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WASTING LESS - A CONSUMER'S GUIDE
Like most other Canadians you are probably concerned about the quality of the environment. As a consumer and householder your actions have an impact on the amount and quality of garbage disposed of in your community. The following hints will show you how to use your purchasing power to minimize the environmental impact of your consumer decisions. They will help you make the connections between your day-to-day activities and the waste you put out for garbage collection each week.
SHOPPING WITH THE ENVIRONMENT IN MIND...
REDUCE
Buy only what you need. Before you buy any item, ask
yourself if you really need it, or could you make do with what
you already have.
REFILLABLES
Whenever you can, buy beverages - such as soft
drinks and beer - in returnable, refillable containers
RECYCLABLES
If refillables are not available, choose containers that can be
recycled such as 2 and 4 litre plastic milk jugs sold by Beckers.
Soft drink containers (cans, glass and plastic) can be recycled
through many municipal recycling programs.
DISPOSABLES
The 'throw-away' convenience of some products is not
worth the environmental price that is paid. Avoid paper towels,
plates and cups, throw-away lighters and razors, and disposable
diapers. Purchase the multi alternatives instead. Also, consider
reducing or eliminating your purchase of disposable fast food
packaging.
BUY QUALITY
Buy durable, long-lasting goods. Initially the cost
may be higher, but in
the long run you can save. Consumer magazines and organizations
can help
you make an informed choice.
RENT
Rent seldom used items, such as tools or party ware.
REPLACE. HAZARDOUS HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS WITH
NON-TOXIC ALTERNATIVES
Baking soda can be used as a scouring powder on
tubs, sinks and ovens. Warm water and vinegar can be used to
clean windows and mirrors, using an 8-to- 1 solution. Twice
weekly rinses with boiling water will keep drains open. Use a
metal snake or plunger to unclog drains.
BE A PACKAGING WATCHDOG
Buy for the contents, not the container. Some packaging is
necessary - you
can't carry flour home in your hand - but these days many
products have
unnecessary or excessive packaging.
BE A CONSTRUCTIVE NUISANCE
Manufacturers and retailers are sensitive to
consumers' preferences. Write the company to let them know you
are rejecting a product because it is environmentally
inappropriate. Complain to store owners.
DID YOU KNOW...
Ontario residents throw away 7 million tons of garbage each year.
Packaging accounts for 1/3 by weight and 1/2 by volume of
residential garbage.
20 % of the food we buy ends up in the garbage.
households make up the largest single group of hazardous waste
generators in Canada.
The useful life of a fast food package is often minutes, but it
may persist in the environment for years or centuries.
REUSE
Many things around the house can be saved
and reused string, plastic containers, glass containers, gift
wrap, shopping bags. If there are things you can't use, consider
giving them to others who can.
Magazines can be given to friends, or donated to hospitals, homes for the aged, or Doctors' offices.
Books can be given to hospitals, donated to organizations such as Goodwill, for resale, or resold in used book stores.
Yarn and cloth scraps, buttons, wallpaper ends and samples, toilet paper rolls, small boxes, egg cartons, yogurt containers, apple baskets etc. may be used by nursery or primary schools or day care centres.
Eyeglasses can be donated to organizations such as the Canadian National Institute for the Blind.
DONATE
Donate old clothes, furniture and appliances to
charitable organizations such as Goodwill, Salvation Army and St.
Vincent de Paul. Household goods you no longer need might also be
sold at garage sales or second hand stores.
REPAIR
Instead of throwing it out, fix it up. Repair broken
toys, furniture and appliances to extend their useful life.
SHARE
Share with neighbors and friends those large
expensive things that you use only once in a while, such as lawn
mowers, other gardening equipment, and tools.
CUT DOWN ON FOOD WASTE
20% of the food we buy ends up in the garbage. Keep
track of what you've got on hand so that you use groceries while
they're still fresh.
COMPOST
Start a backyard compost heap with your kitchen and
yard waste -banana peels, egg shells, coffee grounds, leaves,
grass clippings etc. You will reduce your garbage by over
one-third, and will produce an excellent soil conditioner for
your garden.
RECYCLE
Take part in your local recycling program. The
materials most commonly recycled by householders are newspaper,
glass bottles and jars, cans and plastic soft drink containers.
There are also many gas stations and some depots that accept
motor oil from the do-it-yourself oil changer.
RECYCLING COUNCIL OF ONTARIO
The Recycling Council of Ontario (RCO) is a non-profit,
charitable organization founded in 1978. It is the RCO's belief
that "society could make wiser use of the natural resources
upon which it relies, by reducing needless waste and by
incorporating the logic of recycling into all aspects of its use
of those resources."
The RCO publishes a bi-monthly newsletter, Ontario Recycling
Update, hosts an annual recycling conference, and operates the
Ontario Recycling Information Service.
Financial contributions are appreciated and will be receipted for
income tax purposes.
Recycling Council of Ontario
P.O. Box 310, Station
Toronto, Ontario
M5S 2S8
960-0938 (Toronto area)
1-800-263-2849 (Toll-
free)
This Fact Sheet has been produced by the Ontario Recycling
Information Service, a service of the Recycling Council of
Ontario.
Updated October
1988
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