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By Mythreyi Rajasingham  Photo of backpack filled with school supplies. Photo by vimbroisi, via Pixabay. It’s that time of year again—the time for back-to-school shopping, when students search for the perfect supplies to help them through the academic year ahead. While the thought of returning to school can feel intimidating and occasionally unpleasant, the tradition of back-to-school shopping has solidified its place in most students’ lives as something exciting. Yet, what frequently goes unmentioned is the amount of school supplies that end up in the trash. For instance, around 580,000 tonnes of books, including textbooks and notebooks, are disposed of each year (CBC, 2020). This amounts to hundreds of millions of usable books being wasted (Dcunha, 2022). Rather than overspending on school supplies only to see them go to waste, you can REuse, REduce, and REcycle for a heftier wallet and a healthier planet. REuse Reusing old school supplies is a straightforward approach to both reducing waste and saving money. Items like backpacks and locks, which are considered long-term supplies, can serve well for four years or longer depending on their quality and how well they are maintained. To make the most of this strategy, take some time to look around your home and gather any school supplies, from pens and pencils to journals and folders, that you have collected over the years. This way, you will have lots of options to pick from when choosing what to use for the upcoming school year. After you have decided which school supplies to reuse, consider repairing ones that are broken or damaged, and give them a good cleaning if they are dirty. For example, if your old backpack has a wonky zipper or a loose strap, you can try to fix these issues yourself, have them addressed by a local repair cafe, or bring them to a local tailor. You can often restore old items to a like-new condition with a little bit of time and effort. This approach not only makes your supplies feel new again but also helps the environment a lot. By using your old school supplies again, you are reducing the demand for new products, which lead to waste and pollution via their production and transportation processes (Minos, 2022). REduce While reusing school supplies is a great approach to lowering your carbon footprint, you might find that a few items are in short supply at home and need to be bought from stores. In such cases, it is perfectly fine to buy new items when necessary, but it is recommended that you prioritise quality over quantity. For example, when faced with a choice between a 20-pack of fragile mechanical pencils and a 5-pack of sturdy ones, go for the 5-pack. A well-made mechanical pencil lasts longer than a flimsy one, and when it is time to discard them, there will be less waste because you have bought fewer items. Another suggested approach is to buy second-hand supplies from friends and family, platforms like Facebook Marketplace and Karrot, or local thrift stores (Astoul, 2023). You can also rely on totally free markets (like the WRG’s FreeMarket event) and local swaps to obtain these items. And if you have any usable school supplies that you want to discard, consider selling or donating them to those who could use them. For example, did you know that the WRG accepts working stationery items and school supplies at REmarket? Lastly, to cut down on both household clutter and waste, choose reusable items over disposable single-use ones. For example, instead of using single-use plastic snack bags or water bottles, opt for containers that can be washed and reused for many years. By following these suggestions, you can buy school supplies at a more affordable cost, make long-term savings by choosing reusable options, and have a more eco-friendly household. REcycle In addition to reusing old school supplies and reducing the amount of new ones you buy, you can also recycle your old supplies when they can no longer be used and opt for new ones made from recycled materials. For example, Staples Canada accepts used pens, markers, and toner cartridges for recycling in many of its stores. In partnership with Staples, the WRG also accepts these items for recycling at its triennial REmarket event. Similarly, if you find yourself needing a new backpack because your old one is damaged and cannot be fixed, look for bags that are made from recycled materials, such as plastic bottles, or those that come with lifetime warranties. While the American brand Terra Threads offers backpacks made from recycled materials, the Swedish brand Fjällräven provides backpacks with life-time warranties (DiBenedetto, 2022). However, it is important to know that some companies engage in a practice called greenwashing, where they falsely advertise their products as sustainable so that they can sell them for a higher price. One strategy to help you avoid buying items that have been greenwashed involves using the platform Good On You. This website allows you to research brands and assess their impact on the environment, labourers, and animals. Take the brand Herschel Supply Co. as an example. Good On You rates the brand as “not good enough” because its products are reported