco-Friendly Toys - Now Magazine (Toronto)
Eco-Friendly Clothes
If you are going to go with green-wear, the first order of business is to wear recycled clothes – from an older sib or a clothing swap. For those of us whose duty it is to buy gifts for the kids in our lives, I recommend organic cotton or bamboo. It’s a great gift! Not only will you give your little friend cool eco-friendly wear, you will give them a pesticide free outfit.
Fig by Twice Shy – Vancouver-based.
Rawganique – BC-based
Kate Quinn Organics – Seattle-based.
Green Babies – New York-based
Joli Bebe Boutique – Arizona-based
Shirts of Bamboo – Florida-based
All-Organic Links – For more listings.
Healthy Food
When I was a youngster my parents tended a garden in our backyard. I remember helping my mother plot out the lettuce, potatoes and carrots. Every summer we enjoyed fresh vegetables and in the late summer and early fall my brother and I would pick delicious pruning plums that grew on two of our fruit trees.
I learned at an early age that food comes from the ground, not the grocery store.
If you have a back yard - even a front yard- why not plant an organic vegetable garden. It’s an invaluable lesson for kids – even if they’re at an age when they can’t be bothered to help.
Active Living
Obesity rates in North America have skyrocketed over the past 30 years. In the late 1970s, 3% of children and youth in Canada were obese. By 2004, that number jumped to 7%.
It’s not news that kids have been spending more and more time at the computer and in front of the TV, and less time outdoors. What are the implications to this behaviour, aside from what can be measured on a weigh scale? Does it affect how we connect with one another, how we regard our environment, our mood and brain chemistry?
Taking children out for nature hikes, boating outings, camping trips, picnics and daily trips to a park will help keep them active and appreciate the outdoors. It will also provide you with a great opportunity to bond with your kids.
For more reading on this:
Kids are living under house arrest by Dennis Cauchon from USA Today.
Saving Our Kids from Nature Deficit Disorder – by Linda Sechrist from Natural Awakings
Nature Quest – by Karen Olson from Life Time Fitness
Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv.
In the News
Kyoto will cost plenty, Baird warns – The Toronto Star
I’m all for being cautionary and realistic and all that, but this is a bit much.
Why are Niagara's bees dying? – The Toronto Star
It’s not just the Niagara region… 24 states and parts of Canada are losing their bees.
Future is dim for light bulb – The Toronto Star
Ontario plans to phase out the incandescent bulb.
Other News…
Green Bloggers
Ecoshock Radio
Grist Magazine
Tree Hugger
Zerofootprint Blog
StopGlobalWarming.org
BBC – The Greenroom
New York Times – Environment
The following green tips are for parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents and anyone else who has little people in their lives.
The Three Rs.
Are you a parent? Do you feel overwhelmed by the number of toys in your home? How about the pressure to buy them? And what do you do with the dolls, plastic contraptions, gadgets and whatnots once they lose their appeal?
Reduce: Now I know this is a toughie but can you reduce the number of toys in your home? Rather than buy new, why not check out a toy and clothing swap? My brother and sister-in-law attend one in Fort Langley , BC and it saves them a bundle. It’s also a great opportunity to recycle the toys and clothes that their kids no longer play with or have outgrown. It’s also a great opportunity to teach kids green values. They are the ones who are inheriting the planet after all.
Reuse & Recycle: Find out about a toy and clothing swap in your community. Don’t have one? If you have the energy, start your own – even if just among friends. For those with less time on your hands (such as all of you), visit the Kids Swap, Freecycle and Buy & Sell websites for all things child-related.
Healthy Toys
The media of late has turned its attention to toxicity in our bodies. Where do these toxins come from? When it comes to your kids, are they a little too close to home? You may wonder what exactly makes up the toys and clothing that your children chew on, drool over and wear.
