The Green Scene

The Green Scene News - Issue #1

This is a newsletter developed by the Climate Change Advisory Panel. Please enjoy the first issue, there will be more to follow. 

Newsletter Issue #1

 Blue in the Loo

Recycling doesn't have to end in the kitchen! Items such as toilet paper rolls, empty toiletry boxes and plastic product bottles can all make their way into the Blue Box and Yellow Box.

 Its OK to talk to your neighbours about waste bins!

Not only is it okay to talk about them, it could lead to good things happening, from getting to know your neighbours better to helping ensure a healthier future for your children and grandchildren by reducing greenhouse gases.  Here's how it works: Suggest to your next-door neighbour that instead of placing your waste bins on your own lawn or driveway, you place both your bins together side by side, so that the garbage truck, (recycle truck, etc) cuts its number of stops in half.  This will reduce greenhouse gases as the truck makes half as many stops, and saves gas too, not to mention making the job a little easier for the driver.

             Before                                       After  

 Don't Pour it Down the Drain!

Fats like bacon grease and oil that are poured down the drain in liquid form can hit the cold pipes underground and potentially harden on the walls of sewer lines. Sometimes these blockages can cause sewage to back up into your home or your neighbour’s home.  To prevent any issues in your home, be sure to allow fats to cool and solidify, then dispose of it in your compost.

 Eco Friendly Fill Stations

Buying in bulk helps us to save on packaging waste. Foodsmiths "The Good Food Store" , Where Dragons Fly and The Perth Cheese Shop all offer fill stations for a variety of bulk goods and great refillable container selections that you can re-use over and over again!

Battery Recycle Drop Off

Did you know that you can drop off your used household batteries at Town Hall? AAA, AA, C, D and 9 Volt batteries are collected beside our treasury counter. Improper disposal of batteries can lead to these poisonous chemicals and acids leaching into our land and water supplies. Stop by with your batteries and say Hi! Batteries can also be taken to the Perth Home Hardware and Canadian Tire.

 YAK E-Waste Depot

Did you know that YAK Youth Services has an E-Waste Depot that accepts various Electronic waste in Perth?

Here are three important reasons why YAK promotes E-Recycling:

1 - It preserves landfill space

2 - It keeps some potentially hazardous materials out of landfills

3 - It recovers and reuses metals (including valuable precious metals) and other materials

Wipes Clog Pipes!

Reminder to residents that although the usage of sanitation wipes has spiked due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important that all wipes get disposed of in household garbage's and not flushed down drains to avoid plumbing issues in your home and our municipal sewer systems.

Garbage Tags Do NOT Expire

We often get the question "Do my orange garbage tags expire?" And the answer is, no they do not expire.

Please continue to use either orange or the newer yellow garbage tags for curbside pick up in Perth or to bring your household garbage to the Landfill.

Lets Talk Cleaning Recyclables

Since everyone is spending more time at home, it is understandable that you have more recycling. Here are some helpful reminders about our recycle program:

1) Don't put items out in plastic bags, bins should contain just the recyclables

2) No Styrofoam of any kind can be recycled - Break down all cardboard before putting in your blue bin 

3) All containers should be clean and empty before you put them in the yellow bin

Repair & Re-purpose Clothing

With many people spending extra time in their homes, this could be the perfect opportunity to repair that pile of clothing you had been saving or re-purpose those old tee’s into a fun project!

By repairing or mending clothing you are helping the environment by:

1) Reducing items headed to the landfill

2) Reducing textile and water waste

3) Reducing carbon emissions

Happy Earth Day!

Today marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day! This annual event is celebrated around the world on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection

Here are some fun activities to celebrate at home:

1 - Plant a Garden or add some green to your space

2 - Take a walk and discover native plants or different types of birds

3 - Stargaze, today is the Wednesday April 22, 2020 is the Lyrid Meteor Shower

4 - Make a craft out of items only from your recycle bin

5 - Watch a documentary about the Earth

6 - Take a virtual field trip and explore places like the Great Barrier Reef

For more information on Earth Day:

earthday.org

 Environmentally Friendly Reasons to Buy Local Goods!

1 - Reduced Carbon Emissions: Local goods do not create large carbon footprints through overseas plane travel or long truck trips.

Lets Work On Our Anti-idling Habits!

There is a common misconception that it takes more fuel to restart your engine then leave it idling, that is not true. Idling for more than 10 seconds uses more fuel and produces more emissions that contribute to smog and climate change than stopping and restarting your engine does.

