How to choose a greener burial

We live. We die.  There is no getting around this circle of life.  A question that plagues most environmentally conscious families today is: how can I live and die while leaving the smallest carbon footprint possible? Can I still have a dignified burial/funeral and choose greener options at the same time? The answer is a resounding yes.

There are many things you can do to ensure both your burial and funeral (they are not the same thing) are environmentally friendlier than those of past generations.

Since it’s advisable that people plan ahead to prepare for their death, the question is, what can you do today?

Choose a Greener  Cemetery

There are a few major factors to look at when searching for greener cemetery solutions–the most important being pesticide use.  Burlington Memorial Gardens (at Dundas Street and Guelph Line) abides by strict environmental regulations and must pass an extensive yearly government environmental audit.  Their tranquil location bordering the Niagara Escarpment and the protected lands of the Bruce Trail means that they will always remain pesticide free.   The grass is left to be watered naturally and will lie dormant during the dry season returning to its lush green when the rainy season starts.  The native plants and flower beds are watered using irrigated pond water and the park-like setting is known to attract visits from local deer and the odd wild fox.   Visitors to Burlington Memorial Gardens are strongly encouraged to make environmental choices when it comes to their floral tributes as well.   Natural flowers won’t leave behind any environmentally unsound materials such as synthetics, plastics or wire, and are strongly encouraged during the spring, summer and early fall mowing season.

This casket uses unbleached cotton, and doesn’t use any glue, metal or varnish.

Choose a Greener Funeral Home

Burlington Memorial Gardens also offers ‘eco-friendly’ funeral options through their funeral home Dodsworth & Brown.   Families wanting a greener funeral will choose recycled paper for their program printing, online guest books and obituaries, botanical-based embalming, and caskets made from all natural wood and cotton materials that use no glues or metal fastenings.

What about Cremation?  

Today’s cremation processes use natural gas and not fossil fuels for the burning process.  Is it perfect? No, but as with most green initiatives, the technology is moving in the right direction. Also, because there is a smaller amount of land space required for cremation burial, most families still find this to be the most environmentally sound option available.

In the end, whatever you decide, the best thing to do for you or a loved one, is to speak with a licensed Cemetery or Funeral Director to review all of your options.  The conversation you have with a professional will help you and your family make the most informed decision possible.

About this guest blogger:

Christie Chewka, Guest Blogger

Christie Chewka is a licensed Cemetery Director at Burlington Memorial Gardens and was born and raised in Lowville, Ontario.

What Earth Day means to me

Earth Day is celebrated around the world on April 22.  The first Earth Day was held in the United States in 1970 and was organized by Senator Gaylord Nelson.  The first Canadian Earth Day was celebrated in 1980, and in 1990 Earth Day Canada was founded.

The HaltonRecycles team share their thoughts on what Earth Day means to them:

Lindsay: Earth Day is a day to celebrate our beautiful planet and promote why leading an environmentally friendly lifestyle is so important. Canada is one of the most beautiful countries in the world, and we are surrounded by countless natural wonders; some of which have been damaged due to environmental negligence. Earth Day is a day to educate others on small, yet effective changes that we can make in our everyday lives to reduce our environmental impact, and bring awareness to current environmental issues. “Knowledge is power,” and Earth Day is a great time to increase our knowledge and make a change!

Nicole: What does Earth Day mean to me? Well its one day; or potentially a week, of celebrating the Earth, and all the ways we can preserve and admire its beauty.  It’s the one time of year where schools, businesses and organizations publicly discuss ways they will help save the planet — I guess for me, I wish it wasn’t just one day.  Although I do see the benefit of opening people’s minds, and providing opportunities for people to participate in programs and discussions, I hope that on this one day, we are speaking to them in such a way that they decide to change their lifestyles forever.  Awareness is key to help change behaviour.  However, changing your behaviours for one day isn’t enough to help preserve our environment. I believe we need to make people aware of our changing environment more regularly, and have opportunities for people to help and participate more regularly. Hopefully then, Earth day will turn into something we that carries on throughout the year.

Shirley: Earth Day is an opportunity to recognize all the amazing natural spaces on earth and why it is important to protect them. The earth sustains life and we need to remember to tread lightly.

Allison: I have been celebrating April 22 for 25 years, mainly because it’s my birthday (or should I say, b”earth”day) but also because I love everything about the environment. As a child, this day was always fun-filled with friends, games, presents and Mom’s traditional birthday “Dirt Cake.” Every year, I make a conscious effort to celebrate Earth Day/my birthday by getting outside with my family and friends. Whether we’re hiking, or playing a game of disc golf, I think it’s important to be outside with nature on April 22. Earth Day to me, is a day to reflect on your impact on the environment and create new ways to reduce your footprint, one step at a time.

John: Last summer I presented at Wastecon in Washington DC.  During my explorations of the city, I stumbled upon Earth Day Park.  To be honest, it wasn’t particularly impressive — just a small park with trees and benches, tucked in among the plethora of government buildings.  But I think that’s why I liked it so much — to a hectic world, this hint of nature is a reminder that there’s an environment that needs to be explored, conserved and enjoyed.  And while every day is Earth Day, having one particular day a year serves as a reminder that we are part of the environment and we need to celebrate, honour and respect this connection.

Stacey: Earth Day is usually family time spent with my husband and kids cleaning up our local park along with the route to the park.  We usually do a cleanup on our daily walks with the dogs, but this is an opportunity to really take the time to check the roadside, bushes and park area.  It is always amazing how much we collect.  It is great to see all the neighbours out and about taking the time as well to participate.  This is a time for my kids to learn that actions can affect the environment and that we all need to take the time to help the earth from recycling to clean ups.  Take the time today to give the Earth a hug and do a spring clean up!