A great deal of attention has centered on polyvinyl chloride (PVC), found in most plastic, and phthalates, which are added to plastic to make them soft – think baby soothers. Industry claims they are perfectly safe. According to the Healthy Spaces website, studies have shown that phthalates can lead to liver, kidney and reproductive system damage. Many European countries have banned these chemicals from toys. Canada has taken their lead, putting a stop to the additives from vinyl teethers, teething rings and rattles.
Alternatives – check out your local eco-friendly store for toys sans harmful chemicals. The Grassroots store in Toronto does well by me. I go there for fun and practical baby gifts.
Other links:
Worldwide Child
Pristine Planet
Wee to Three
Healthy Spaces - The Canadian Institute of Child Health (CICH) and Canadian Child Care Federation (CCCF).
Eco-Friendly Toys - Now Magazine (Toronto)
Eco-Friendly Clothes
If you are going to go with green-wear, the first order of business is to wear recycled clothes – from an older sib or a clothing swap. For those of us whose duty it is to buy gifts for the kids in our lives, I recommend organic cotton or bamboo. It’s a great gift! Not only will you give your little friend cool eco-friendly wear, you will give them a pesticide free outfit.
Fig by Twice Shy – Vancouver-based.
Rawganique – BC-based
Kate Quinn Organics – Seattle-based.
Green Babies – New York-based
Joli Bebe Boutique – Arizona-based
Shirts of Bamboo – Florida-based
All-Organic Links – For more listings.
Healthy Food
When I was a youngster my parents tended a garden in our backyard. I remember helping my mother plot out the lettuce, potatoes and carrots. Every summer we enjoyed fresh vegetables and in the late summer and early fall my brother and I would pick delicious pruning plums that grew on two of our fruit trees.
I learned at an early age that food comes from the ground, not the grocery store.
If you have a back yard - even a front yard- why not plant an organic vegetable garden. It’s an invaluable lesson for kids – even if they’re at an age when they can’t be bothered to help.
Active Living
Obesity rates in North America have skyrocketed over the past 30 years. In the late 1970s, 3% of children and youth in Canada were obese. By 2004, that number jumped to 7%.
It’s not news that kids have been spending more and more time at the computer and in front of the TV, and less time outdoors. What are the implications to this behaviour, aside from what can be measured on a weigh scale? Does it affect how we connect with one another, how we regard our environment, our mood and brain chemistry?
Taking children out for nature hikes, boating outings, camping trips, picnics and daily trips to a park will help keep them active and appreciate the outdoors. It will also provide you with a great opportunity to bond with your kids.
For more reading on this:
Kids are living under house arrest by Dennis Cauchon from USA Today.
Saving Our Kids from Nature Deficit Disorder – by Linda Sechrist from Natural Awakings
Nature Quest – by Karen Olson from Life Time Fitness
Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv.
In the News
Kyoto will cost plenty, Baird warns – The Toronto Star
I’m all for being cautionary and realistic and all that, but this is a bit much.
Why are Niagara's bees dying? – The Toronto Star
It’s not just the Niagara region… 24 states and parts of Canada are losing their bees.
Future is dim for light bulb – The Toronto Star
Ontario plans to phase out the incandescent bulb.
Other News…
Green Bloggers
Ecoshock Radio
Grist Magazine
Tree Hugger
Zerofootprint Blog
StopGlobalWarming.org
BBC – The Greenroom
New York Times – Environment
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
My Phone Recycling Tirade
So Fido, my mobile phone carrier, calls to inform me that because I’m such a valued customer they would like to upgrade my phone - that is give me a brand spankn’ new one (and hook me into a three year contract while they’re at it). So I ask the young girl, the messenger of such a fabulous gift, if Fido plans to recycle my old phone if I should accept the upgrade. She had to check to see. After a few minutes she informed me that Fido does not recycle phones but that I could always give it away to a friend.
Hmmm…..
I launched into a tirade. A polite one. It wasn’t the girl’s fault, poor thing. I asked her to please tell the powers that be at Fido that if it wishes to propagate this wasteful practice of high phone turnover to at least offer to collect the old phones for recycling or send them to a company that can do this service for them. Otherwise, these phones likely end up, like millions others, in landfills, part of the toxic soup known as e-waste. And no, I will not give up a perfectly functioning phone thank you very much.