Opportunities to change your idling habits:
1 - Waiting while picking up friends or family? Turn off the engine.
2 - Stuck at a train or road construction? Turn off the engine.
3 - Avoid drive-thru’s if you can, park and walk in to pick up your order.

Tips to Reduce Single Use Plastics

Do you want to cut down on the amount of single-use plastic you bring into your home?

1 - Carry your own re-usable containers when you go out for a meal to bring leftovers home in your containers.

2 - Have a refillable water bottle or reusable coffee mug handy for beverages on-the-go.

3 - Try reusable sandwich and snack bags or reusable straws in you household.

Victory Garden your Lawn!

Looking for ways to increase food security due to the pandemic? Consider planting a garden.

During the second world war, governments encouraged people to plant “Victory Gardens” to supplement the local food supply. The program gave ordinary citizens not only fresh produce, but the satisfaction of contributing to the common good.

This spring, try planting vegetables, along with flowers to attract bees and butterflies in your yard. The rewards are personal, and the benefit to the environment in terms of beauty, sustainability, and evolving to meet the challenge of climate change are more important than you know.

Reduce Paper Headed for Landfills

Looking for fun things to do with your kids during this period of social distancing?

Make your own gift wrap for upcoming birthdays or holidays. Glue colourful pictures from junk mail or magazines onto plain paper bags – a good way to recycle all those old greeting cards you’ve been saving!

Tips for Green Bins in the Summer

• Store your green bins out of the sun
• Sprinkle baking powder into your green bin to reduce odors
• Use more newspaper or 100% paper to line your bin in layers
• Freeze leftover meat waste and other higher odor compo
• Stables in containers and then empty them into your green bin just before collection day

Cutting Back on Plastic Bags

• Use cloth or canvas bags because they are washable.
• Re-use plastic bags from storage
• Make your own bags out of old T-shirts by stitching a seam across the bottom and cutting off the sleeves to turn the shoulders into handles. Widen the neck with a pair of scissors if needed. (smaller sizes work better for this)

Summer Idling Tips

• Try to park in the shade. It may mean a longer walk, but the additional exercise will be good for you!
• Use a car sun shade. This fold-able cover that is placed on your dashboard will help prevent those hot rays from heating up your car when you return.
• Use your windows. By leaving the windows down half an inch you will be keeping the air moving. Roll down the windows for a few minutes before you get in or open and close the door a few times to help fan the cooler air in.

Turtle Talk

• Turtles feed on fish and small invertebrates [crayfish, leeches, and beetles] keeping their populations in check.
• Turtle species help spread plant seeds within wetlands

For more turtle local resources reach out to OURTurtles

Sort Garbage from Recycle

 Please do not recycle the following items in our curbside program:

• Styrofoam
• Plastics bags / films
• Coffee cups
• Plant pots
• Toys

Your cooperation is appreciated! For more information visit our Landfill and Hazardous Waste Site page

Feed the Compost Bin, Not the Garbage

Compost is picked up weekly - bonus! Recycled kitchen waste reduces landfill waste and is good for the environment!
For tips on what you can and cannot compost head to our Garbage and Recycling page.

Waste Reduction Week

It is Waste reduction week in Canada! Join Canadians from coast to coast to discuss, share and celebrate what we are doing to enhance and protect our environment here.

Green Holiday Ideas

• Thrift Decorations - try second hand before buying new
• Purchase Native Plant Species - poinsettias can get shipped from far away, contributing to more emissions.
• Recycle paper, wrap & tags for gift wrapping - get creative with nature , like pinecones!
• Buy LED lights for energy saving - when its time for new upgrade to more energy efficient options.

Eco-Friendly Holiday Packaging

• Reduce any packaging when possible when making purchases
• Reuse mailers and sleeves for storage or gift wrapping
• Break down all cardboard, 100 percent paper the for blue box.
• Refrain from purchasing new wrapping when you can use newspaper, or packaging supplies

How to Reduce Carbon Emissions & Save

• Use a water saving shower head
• Turn down the heat! 18-20 degrees should be a comfortable heating level. Consider installing plastic to cover windows where heat is escaping, or add extra clothing layers.
• Turn down the thermostat on your hot water heater.
• Change your furnace filters more often, for better efficiency.
• Wash your clothes in cold water.
• Pay attention to food waste. Are your hard-earned dollars going in the compost bin? Try planning your meals for a few weeks and shopping only for what’s needed.
• Another great idea is to “eat down the freezer/pantry.” This is where you make a meal plan based on what you already have at home, which reduces your grocery list.

Unusual Recycling Tips!