to include harmful chemicals, and it has failed to openly share essential details about its worker protection policies. With the Good On You platform, you can avoid brands that greenwash and make thoughtful back-to-school purchases that are good for the environment and those living in it. Summary With the back-to-school season prompting students to search for new supplies, it is important to give equal attention to waste reduction. By adopting the three REs mentioned in this article—REuse, REduce, and REcycle—a more sustainable approach can be taken. Reusing old supplies cuts down waste and expenses, focusing on quality over quantity reduces environmental impact, and considering recycled options and avoiding ‘greenwashing’ aligns choices with sustainability. This marks a new era of conscious back-to-school shopping—one that celebrates mindful choices, sustainability, and a brighter future for all! This article was edited by Lumida Editing & Proofreading
By Jess Blackwell and Julia Hernández Malagón 1. What the WRG is and what we do The WRG is a highly active non-profit group operating in downtown Toronto, and our events and other initiatives focus on raising environmental awareness and reducing waste in our local communities. To this end, we host a triennial event called REmarket, which encourages community members to rethink their consumption and disposal habits while promoting a circular, equitable, accessible economy in which all individuals are empowered. At this event, we collect post-consumer items for donation, run a totally free market (called FreeMarket), repair common household items and bikes (with the help of organizations such as Repair Cafe Toronto and CultureLink Bike Hub), raise awareness about waste reduction and other environmental concerns, and collect difficult-to-recycle items. We also run initiatives such as St. Lawrence Reduces, which encourages local businesses to join the bring-your-own (BYO) container movement, and our cigarette-waste-recycling program in partnership with Terracycle.
2. Our team We currently have around 30 volunteer team members, each with different roles and interests. Because we do not receive any formal funding to support our operations, we rely entirely on the skills and generosity of our ever-growing team of volunteers. We are proud of the diversity, passion, and unique skills our team offers, and we are always looking for new recruits to join our team and help us make Toronto a better, more sustainable place to live. 3. The benefits of volunteering with us Lead a more sustainable lifestyle and help others do the same Whether you are already leading a sustainable lifestyle and want to get more involved, or are just getting started and want to learn more about sustainable practices, the WRG is a great place for you. The group is made up of a friendly, fun, diverse group of people united by a common mission: reducing waste in our local communities. Widen your social network Volunteering with the WRG is a great opportunity to make meaningful connections, share ideas, and exchange information about events and interesting activities. The diversity of the group helps generate different perspectives and points of view. For those who are new to Canada, it can be a great way to get more involved in the community. Upskill and try new things For example, are you interested in practicing your writing skills? Your graphic design skills? Volunteering is a great opportunity to upskill or develop new skills, as well as try new things that might help you in your professional or personal journey. The WRG offers a wide variety of positions depending on your interests and skills, and many of our members have been able to widen their professional networks as a result of working with us. 4. The volunteer positions and opportunities we offer So what does it mean to be a volunteer with the WRG, and how can I get involved? Positions We offer a variety of volunteer opportunities, including the following positions: General volunteer: Contribute to as many of our initiatives as you would like to by actively participating in our Zoom meetings, voting process, and individual initiatives. In-person REmarket volunteer: Contribute to the success of our REmarket event by helping us greet guests, accept and sort donations, run the FreeMarket, manage the recycling table, and take photos and videos of the event. Marketing team volunteer: Contribute to our marketing efforts by helping us create Instagram content, design online posts, design print posters and others ads, write blog articles, or manage our social media channels. St. Lawrence Reduces volunteer: Canvas local businesses to encourage them to join the BYO movement and make their operations more sustainable. Time Commitment On average, our volunteers spend no more than 1–2 hours per week on their volunteer activities, although some of our team members generously donate more of their time as they are able to. Members vs. Contributors To maximize the flexibility we offer our volunteers, the WRG distinguishes between volunteer members and volunteer contributors. Members are required to join the group’s electronic mailing list, consistently and actively participate in the group’s Zoom meetings, and contribute to initiatives in whatever way(s) they can. In exchange, members have the right to vote on important group issues. Contributors do not have the same general responsibilities as members and usually contribute to initiatives in very specific ways, such as by designing Instagram posts or writing blog articles. However, contributors do not have the right to vote on important group issues. New team members are able to get involved with us in whichever capacity they prefer, and we strive to be as flexible as possible! 