Poor thing. She probably thought her job was sweet. Giving phone gifts to people. Then she called me. The Enviro-Grinch. Likely she passed me off as some green freak. My message of phone recycling to the Fido Execs horribly curtailed…(curses!)
But as it turns out, our young bestower of phones and her supervisor were unaware of Fido’s handset and rechargeable battery recycling program. Fido could have saved me a rant if their fine program was communicated to every single Fido representative.
What’s the Big Deal?
Hmmm…..
I launched into a tirade. A polite one. It wasn’t the girl’s fault, poor thing. I asked her to please tell the powers that be at Fido that if it wishes to propagate this wasteful practice of high phone turnover to at least offer to collect the old phones for recycling or send them to a company that can do this service for them. Otherwise, these phones likely end up, like millions others, in landfills, part of the toxic soup known as e-waste. And no, I will not give up a perfectly functioning phone thank you very much.
Poor thing. She probably thought her job was sweet. Giving phone gifts to people. Then she called me. The Enviro-Grinch. Likely she passed me off as some green freak. My message of phone recycling to the Fido Execs horribly curtailed…(curses!)
But as it turns out, our young bestower of phones and her supervisor were unaware of Fido’s handset and rechargeable battery recycling program. Fido could have saved me a rant if their fine program was communicated to every single Fido representative.
What’s the Big Deal?
- Cell phones contain lead, mercury, cadmium and arsenic. When they end up in the landfill their poison ends up in the groundwater.
- There are more than 200 million cell phones in use in the USA alone.
- Approx. 130 million of those phones will be retired since this time last year. Cell phone users toss their phones every 18 months.
- Only two percent of those retired phones will be recycled.
- Ninety-eight percent of those 130 million phones end up in the landfill.
- Get the picture?
How Does Your Mobility Provider Stack Up?
For my American friends, check out Recycle My Cell Phone’s groovy website and their Recycling Report Card on US phone companies. These companies average an F. It’s important to hound these companies. They must act responsibly for the millions of phones that fall victim to ‘upgrades’ every year. Please call your carrier and ask about their recycling program.
Canadian companies have taken some action, some more than others:
Fido – Fido recycles batteries and gives used phones to charities or has their parts recycled and environmentally disposed through Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (RBRC). Just drop off your ‘retired’ 18-month old phone at a local Fido store. Fido – you are redeemed! But you need to do a better job in telling your reps about it. I will be writing a letter to remind you.
Rogers – Rogers sponsors the Phones-for-Food program where you can drop off your phone at any Rogers retail outlet. Purolator sends it free to the Phones-for-Food depot where the phones are sorted to be remanufactured. Proceeds go to food banks. As Fido is now part of Rogers, I wonder if Fido phones are part of the food bank deal. Who knows? The Fido people certainly don’t.
Telus – Just return your phone to a Telus store and they will send to RBRC to reuse or recycle. However, they are not good about advertising this service on their website. What’s the point in having a service if people don’t know about it?
Bell – Bell’s Recycle Reuses Redial program not only keeps tens of thousands of its phones from the land fill, it refurbishes them and donates them to women’s shelters, complete with unlimited local calling, call display and access to 9-11 and the Assaulted Women’s hotline. Ok – I was angry with Bell because of their lousy land-line service, but I LOVE them for this. Phones can be dropped off at any of its Bell World stores or drop in the mail. Easy! And their Recycle Reuse Redial program is visibly marketed on their website.
Office Depot is also collecting phones on behalf of RBRC. I noticed that Futureshop was doing something similar.
In the News
The Artic May be Melting Faster Than Anticipated
The news isn’t pretty.
Canada Gets Tough on Chemicals (?)
Other News
Green Bloggers
Ecoshock
Grist Magazine
Tree Hugger
StopGlobalWarming.org
Alternative Energy Blog
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, REVIEW!
