It’s National Public Works Week – a time to recognize how our environment and community is protected

The 2012 National Public Works Week poster, “Public Works: Creating a Lasting Impression” by Robert Gantt Steele.

Public Works is something that is actually quite difficult to define. It consists of a multitude of various services provided to the public, some are obvious, and some are not often realized.

These consist of “must have” services such as drinking water and wastewater treatment, road design and construction and waste collection. They also consist of ones that are a little less evident, such as planning for waste diversion and transportation needs.

In most instances, public works are provided by governments or governmental agencies.  There are 3,700 municipalities in Canada and 19,400 municipalities in the United States that provide public works — that’s a lot of services provided to a considerable amount of people!

National Public Works Week is an annual celebration held in North America which began in 1960 as a way to acknowledge and thank the men and women who work tirelessly to provide these essential services to their community.  Public Works Week runs this year on May 20 to 26, 2012 with a theme of “Creating a Lasting Impression” which recognizes the lasting legacies that public works projects have in all of our communities.

Did you know that letters of acknowledgement were sent from Presidents Dwight Eisenhower and Lyndon Johnson, as well as a proclamation signed by John F. Kennedy, to reaffirm that this week is to be used to express gratitude and show appreciation to all of those who work quietly behind the scenes.

Public Works staff are dedicated to improving the quality of life for current and future generations. In fact, in Halton Region Public Works staff provide a safe, well-managed transportation network, which includes 950 km of Regional Roads, 213 bridges and 220 signalized intersections.  Staff also deliver safe, high quality drinking water through six Halton water purification plants, operate seven wastewater treatment plants, provide the 3Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle) to help residents, schools and businesses and operate the Halton Waste Management Site.

These jobs are not always the most glamorous — who wants to be knee-deep in sewers & biosolids everyday? (Do you know what biosolids are? Yuck!)

But it must be done, in order to provide a safe community that residents can comfortably call home.

How often do you turn the tap on to brush your teeth and there is no water?

Or put trash out only for it not to be collected…week after week after week — what would happen if there was nowhere to put it? Where would it all go?

These are issues that the general public never have to think about and often take for granted in North America.  They are also services that have been provided for centuries — in varying degrees — all over the world in emerging and developed societies.

Think of the Roman Empire and their ingenious system of aqueducts designed to transport water all over the city, acting as both sewers and intake pipes.  Or the ancient Greeks who used to actually take their waste outside of the city and spread it in a field, acting as fertilizer.

All of these civilizations were attempting to provide some sort of service to their people — albeit sometimes as a result of mob riots in the street!

And unfortunately some services were introduced a little too late — the Black Plague for example was attributed to poor sanitation which resulted in the rodent infestation that was then carried through cargo ships all over Europe.

We should be thankful that in North America a catastrophic epidemic or excessive rioting with pitch forks and fire is no longer necessary to get the attention of the governing body. Nowadays these services are simply expected and are provided.

So this week — in honour of National Public Works Week, please say thank you to someone you may know who provide one of these essential services, that often go unnoticed and are frequently overlooked.

A recap of Municipal Waste Association’s spring 2012 conference

A recap of Municipal Waste Association’s spring 2012 conference

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In this 2 minute 30 second video, I share insights from the Municipal Waste Association‘s spring 2012 conference.

I interview Wilma Bureau from Simcoe County and Jeff Lauritsen from Quinte Waste Solutions to learn what they took away from the conference, and I talk to trade show vendor Peter Hutley from Liberty Tire Recycling Canada, to learn more about tire recycling.

How early settlers and Victorians lived sustainably for the environment

How early settlers & Victorians lived sustainably for the environment

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In this 5 minute video, I visit Karla Corrigan from the Halton Region Museum, to learn about the sustainable practices of Halton’s early settlers and Victorians.

We should be inspired by their efforts to practice the 3Rs — reduce, reuse, recycle — every day and live as sustainably as possible.  Together, we can all make a positive difference for our environment, now and into the future.

Yard sales have always been great for the environment

A sign for all times.

Yard sales have been around for as long as there have been yards with green grass. That’s likely because the original motivation to have one still holds true today:

“I have more stuff than I need, but maybe someone else needs it and will take if off my hands… and perhaps I can make some cash. Time for a yard sale!”

Sounds exciting and motivating!  It also leads us towards the golden rules of the 3Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle) and away from the “final option” known as the landfill.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

We all know that chant by now. But, what could match that motto better than a yard sale? Here’s why it fits:

Reduce: If we can reduce the amount of consumables that need to be made or replaced in the first place, we are making the biggest difference of all the 3Rs. Something you need can likely be found at someone’s local yard sale this weekend.  Bargains to be had for sure!