5. What it's like volunteering with us Volunteering with the WRG is a flexible commitment in terms of time and tasks. Most tasks can be done online, and the group only arranges meetings approximately once a month. In the group meetings, the group discusses its different initiatives, community feedback, potential opportunities for improvement, and future activities. On occasion, the group invites other organizations that might want to partner with the WRG or that share mutual goals or interests. These meetings are especially interesting, because you can learn a lot from the practices and initiatives of other organizations while sharing ideas with other people on the team. The best parts of volunteering can be different for everyone, but we find that seeing the impact of our actions is incredibly motivating. For example, it is inspiring to see the acceptance and usefulness of the work being done at REmarket and to experience how your skills can be put to good use and improved. 6. Ready to get involved? Volunteering with the WRG is a great opportunity to serve your community and help reduce waste. Contributing feels good, and it can also be beneficial for your personal and professional development, such as by helping you widen your social network, hone your skills, or gain new skills. Think this is the right volunteer opportunity for you? Email [email protected] for more information.  This article was edited by Lumida Editing & Proofreading. By Beatrix Maddocks  Hello! My name is Beatrix Maddocks, and I have spent the summer working as an intern with the Green Neighbours Network of Toronto (GNN) and Canada Summer Jobs in collaboration with the St. Lawrence Neighbourhood Association Waste Reduction Group (SLNA-WRG). During this internship, I have conducted surveys on single-use plastic items with restaurants and cafes in the St. Lawrence neighbourhood. I am very pleased to say that I have had a wonderful experience interacting with numerous owners and managers in the area. It has been amazing to see the number of businesses taking action on the important issue of reducing waste. The surveys I’ve been conducting involve discussing the use of reusable takeout services as an alternative to single-use takeaway items. While these services are just beginning to expand within restaurants and cafes, I am confident that their popularity will grow in the near future, as many businesses are interested in the potential of introducing them to their customers. Another aspect of the survey that connects to the SLNA-WRG is asking whether businesses allow their customers to bring their own container. One amazing way that the SLNA-WRG has reduced waste in its community has been through the creation of "bring your own" (BYO) stickers that it offers to restaurants, cafes, and vendors within the St. Lawrence Market and surrounding area. This initiative, called St. Lawrence Reduces, shows how customers can contribute to reducing waste in their community and how businesses can support this initiative and show concern for the environment. In addition to conducting surveys, I have also been promoting a website called WalkRollMap.org within the St. Lawrence neighbourhood. Through this website, accessibility issues, hazards, missing amenities, and incidents can be reported. Some examples of items that might be reported include large sidewalk cracks, which could disrupt travel for people using wheelchairs, unsafe intersections, and areas that could benefit from the addition of benches. I can only say positive things about my experience working within the St. Lawrence neighbourhood for my summer internship. The willingness of most managers and owners to complete our short survey and discuss this important environmental issue has been incredible. It is clear that a majority of the restaurants and cafes in the St. Lawrence neighbourhood have a strong desire to make change within their industry. This experience and internship have given me hope that change is upon us, especially in regards to the environment. This article was edited by Lumida Editing & Proofreading