Congratulations to all of you for doing your best to reduce, reuse and recycle. Over the past few months we’ve been focusing on reducing waste as much as we can. This of course includes garbage, energy and over consumption. For this week, let’s review what we did and see if there’s any area that needs a bit of work.
In the week to follow, I will look at lifestyle choices in the areas such as food, transportation, investing, and other consumer choices that will help us reduce our GHG emissions even more and build towards a more sustainable future.
TO Do This Week
Review
For details on the following, scan my blog archives!
Reduce
• We are remembering to turn off our lights, computers, monitors, standby lights and any other piece of equipment that blinks - at home and work.
• We’re making our homes free of incandescent light bulbs and installing energy-saving florescent lights!
• We’re printing on both sides of our printing paper and stopping ourselves from printing when we don’t really need to.
• Our car idling days are over. We know that idling hurts our engines, pollutes the air, pumps more GHG emissions in the atmosphere and is a ridiculous waste of money.
• We’re starting to reduce the number of days that we drive our cars and remembering to inflate our tires and tune up our engines on a regular basis. We’re also doing our very best to keep to the speed limit.
• Our showers and faucets are starting to sport low-flow shower heads and faucets. We’re also trying to conserve water as much as we can and ease up on the hot water showers.
• We’re doing our very best to stop junk mail from reaching your mail box, even though some people seem blind to the No Junk Mail Please signs that we’ve posted. I’ve been meaning to call Canada Post to complain. I’ll do that this week.
• We’re not buying gifts that we suspect our friends won’t use. Instead, we’re giving them great experiences through restaurant certificates and tickets to sport and arts events.
• We’ve bought canvas bags to reduce plastic bags. We’re trying to avoid packaging as best we can.
• We’re also trying to reduce the amount of food we throw out, buying what we know we’ll eat.
• We’re insulating our home heater and ensuring our appliances are run as efficiently as possible. Now that summer is upon us, we’re going to hang dry our clothes as much as possible.
Reuse
•Paper printed on only one side does not go into the recycle bin but back into our printers for reuse.
• Used envelops and the like are used for notes and shopping lists.
• Broken ceramics are used in flower pots to help with drainage.
• Water that’s wasted when waiting for hot water is captured and used to water the lawn or plants.
• Plastic bags are used for garbage, plastic tubs for storage. Old clothes are used as rags.
• Resist throwing things out if we can squeeze another life out of them!
Recycle
• We’re choosing recycled print, toilet and tissue paper and paper towels (you can even buy recycled plastic bags for your garbage).
• We’re recycling paper and plastics, and, where available, organic garbage or composting.
• The clothes we’re tired of wearing are sent to charitable originations and thrift shops.
• We’re selling our unwanted goods through yard sales, freecycle.org, the Buy & Sell or other such services.
Coming to a Theatre Near You!
Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth hits the cinemas in June. Click here for a list of cinema’s and opening dates in North America. If you can, attend opening weekend. The higher the numbers on opening the longer the film will be in theatres.
Green Party of Canada
If you are thinking of joining the Green Party – now’s the time. The convention is taking place August 24 - 27 and the party needs new members to nominate candidates (you don’t have to attend the convention to vote). Elizabeth May and David Chernushenko are in the running and they need nominations by May 31. This is a very exciting time for the party. Even if you don’t want to join, I encourage you to check out the party and what it stands for.
Join the March!!
Over 360,000 to date have signed up to stop global warming. Join us!
http://www.stopglobalwarming.org/
In the News
Green Bloggers
If you go to the Canada site, my blog is there!
Grist Magazine
StopGlobalWarming.org
Headlines
World-Wire
Truth Out
In the week to follow, I will look at lifestyle choices in the areas such as food, transportation, investing, and other consumer choices that will help us reduce our GHG emissions even more and build towards a more sustainable future.
TO Do This Week
Review
For details on the following, scan my blog archives!
Reduce
• We are remembering to turn off our lights, computers, monitors, standby lights and any other piece of equipment that blinks - at home and work.