Reuse: If we can reuse something with usable life still left in it, why would we send it to the landfill or to be recycled?  Why wouldn’t we find someone else who can make use of it first?  Check out Freecycle or Kijiji.  Put it in your yard sale preparation pile. Someone out there needs your stuff — don’t chuck it out!

Recycle: The third “R.”  It gets all the attention, doesn’t it? Well, that is for good reason. The easiest thing usually gets done first and recycling has become pretty easy — just get it to the curb on time and someone else will make sure it gets recycled properly. But, not everything goes in the Blue Box. If it isn’t accepted in the Blue Box, then it’s time to put those items in your yard sale preparation pile and see if they sell!

Need proof? Take a good look at this yard sale photo. See anything you need? I bet you do and, if you have your own sale planned, others will probably find it attractive too. In fact, most people find it impossible to NOT stop to shop at a yard sale… its like bees to pollen.

A deal finder’s heaven!

So, go for it!

Hold a yard sale!

Getting organized for a yard sale or garage sale may seem like a lot of work and effort, but the environment will thank you for it.  If you price your yard sale items right, you may end up with nothing but a pile of extra cash and a whole bunch more space in your home! Not a bad trade for being more green. What you do with that cash is your business, but many people use yard sales as a fundraising opportunity for charities and special causes.

The environment thanks you…very much!

Pump up the green aspects by thanking your customers for choosing to reuse instead of buying new. And remember to donate left over items to your local reuse center, or the Reuse Depot at the Halton Waste Management Site.

You may be surprised at how friends and neighbours will gladly pay you for your excess stuff.  People love to get a good deal and hunt for that rare find. They also like to buy local, and yard sales are a perfect way to do that — letting us buy within our own neighbourhoods.

Please tell us how your yard sales go this year and share with us why you think yard sales have always been green!

What has been your best yard sale find ever, and why? Let us know!

Garbage In – Gold Out

A backyard composter is a great way to turn waste into “black gold” for your gardens

You’ve got to love Mother Nature. She takes your unwanted kitchen scraps, grass clippings and fallen leaves and with a little bit of time and very little effort, she turns your garbage into pure gold – or at least your garden thinks so.

Most people living in Halton Region have either red clay, or sandy soil and the best way to amend that soil is to add compost. Now, you could have compost delivered in those giant bags that’ll take you a couple of days to move from your driveway — or you can take kitchen stuff you are throwing out anyway and make your own.

All you need to start is either a plastic composter, or build your own using scrap wood and wire mesh. The advantage of plastic is that it keeps the rodents out, but if you avoid putting meat, dairy products, fatty foods and bones in your compost you’ll also reduce the potential rodent problem. You should also avoid putting in invasive plants such as garlic mustard weed as some seeds can survive the heat of decomposition.

Start by piling sticks and dead plants on the bottom (this provides air to your pile for circulation) next add greens, such as coffee grounds, vegetable scraps, egg shells and grass clippings, throw in a handful of soil (it has micro-organisms that gets things started) and top with dead leaves, straw or dried clippings.  The idea is to create layers of greens, soil and browns — these ingredients eventually get hot enough to break down into compost.

For the materials to decompose properly you need a balance of moist materials and oxygen. Add water from a hose if the mixture is too dry, or throw in more leaves or straw if the mixture is too wet. To stop it from smelling bad, add straw and ensure your mixture gets enough oxygen by giving it a good stir once a week.

Your compost is ready when it looks and smells like soil (dark and crumbly).  If any of the material is not ready, just throw it back into the compost pile. Use your freshly made compost to top dress lawns, dig into your vegetable gardens or your flower beds.  Your plants will definitely thank you for the extra nutrients which are as precious to them as, well, gold.

About this guest blogger:

Linda Brentnall has been a Halton Master Gardener for seven years in Oakville/Halton Region. She has a small but plentiful garden in her townhouse that she shares with her cat and the many rabbits that have invaded North Oakville.

A Compost Recipe – It’s Like Baking a Cake!

When you use a good recipe, the end result — even compost — smells lovely!

I’m sure everyone has that one recipe that is passed down through the generations. The recipe that has been perfected over the years; that we all know, if you miss just one step, the entire recipe is shot!

It’s funny, most of you probably started thinking about your great grandmother’s banana bread, your mother’s meatloaf, or maybe grandpa’s pulled pork; me, I’m thinking about compost!

Yes that’s right, leftover food waste, compostable papers, the works!  I’ve realized that even something relatively simple like composting needs a recipe, and the recipe needs to be followed.

Composting is like baking a cake, you have to add the right ingredients, you need the proper moisture level (wetness), you have to mix it in order to get oxygen (air flow), and you have to control the temperature (heat).  If you follow the compost recipe you end up with perfect compost material that can be used on your gardens and lawn.

