Pollution solutions
We've been celebrating Earth Day since April 22, 1970. Today, 6 million Canadians join a global celebration that includes 500 million people in more than 180 countries. Although Earth Day continues to be celebrated on April 22, the entire month of April has been designated as Earth Month.
Regardless of how you and your family celebrate Earth Month, the principles of caring for our environment remain the same 365 days a year. Are you doing all you can to protect our Earth? It's not as difficult as you might think.
1. Choose re-usable over disposable
Unfortunately, convenience often trumps environmental concerns in our everyday living. Living life with disposables is easy, but with a little forethought you can make environmentally friendly decisions.
Instead of paper towels, use dishcloths. Choose a re-usable mug over its disposable counterpart. Choose a regular camera over disposable cameras.
2. Household hazardous material
You probably haven't given a lot of thought to the number of household chemicals you have, much less how to dispose of them. Vehicle products (antifreeze, automotive batteries, brake and transmission fluid, used motor oil), gardening products (ant and rodent killer, fertilizers, weed killer), and cleaning products (oven cleaners, septic tank cleaners, cleaning solvents) need to be disposed of properly to help protect our environment.
Check with your city for guidelines on how to dispose of hazardous household materials. Many cities have annual household chemical clean-up days and specific drop-off points in city landfills.
To find instructions/directions to disposal sites in your area, visit www.Earth911.org.
3. Can and bottle returns
Turning in your pop cans and bottles is not only environmentally friendly, but profitable. Aluminum cans are the most recycled container in the world! The turn-around time for an aluminium can from the time it's taken in to be recycled to the time it shows up as a new can on your supermarket shelf can be as little as 60 days. The same recycled aluminium can potentially show up on shelves six times a year. More than 50 per cent of cans are recycled.
4. Recycle old technology
According to a June 2003 study from Environment Canada, we dispose of more than 140,000 tonnes of old computer equipment, phone, television, and appliances in our landfills.
While your computer might be outdated to your needs, someone else may still benefit. Consider donating to an organization or charity. Here are a couple of suggestions:
5. Lights out!
Replace regular incandescent light bulbs with more energy-efficient compact fluorescent bulbs.
Use lighting controls (photocells) to turn lights off and on in automatic response to light levels during the day and night.
Use dimmers in areas where you can reduce the light (and subsequently the wattage and output of light bulbs).
6. Shop smart
Is all that extra packaging necessary? Probably not. Buy in bulk and buy products with minimal extra packaging. Don't hesitate to write to manufacturers and let them know that excess packaging is a factor in your purchasing decisions.
Use cloth grocery bags, or reuse plastic ones as many times as you can.
7. Involve your children in Earth Month
This Earth is their inheritance, after all. If you value the environmental legacy you're leaving your children, make sure your actions reflect that. Celebrate Earth Day by adopting a public section of your neighbourhood and picking up.
8. Dispose of batteries properly
Contact your city to find out when and where to dispose of dead batteries.
To find a rechargeable battery recycle site near you, visit the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation's site.
9. Be kitchen-smart
Every time you open the oven door, you lose between 25 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit. Use your microwave when you can -- it uses half as much energy as a conventional oven.
Respecting and protecting our planet can be as simple as turning the water tap off while brushing your teeth. And every effort helps. Challenge yourself to do what you can to make Earth an environmentally cleaner place for your children and grandchildren.
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