• We’re making our homes free of incandescent light bulbs and installing energy-saving florescent lights!
• We’re printing on both sides of our printing paper and stopping ourselves from printing when we don’t really need to.
• Our car idling days are over. We know that idling hurts our engines, pollutes the air, pumps more GHG emissions in the atmosphere and is a ridiculous waste of money.
• We’re starting to reduce the number of days that we drive our cars and remembering to inflate our tires and tune up our engines on a regular basis. We’re also doing our very best to keep to the speed limit.
• Our showers and faucets are starting to sport low-flow shower heads and faucets. We’re also trying to conserve water as much as we can and ease up on the hot water showers.
• We’re doing our very best to stop junk mail from reaching your mail box, even though some people seem blind to the No Junk Mail Please signs that we’ve posted. I’ve been meaning to call Canada Post to complain. I’ll do that this week.
• We’re not buying gifts that we suspect our friends won’t use. Instead, we’re giving them great experiences through restaurant certificates and tickets to sport and arts events.
• We’ve bought canvas bags to reduce plastic bags. We’re trying to avoid packaging as best we can.
• We’re also trying to reduce the amount of food we throw out, buying what we know we’ll eat.
• We’re insulating our home heater and ensuring our appliances are run as efficiently as possible. Now that summer is upon us, we’re going to hang dry our clothes as much as possible.
Reuse
•Paper printed on only one side does not go into the recycle bin but back into our printers for reuse.
• Used envelops and the like are used for notes and shopping lists.
• Broken ceramics are used in flower pots to help with drainage.
• Water that’s wasted when waiting for hot water is captured and used to water the lawn or plants.
• Plastic bags are used for garbage, plastic tubs for storage. Old clothes are used as rags.
• Resist throwing things out if we can squeeze another life out of them!
Recycle
• We’re choosing recycled print, toilet and tissue paper and paper towels (you can even buy recycled plastic bags for your garbage).
• We’re recycling paper and plastics, and, where available, organic garbage or composting.
• The clothes we’re tired of wearing are sent to charitable originations and thrift shops.
• We’re selling our unwanted goods through yard sales, freecycle.org, the Buy & Sell or other such services.
Coming to a Theatre Near You!
Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth hits the cinemas in June. Click here for a list of cinema’s and opening dates in North America. If you can, attend opening weekend. The higher the numbers on opening the longer the film will be in theatres.
Green Party of Canada
If you are thinking of joining the Green Party – now’s the time. The convention is taking place August 24 - 27 and the party needs new members to nominate candidates (you don’t have to attend the convention to vote). Elizabeth May and David Chernushenko are in the running and they need nominations by May 31. This is a very exciting time for the party. Even if you don’t want to join, I encourage you to check out the party and what it stands for.
Join the March!!
Over 360,000 to date have signed up to stop global warming. Join us!
http://www.stopglobalwarming.org/
In the News
Green Bloggers
If you go to the Canada site, my blog is there!
Grist Magazine
StopGlobalWarming.org
Headlines
World-Wire
Truth Out
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Taming your Water Heater
Also this week, notes on microwaves and recycling…
TO Do This Week
Taming Your Water Heater
Tankless water heaters are the way of the future. They can deliver as much as 200 gallons (757 litres) per hour and never run out. Why? They’re not storage units. Rather, they burn gas only when you need hot water.
What’s the Big Deal? Normally your tank uses energy 24/7 to keep water heated. As a consequence, the loss in energy can be as high as 3 - 4 % every hour. What a waste! With tankless water heaters, your cost savings can be as high as 50%.
As you plan to invest in tankless or other alternative water heaters in the future, you may want to consider ways in which you can make what you have more efficient in order to save considerably on GHG emissions and money.
Tips from Earth Easy:
• Insulate water heater. If your water heater feels warm to the touch, you will save money and have more hot water by adding more insulation. here's how (just scroll down).
• Lower settings on water heater. Experiment within the 120-140 range to find the lowest setting which supplies you with enough hot water.