Recycling is a fascinating world! It is transported and transformed into different products, saving materials from ending up in the landfill. Here are some tips you may not have heard of yet:

• Not all glass is recyclable! If it is broken glass from a vase or drinking glass, it is not! This type of glass melts at different temperatures. Safely put it in your garbage.
• If you are scooping dog poop from your property, put it in a paper bag and place it in the green bin. It’s organic, any plastic /bio-degradable poop-and-scoop bags are not accepted in our bins
• Egg cartons can go in your blue bin. Many local chicken farmers will also take your used (clean, unbroken) egg cartons, and don’t forget they make great fire starters! Styrofoam egg cartons are rarely seen in stores anymore, because they can’t be recycled.
• All yellow bin items should be empty, rinsed clean and dried. Any food or drink left in the container is considered contamination, which means they can’t be recycled.
• Speaking of those drink containers, include the plastic lids – but make sure the lids are on tight! Items which are smaller than a business card (e.g. drink caps) create problems inside the processing machines, so make sure they are attached, or throw them in the garbage.
• Envelopes (with no plastic), old birthday cards and phone books can go in your blue bin.

Winter Recycling Tips

•  Put recycle bins out the morning of (7am) pick up days. This ensures no interference with snowbank removal.
• Green bin organic material can become a frozen and difficult for collectors to empty. Try using newspaper or 100% paper liners in your green bin during the below zero temperatures.
• Don't pack organics material down, tightly compressed in your Green Bin, this can make it difficult for the collectors to empty the bin.
• Crush cans & bottles down in the Yellow Bin, it's less likely high winds will blow your recycle out of the box and saves space!

Single Use Plastics

• Plastic bags: There are re-usable plastics available, (woven or non-woven polypropylene), as well as old paper, cotton or jute. Did you know a cotton bag can be washed and re-used up to 500 times?
• Re-usable straws: paper, cardboard and stainless steel straws are becoming widely available and used at most take out establishments.
• Plastic Wrap: Beeswax covers are a neat replacement.
• Plastic Stir Sticks & Cutlery: Wood will be the replacement, as well as bamboo and harder forms of cardboard.
• Biodegradable 6-pack rings are being developed: They disintegrate in water and are made of food marine life can eat! (Neat right?)
• Recyclable and compostable cardboard will replace plastic food containers, and already have in many establishments

Swimming in Plastic, the water bottle crisis!

• A staggering 70% of plastic water bottles, manufactured from fossil fuels, are NOT recycled. They end up in our landfills or oceans, polluting our ecosystems and harming fish, wildlife and humans.
• 90% of the cost of bottled water is the bottle itself, and only 10% represents the water in it, and it’s not just what’s on the outside that’s fishy. Bottled water typically comes from one of two sources: purified water (tap water) from local sources, and natural spring water.
• The good news, is at home can reduce our use of plastic water bottles. First, invest in a good quality eco-friendly bottle.
• The next step would be to filter your own tap water at home. This can be as simple or as extravagant as you wish! You can spend hundreds of dollars on a system that filters at the tap, or you can purchase an inexpensive water jug filtering system. Both options have benefits and will greatly reduce your use of plastic bottles.

March 22nd is World Water Day. Let’s all celebrate by taking steps to reduce plastic use in our daily lives!

Acceptable E-waste Items

Green Ideas for St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Day is a week away, get inspired to go green. Start with one of these easy steps towards an eco-friendly lifestyle:

• Avoid plastic straws all single use-plastics in celebrations. Only purchase biodegradable supplies for items like plates and cups, or use real dishes only.
• Skip the glitter, toxic green hair sprays, and face paints and jazz up your look with re-usable necklaces, hats, and t-shirts to show your St. Patty's spirit.
• Cleaning up, make sure use Eco-friendly cleaning products in your home that do not have harmful chemicals in them.
• Plan an outdoor green scavenger hunt! Where participants walk around gathering any garbage or debris (especially with the Spring melt) as well as finding or writing down as many green items in the area they can find!

Spring Clean Up Tips

• Toss the air fresheners and chemical cleaners! Try opening windows, the natural air freshener or baking soda and vinegar for more environmentally friendly cleaners.
• Be smart about water consumption; switch to low flow showerheads and two stage flush toilets.
• Thinking of painting? Choose low VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compounds) made with less toxins.
• Reuse, Reuse, Reuse! Make good use of old T-shirts and clothing as Spring cleaning rags and for dusting.
• Think lighting! Spring is a great time to switch old lightbulbs from incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) and save energy.