|
By Katelyn Marie Poyntz  Want to save a bit of money while doing a favour for our environment?
Stop buying these five things: 1. Paper towels Old clothes cut into squares do just as good a job cleaning up messes, and you can wash and reuse them. Also, did you know that a scrunched-up newspaper is the best way to clean mirrors and windows? 2. Cleaning rags Clothes that are no longer good for wearing make great cleaning and polishing rags! C otton and flannel fabrics typically work the best, and old towels make for good scrubbers. Just cut them into squares, and you’re ready to go! 3. Painting drop sheets Going to make a mess? Whether you’re crafting, painting, or renovating, save those old sheets and use them to cover and protect your work area. 4. Storage containers Do you buy peanut butter, pasta sauce, or other things that come in jars? Save those jars and reuse them for all sorts of storage. Plastic containers work well for nails, screws, or other knickknacks, such as sewing buttons, while glass jars are great for storing shelf-stable foods such as grains, dried beans, and pasta. 5. Organic (green) bin liners Compostable green bin liners are not only expensive but the City of Toronto doesn’t accept them in the green bin! So you can stop buying them immediately. Instead, save and use things such as frozen veggie bags, milk bags, paper bags, or cereal liners. So what will you stop buying to start saving? By Julia Hernández Malagón  Many of us like to decorate our homes as we get closer to the holiday season, and having a Christmas tree on display is often at the core of our celebrations. But how do we balance keeping this tradition alive with being conscious of the environment? What kind of Christmas tree should we buy?
One might think that an artificial Christmas tree is more detrimental because it’s made of plastic (usually PVC), which is difficult to recycle. It has typically been shipped from China, and it’s going to end up in a landfill. But is this statement really true? For example, in my family, we have been putting out the same artificial Christmas tree since I was a kid. It’s been in my family for over two decades. Is this a bad choice? Similarly, one might think that a natural tree is more sustainable. But there are some important questions to ask here. For example, has the tree been grown locally? Or was it transported from the farm to the retailer? Was it grown with or without pesticides? How is it going to be recycled? If we let trees be sent to landfills, they will end up being a source of methane emissions, an extremely potent greenhouse gas. The answer is that a natural tree is generally the better option. To understand how one might arrive at this conclusion, we can refer to several life cycle assessment (LCA) studies of both types of trees. An LCA assesses a product’s impact from the extraction of its raw materials to its disposal, considering every step of the process. Ultimately, these studies suggest that locally sourced natural trees have less environmental impact than artificial ones. When it comes to artificial ones, the key to achieving environmental gains lies in the amount of time that they are kept and reused. Studies show that an artificial Christmas tree should ideally be used for 4–20 years to reduce its environmental impact. Here are some recommendations:
Enjoy the long-awaited holiday season while taking care of the environment by following these recommendations, and don’t forget: Studies have shown that having a Christmas tree at home has a small impact compared to our day-to-day activities. Happy holidays! |
Welcome to our blog!This is where you can find more in-depth information on how to reduce waste in our local communities and live more sustainably. Categories
All
Community info below is related to the SLNA itself and not the WRG committee.
Archives
August 2024
|
RSS Feed
Community
|
|