• Wrap water pipes leading from the water heater. here's how
Microwaves
A quick note on microwaves. Are they as safe as people say they are? Do they change the molecular structure of you food? Should you give it a wide berth when it’s cooking your food?
According to Prevention.com and the experts they interviewed, microwaves don’t change the protein structure of your food or cause cancer. However, you do have to be careful about unevenly cooked food and must never use the microwave as a sterilizer for baby bottles.
Some are not convinced that microwaves are as safe as others say. The advantage to using one is that it can help reduce your energy consumption. But if microwave cooking is against your religion, I encourage you to listen to your heart or do some further investigation.
Recycling
I was at my riding’s Green Party Annual General Meeting this past Saturday, and who should be there talking about waste reduction but Rod Muir, Waste Diversion Campaigner of the Sierra Club of Canada. I asked him if all the stuff we put in the recycling bin actually gets recycled because God only knows if it just sits in some warehouse somewhere. He assured me that the city recycles all the stuff it claims it can recycle.
Unsure what your city can recycle? Visit your local government’s website and click on its waste management department. They should have a list on the site or on a PDF file for you to review.
Join the March!!
Over 300,000 to date have signed up to stop global warming. Join us!
http://www.stopglobalwarming.org/
Sources
Earth Easy
Prevention.com
In the News
Grist Magazine
StopGlobalWarming.org
Headlines
World-Wire
Truth Out
TO Do This Week
Taming Your Water Heater
Tankless water heaters are the way of the future. They can deliver as much as 200 gallons (757 litres) per hour and never run out. Why? They’re not storage units. Rather, they burn gas only when you need hot water.
What’s the Big Deal? Normally your tank uses energy 24/7 to keep water heated. As a consequence, the loss in energy can be as high as 3 - 4 % every hour. What a waste! With tankless water heaters, your cost savings can be as high as 50%.
As you plan to invest in tankless or other alternative water heaters in the future, you may want to consider ways in which you can make what you have more efficient in order to save considerably on GHG emissions and money.
Tips from Earth Easy:
• Insulate water heater. If your water heater feels warm to the touch, you will save money and have more hot water by adding more insulation. here's how (just scroll down).
• Lower settings on water heater. Experiment within the 120-140 range to find the lowest setting which supplies you with enough hot water.
• Wrap water pipes leading from the water heater. here's how
Microwaves
A quick note on microwaves. Are they as safe as people say they are? Do they change the molecular structure of you food? Should you give it a wide berth when it’s cooking your food?
According to Prevention.com and the experts they interviewed, microwaves don’t change the protein structure of your food or cause cancer. However, you do have to be careful about unevenly cooked food and must never use the microwave as a sterilizer for baby bottles.
Some are not convinced that microwaves are as safe as others say. The advantage to using one is that it can help reduce your energy consumption. But if microwave cooking is against your religion, I encourage you to listen to your heart or do some further investigation.
Recycling
I was at my riding’s Green Party Annual General Meeting this past Saturday, and who should be there talking about waste reduction but Rod Muir, Waste Diversion Campaigner of the Sierra Club of Canada. I asked him if all the stuff we put in the recycling bin actually gets recycled because God only knows if it just sits in some warehouse somewhere. He assured me that the city recycles all the stuff it claims it can recycle.
Unsure what your city can recycle? Visit your local government’s website and click on its waste management department. They should have a list on the site or on a PDF file for you to review.
Join the March!!
Over 300,000 to date have signed up to stop global warming. Join us!
http://www.stopglobalwarming.org/
Sources
Earth Easy
Prevention.com
In the News
Grist Magazine
StopGlobalWarming.org
Headlines
World-Wire
Truth Out
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Taming your Stove and a Bit of Blathering
I’m trying to resist blathering on and on about issues to keep these installments as brief as possible.
I do enjoy blathering, so with that in mind I'll post my comments after the To Do bit. If you want to read my thoughts just scroll down. This week’s blatherings include my Earth Day capers and experiences in taming my fridge. And then I let Marjorie Chan blather on about recycling (it’s good blathering – brief! - and worth the scroll)….