By Philippe Edde  Canada produces a whopping 31 million tonnes of garbage a year! That's more per capita than any other country on earth. Because of this, you probably think that Canada has great infrastructure for taking care of this trash. But, unfortunately, this is not the case. The Problem Instead of managing and recycling all the waste Canadians create, Canadian governments and companies take the easy way out and dump much of this trash onto other countries. Unfortunately, the incentive for this has nothing to do with sustainability. Instead, it is done simply because it is cheaper to export waste than to develop local infrastructure to deal with it sustainably. To make matters worse, the countries that are receiving our trash are often developing countries like China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. These countries tend to have even worse waste management infrastructure than Canada, so the trash we send to them often gets incinerated, releasing dangerous pollutants into the atmosphere, or dumped into unregulated landfills, eventually making its way back into our oceans. Sometimes, the waste Canada exports is deemed contaminated by international recipients and is subsequently sent back, leaving us with both poor waste management infrastructure and a whole load of waste that will be dumped into local landfills. Of course, that’s on top of the extremely high carbon emissions that go into shipping tonnes of waste halfway across the world and back. Waste export bans Thankfully, some countries have begun to take a stand against this. Since 2018, China has banned imports of 24 types of solid waste, greatly reducing the amount of garbage imported into the country. A handful of other Asian countries have followed suit due to the increasing environmental cost this practice has for their nations. The Canadian government has also seemingly taken a stand against this, having issued no new overseas trash-export permits since 2017. In 2021, Canada also signed the United Nations Basel Convention on hazardous waste, which aims to reduce the harm of transporting and exporting waste by ensuring that such materials are managed and disposed of in an environmentally sound manner. Waste export ban loopholes While committing to the Basel Convention, Canada also signed an agreement with the USA that allows our nation to send its waste to this southern neighbor. This means that while it is illegal to send trash overseas, we can still send it to recycling brokers in the USA. Once it is sent to America, the Canadian government can no longer track or regulate it. The Americans then send it straight to our east Asian friends in Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Another loophole is found in the practice of simply not listening to the government and illegally shipping waste anyways. While it is difficult to find stats regarding illegal activities, we know that in the past five years, over 120 shipping containers full of waste have been returned to Canada due to the materials being contaminated. This reveals the unfortunate truth that Canadian companies continue to ship their waste to developing countries with poor infrastructure. What is especially surprising and distressing is that the Canadian government has chosen to keep the names of these companies anonymous, and most of them have simply been let off with a warning. Since 2017, nine warning letters and six fines have been sent to these companies, with the fines totalling less than $9,000. This lack of transparency helps protect those companies from real repercussions that consumers can face. What can we do? Perhaps all this talk about illegal dumping and government complacency has left you feeling powerless in the face of these systemic issues. But worry not: there are initiatives you can support that can make a difference. For example, Nina Azzahra is a 14-year-old Indonesian environmentalist who has raised awareness about this issue on social media and who has even been able to get representatives from Germany, Australia, and the Netherlands to promise to change their export policies. She has also reached out to Trudeau--twice—but has yet to receive any meaningful response. To get involved, you can petition your city councilors to push Canada to make a meaningful commitment to this cause, or follow Nina online and spread her message to raise awareness about this issue. You can also work on reducing waste on an individual and community level by limiting your plastic consumption, promoting upcycling, and encouraging the use of reusable materials. Aditionally, you can support local recycling initiatives. Check out this blog for a great list of recycling initiatives. Canada's plastic waste exportation underscores the need for immediate and collective action to address the global plastic pollution crisis. Canada must take on this challenge and invest in domestic recycling capabilities while reducing plastic consumption and promoting eco-friendly alternatives. By taking a proactive approach and working together on a global scale, we can create a future where plastic waste exportation is an outdated practice and the well-being of the planet takes precedence over short-term convenience. This post was edited by Lumida Editing & Proofreading