Whether done in a large, 90,000 tonne indoor composting facility or in your backyard composter, or in your curbside GreenCart,  a specific recipe must be followed so all that food waste breaks down properly.

Composting at a large indoor facility requires constant monitoring.  Each day, material is brought to it that can be dramatically different from the previous day’s loads.  If one day brings in very wet and saturated food waste, this material becomes very challenging to compost on its own.  If it were placed directly into the facility, the tunnel would begin to smell.  To prevent this, the operator adds “dry” or “brown” carbon material, such as wood chips as part of their recipe for good composting.  If the material is too dry, then they add water so the pile has just the right amount of moisture.  So, operators at these facilities follow a specific compost recipe to ensure their facilities run smoothly and continually compost materials without any issues.

Many residents continue to use a backyard composter.  Every day they trek to their backyard composter to throw out food scraps or yard waste.  After many long months they’re rewarded with “black gold” compost that could be used on the lawn and in gardens, introducing valuable nutrients to the soil.  I’m sure you remember being instructed to add leaves you collected in the fall to the compost in order to add “dry” material to the pile.  Then, every couple of weeks you turn the pile, adding in air. What you may not realize is that you are following a recipe for your own backyard composter.

While many residents are backyard composting, even more are participating in the Region’s GreenCart program. Residents have embraced this program but people often express concern about odours coming from their GreenCarts especially in the summer months.  What they don’t realize is that the smells could be reduced simply by changing the way they handle the food waste.  Enter the perfect recipe for GreenCart composting!  You want to add equal amounts of thinly layered dry paper waste to your wet food waste. The paper will absorb all the moisture caused by the food waste and compostable bags, keeping your GreenCart dry and smell free.  Items that can be used are: paper bags, paper towels, facial tissue, a few sheets of newspaper, or shredded paper. It’s that simple!

So next time you add food waste to your backyard composter or GreenCart be sure to follow my compost recipe to ensure success!  Let me know how it goes!

Recognizing Scouts Canada’s commitment to the environment during National Youth Week

Members of Scouts Canada plant trees at the Halton Waste Management Site. (From left to right: Marcus Schattauer (10), Zachary Lawrence (8), Scouter Ed Lawrence, and Noah Rutka (9).

May 1-7 marks National Youth Week, which is dedicated to youth and their active participation in the community.

Scouts Canada is an organization that encourages youth of all ages to get out and make a positive impact. In Halton, Scouts Canada is extremely active, with youth learning about, and participating in, many programs that make our community and environment better.

On Saturday, April 28, 2012, Scouts Canada, Conservation Halton and Halton Region joined forces to enhance the environment at the Halton Waste Management Site in Milton,Ontario.

The Site needed a little “sprucing” up, and the youth ranging from Beavers (ages 5-7), Cubs (ages 8-10), Scouts (ages 11-13), Venturers (ages 14-16) and Rovers (ages 16-26) were up for the challenge.

A group of Burlington Area Scouts, and their leaders and families planted 250 trees in celebration of Earth Day and Arbor Day. This annual program started in 2000 and has contributed to the planting of over 1,500 native trees throughout Halton, with 920 of them planted at the Halton Waste Management Site alone. This program demonstrates the willingness of the youth in Halton to become more environmentally responsible. It helps promote proper landfill management at the Halton Waste Management Site too!

7th Milton Beavers (Colony A) take part in a waste diversion workshop led by Halton Region staff.

Halton Region actively supports Beavers and Cubs as they learn about how to conserve resources and protect the environment. Halton staff deliver workshops to Beaver colonies and Cub packs and troops that help youth have a better understanding of how recycling and composting makes a difference.  For Cubs, these workshops help complete the requirements for their Recycling badge, which supports achieving their Black Star badge.

Another great example of environmental responsibility in youth takes place at Blue Springs Scout Reserve. Many people don’t know that Scouts Canada operates a four-season camp in the Nassagaweya area of north Halton. Blue Springs Scout Reserve is approximately 200 acres in size, and in 2005 the World Scouting Organization recognized Blue Springs as a Scout Centre of Excellence for Nature and the Environment (SCENE) — the first camp in Canada to receive this designation.

“Since 2007, Blue Springs has had a “no garbage” policy,” said Camp Ranger Paul Garofolo.  “All campers are required to take home any non-recyclable or non-compostable items.  That’s 15,000 campers each year bringing home their garbage, which saves the camp considerable costs in private garbage collection.  It also reminds campers about what materials they could pack instead that would reduce their garbage.”

So whether you’re planting a tree, or being conscientious of your waste while camping, we can all learn a lot from the Scouts as it is the many small actions that together create a positive impact on the environment.

How are youth making a positive impact in your community?