TO Do This Week
Taming Your Stove/Oven
Not all of us can afford to run out and buy induction stoves, those classy looking appliances that are ultra efficient. Ninety percent of the energy generated from these stoves cooks your food. Compare that to gas burners where only 55% of the energy generated actually cooks food. The figure is 65% for electric ranges.
We can still increase efficiency of what we have, however. The most obvious is to reduce cooking on your stove and oven. It’s better to use a microwave, toaster oven, kettle or slow cooker, as they use up to 80% less energy than a stove.
What’s the Big Deal? While not as demanding of energy as refrigerators, stoves and ovens do use over 700 Kilowatts per year. Cooking makes up four percent of household GHG emissions. Refrigeration makes up nine percent.
Tips from Earth Easy:
• “Use the burner which is the closest match to pot size. Heat is lost and energy is wasted if burner size is larger than pot size.
• Use lids on pots and pans so you can cook at lower settings.
• Keep drip pans under conventional coil burners clean. Don't line drip pans with aluminum foil - they can reflect too much heat and damage the elements.
• Only preheat when baking.
• Check your oven temperature. Use a separate oven thermometer to ensure your oven control is accurate.
• Make sure the oven door seal is tight. Avoid opening oven door while baking - each time the door is opened, about 20% of the inside heat is lost.
• Turn oven off a few minutes before food is ready, and let oven heat finish the job.
• Gas stoves: electronic ignition (piezo) will use about 40% less gas than a pilot light.
• Pilot light and burner flame on gas stoves should be blue. If flame is yellow, ports need to be unclogged or adjusted. Ports can be cleared with pipe cleaners.
• Use the microwave. They use only 1/3 to 1/2 as much energy as conventional stoves.”
Earth Day
I squeezed in as many Earth Day events as I could on Saturday in between chores. I’m embarrassed to say that I drove to most of them. Honestly!
I drove to Computation to drop off our old computer. But hey, the car was handy. I did manage to walk to the Sierra Club’s Earth Day event at Budapest Park by the lake on Toronto’s west side only because it was in walking distance to where I live.
With time constraints, I hoped in the car to catch The End of Suburbia at the Bloor Cinema. The irony wasn’t lost on me that I drove to see a film about the peaking of world oil and subsequent decline calculated to take place at about 2013. The film is a very sobering look at our dependency on oil and what little has been done to prepare us for transitioning from fossil fuels to alternatives, from living far away from anything to living within walking distance to important amenities. If you live in an area that dictates jumping in a car to go to a corner store, you may want to think planning a lifestyle that is not so car dependent. Not so oil dependent really.
Refrigerator
Judy, our landlady, is fantastic. She replaced the old refrigerator in our apartment with a LG GR 382R, which is Energy Star qualified. I hauled the fridge out to remove the sheet of cat hair that accumulated on the back plate. The plate looks pretty irremovable. I think I’ll just get a vacuum in there to suck up whatever I can through the holes on the grid.
As we use up large juice cartons, we’ll fill them with water and place them in the freezer to take up space. We’re not meat eaters and as a consequence much of our freezer is vacant despite our love for coffee, concentrated orange juice and soy & organic cow ice cream.
Note on Stand Alone Freezers – They use up on average 1,240 Kilowatts per year – that’s more than an older model fridge.
Marjorie Chan’s Recycling Tip
Marjorie Chan told me about Freecycle.org, an international web of local groups swapping stuff for free over the Internet. Have something you want to give up? Check out the site and join a local group for free.
Join the March!!
Over 300,000 to date have signed up to stop global warming. Join us!
http://www.stopglobalwarming.org/
Sources
Canadian Office of Energy Efficiency
Earth Easy
Grist Magazine
StopGlobalWarming.org
Headlines
World-Wire
Truth Out
I do enjoy blathering, so with that in mind I'll post my comments after the To Do bit. If you want to read my thoughts just scroll down. This week’s blatherings include my Earth Day capers and experiences in taming my fridge. And then I let Marjorie Chan blather on about recycling (it’s good blathering – brief! - and worth the scroll)….