By Philippe Edde  Ever go on vacation and find it difficult to keep up the habits you've mastered at home? Maybe you tend to only use reusable packaging at home, or you have an effective method of recycling and upcycling your packaging waste. But when you're on the go all the time, it can be hard to keep your commitment to the planet. Luckily for us, there are ways that we can minimize our waste production and carbon footprint while traveling. By adopting plastic-free travel practices, we can significantly reduce our contribution to the global plastic waste problem. In this article, we explore sustainable strategies and practical tips for responsible travelers committed to minimizing plastic waste during their journeys. 1. Plan ahead and pack wisely Before embarking on your trip, take the time to plan and pack thoughtfully. Opt for reusable alternatives instead of single-use plastics. For example, carry a reusable water bottle—trust me, this one makes a difference. Not only does it prevent waste but it is much cheaper and more convenient than constantly buying plastic bottles. Planning where or what you will eat during the day can also help you prevent pollution. You can plan to eat at restaurants where single-use plastic cutlery and cups aren’t provided. Or if you're a bit more adventurous, traveling more off the grid, you can take finger foods or sandwiches that don't require plastic cutlery to eat. If you must eat something with cutlery, be sure to bring your own reusable or biodegradable cutlery. Carrying a reusable bag for your shopping trips or souvenirs can also greatly reduce your plastic consumption. Finally, those tiny shampoo bottles you see in hotels may be cute, but they definitely use up lots of plastic. You can avoid this waste by bringing your own eco-friendly alternatives or opting for bar soaps and shampoo bars. 2. Choose accommodations that prioritize sustainability When selecting accommodations, prioritize establishments that have sustainable practices in place. A number of booking websites, like Booking.com and Expedia, recently implemented eco-friendly badges to help you identify accommodations that have put effort into being sustainable. If that’s not your style, there are entire websites dedicated to helping you find sustainable lodging, including Ecohotels, Bookdifferent, and Select Green Hotels. Supporting these establishments sends a message that sustainability matters to travelers, encouraging more businesses to adopt plastic-free practices. Even after checking into your new abode, be sure to ask for the recycling instructions, as recycling protocols can change drastically between countries and even cities! Also, regardless of what kind of hotel or motel you stay in, you can help reduce your carbon footprint by opting out of housekeeping services; this reduces the emissions from the venue's laundering and drying of linens and towels and cuts back on the chemicals used during the cleaning process. 3. Support local markets and sustainable food practices Explore local markets and food vendors that prioritize sustainable practices. International chain restaurants are terrible polluters, and fast food restaurants are especially bad: most American fast food restaurants do not meet the Natural Resources Defense Council’s criteria for sustainable packaging. Instead of going for the same old stuff, purchase fresh produce and snacks from local markets and ask for your food without plastic packaging (unless you absolutely need it). By shopping locally, you also stimulate the economy of the country you are visiting instead of giving more money to the corporate giants that pollute our lands and oceans. 4. Embrace eco-friendly transportation options Transportation plays a significant role in the carbon footprint we generate while traveling. Opt for eco-friendly transportation options. Consider cycling, walking, or taking public transit whenever possible. Google Maps is a wonderful tool for planning your use of these methods of transportation, wherever you are. If you need to rent a vehicle, choose a company that promotes sustainability and offers hybrid or electric cars. Alternatively, be sure to carpool with friends or other travellers in similar situations. BlaBlacar.com has a number of carpool routes in Europe that you can use to get to your destination in a greener way. By reducing your reliance on fossil fuel–powered transportation and supporting greener alternatives, you contribute to lowering greenhouse gas emissions, making your travel more sustainable overall. And, of course, if you have the budget to do so, consider taking a direct flight to your destination, as this cuts back on the emissions from the fuel used during takeoff. 5. Participate in beach and community cleanups Lastly, if you want to be a super soldier in the fight to clean up the earth, you can participate in local cleanups or community-led initiatives during your travels. Many coastal destinations organize regular cleanups to tackle plastic pollution. Joining these efforts allows you to directly contribute to the reduction of plastic waste and create awareness within local communities. It's a meaningful way to connect with fellow travellers and locals who share your commitment to a cleaner environment. The bottom line By adopting plastic-free and low-carbon travel practices, we can safeguard the natural beauty of our planet and protect fragile ecosystems for future generations. Through conscious planning, responsible choices, and supporting sustainable businesses, we can significantly reduce our contribution to the plastic waste crisis. Let's become ambassadors of change and inspire others to embrace sustainable practices while exploring the world. This post was edited by Lumida Editing & Proofreading.
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