TO Do This Week
Taming Your Stove/Oven
Not all of us can afford to run out and buy induction stoves, those classy looking appliances that are ultra efficient. Ninety percent of the energy generated from these stoves cooks your food. Compare that to gas burners where only 55% of the energy generated actually cooks food. The figure is 65% for electric ranges.
We can still increase efficiency of what we have, however. The most obvious is to reduce cooking on your stove and oven. It’s better to use a microwave, toaster oven, kettle or slow cooker, as they use up to 80% less energy than a stove.
What’s the Big Deal? While not as demanding of energy as refrigerators, stoves and ovens do use over 700 Kilowatts per year. Cooking makes up four percent of household GHG emissions. Refrigeration makes up nine percent.
Tips from Earth Easy:
• “Use the burner which is the closest match to pot size. Heat is lost and energy is wasted if burner size is larger than pot size.
• Use lids on pots and pans so you can cook at lower settings.
• Keep drip pans under conventional coil burners clean. Don't line drip pans with aluminum foil - they can reflect too much heat and damage the elements.
• Only preheat when baking.
• Check your oven temperature. Use a separate oven thermometer to ensure your oven control is accurate.
• Make sure the oven door seal is tight. Avoid opening oven door while baking - each time the door is opened, about 20% of the inside heat is lost.
• Turn oven off a few minutes before food is ready, and let oven heat finish the job.
• Gas stoves: electronic ignition (piezo) will use about 40% less gas than a pilot light.
• Pilot light and burner flame on gas stoves should be blue. If flame is yellow, ports need to be unclogged or adjusted. Ports can be cleared with pipe cleaners.
• Use the microwave. They use only 1/3 to 1/2 as much energy as conventional stoves.”
Earth Day
I squeezed in as many Earth Day events as I could on Saturday in between chores. I’m embarrassed to say that I drove to most of them. Honestly!
I drove to Computation to drop off our old computer. But hey, the car was handy. I did manage to walk to the Sierra Club’s Earth Day event at Budapest Park by the lake on Toronto’s west side only because it was in walking distance to where I live.
With time constraints, I hoped in the car to catch The End of Suburbia at the Bloor Cinema. The irony wasn’t lost on me that I drove to see a film about the peaking of world oil and subsequent decline calculated to take place at about 2013. The film is a very sobering look at our dependency on oil and what little has been done to prepare us for transitioning from fossil fuels to alternatives, from living far away from anything to living within walking distance to important amenities. If you live in an area that dictates jumping in a car to go to a corner store, you may want to think planning a lifestyle that is not so car dependent. Not so oil dependent really.
Refrigerator
Judy, our landlady, is fantastic. She replaced the old refrigerator in our apartment with a LG GR 382R, which is Energy Star qualified. I hauled the fridge out to remove the sheet of cat hair that accumulated on the back plate. The plate looks pretty irremovable. I think I’ll just get a vacuum in there to suck up whatever I can through the holes on the grid.
As we use up large juice cartons, we’ll fill them with water and place them in the freezer to take up space. We’re not meat eaters and as a consequence much of our freezer is vacant despite our love for coffee, concentrated orange juice and soy & organic cow ice cream.
Note on Stand Alone Freezers – They use up on average 1,240 Kilowatts per year – that’s more than an older model fridge.
Marjorie Chan’s Recycling Tip
Marjorie Chan told me about Freecycle.org, an international web of local groups swapping stuff for free over the Internet. Have something you want to give up? Check out the site and join a local group for free.
Join the March!!
Over 300,000 to date have signed up to stop global warming. Join us!
http://www.stopglobalwarming.org/
Sources
Canadian Office of Energy Efficiency
Earth Easy
Grist Magazine
StopGlobalWarming.org
Headlines
World-Wire
Truth Out
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