Ben: If I can raise awareness of the environment for my kids by spending Earth Day enjoying the outdoors with them and having my family experience what I’ve grown up cherishing, then that’s what I think is the most important thing we need to take from Earth Day.  If we can preserve that connection with nature for future generations then our planet has a bright and healthy future.

Joyce: Earth Day provides a day to acknowledge the impacts of human behaviour on the natural environment.  It also gives us an opportunity to reflect on what Christopher Stone famously wrote in his essay, Should Trees Have Standing?

Andrea: I have long been a supporter of the Earth — I knew I wanted to help save it by the time I was in high school. That was a while ago and environmental conservation was definitely not in the forefront of society’s priorities, we had no “green” clubs or environmental education classes — the closest we came to that was geography, and of course the one day a year that people did actually think about it — Earth Day.  Environmental awareness is definitely making headway by leaps and bounds and that makes me happy. I’m pleased to see that a larger portion of society has become environmentally conscious on a daily basis, which is a combination of the younger generation bringing that preservation passion with them as they climb the corporate ladder, as well as people finally realizing there is no other choice. To me, Earth Day represents a day of environmental education, a day people come together to help clean up the messes of the year, and a day that attempts to get the non-conformists to conform and hop on the “green” bandwagon, because really who better to save the planet than those that destroyed it in the first place.

Walter: Earth Day did not register with me until perhaps the early 1990s. That was over two decades after it was originated in 1970. Within that span of time the public hearings for the Halton Waste Management Site were taking place and these were eventually followed by a green light to build, by 1992, what is currently Halton’s only operating landfill. How could I have known when I went off to university in the early 1990s that there were engineers and construction crews carving up a piece of old farm land to make the landfill I work at today in Milton? As I studied to get knowledge that would turn out to actually be useful and applicable there, I do not recall any sirens going off that told me to keep going, stay the course, we need you. The path from learning about the environment and working to preserve it was not a straight line, but I am here now and that is all that matters. As a student, almost every time April 22 came around I was either cramming for or writing an exam, else I was packing up my belongings and loading them into an old rusty car, moving to my next adventure, either another co-op job, or back to school for more of the same. It wasn’t that simple to take time out for Earth Day, at least for me it wasn’t. Entering the workforce did not make it any easier either. Most places I worked at didn’t seem to make a special effort to acknowledge Earth Day, but I did hear about it on the news a lot. There was always a sense of being disconnected from it though. Like there were these other people, out there, doing good, making a difference. I imagined them as faceless do-gooders, toiling away at non-glamourous jobs, sometimes just spokes in a wheel doing their little, but important part in contributing to a positive change. I suppose now I have finally come to the point where I don’t need to imagine what these people look like any longer. I see them everyday I go in to work and every time I look at myself in the mirror. There we are (in varying degrees of glamourousness), still working, still hoping to make a difference for our planet, on this Earth Day and (with hard work) everyday. Now, does that sound like a siren going off? Probably not. But, if you are out there reading this, struggling to find meaning in your earth friendly studies, please hear this: Keep Going. Stay The Course. We Need You. You may not realize it, but we are waiting for your help. We can’t do it all alone and we’re all in this together. Hope you have a glamourous and green Earth Day everyone.

Do you have too much recycling?

Whenever people learn where I work, they almost instantly begin to share with me how they manage their waste at their home.

A lot of these people very proudly exclaim “I recycle so much!  Each week I put out five Blue Boxes and they’re almost always overflowing.”

Outwardly, I’m very excited about this great effort to recycle, but privately, my heart sinks a little bit when I think about all that waste.

Are you consuming too much just because you have a Blue Box?

Remember, the 3Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle) isn’t just a slogan.  It’s the hierarchical order created to help guide the management our waste.  So while recycling is great, it is only the third step.  We must reduce and reuse first.

Let me be very clear: if you have acceptable materials, I want you to put them in your Blue Box for recycling.  Recycling makes a huge difference, and everyone needs to participate.

But a question does need to be asked: “Why do you have so much recycling in the first place?”

Are you buying a lot of single use, disposable items?  What about items with excess packaging? Could you drink from the tap and avoid plastic water bottles?

Some weeks, my house only has one half-full Blue Box.  We don’t have a lot of papers because we don’t subscribe to any print newspapers (I read news online) and we have paperless billing for almost all services (hydro, phone, etc.).  We don’t buy bottled water in my family, and very rarely do we have pop cans or bottles (trying to avoid unnecessary sugar).

Interestingly, a recent study indicates that when people have access to recycling, they tend to consume and waste more.  Basically, individuals feel less guilty about wasting if they can recycle something.

If you have items that can be recycled, then recycle them.  But take a moment to look at your consumption and generation of those items.  Is it truly necessary?

Four ways waste management is changing – and what this means for jobs

The waste management industry you see today has come a long way. In contrast to the historical approach of managing waste disposal through land filling or burning, the emerging model for waste management focuses on reducing waste production and diverting waste from disposal. While it’s great to know these changes are happening, it’s even more beneficial to understand what these trends mean for jobs. We’re looking closely at the employment impact of four key industry trends.

Trend 1: Strong Industry Growth

I’ll start with the very best news for waste management — this industry is in a strong phase of growth. From 2004 to 2006, the solid waste management sector grew by 17% in revenues, and by 2010, over 70,000 professionals were working in this area.

Over the next few years, these employment numbers are also expected to grow. According to a recent labour market study, the demand for workers in solid waste management is set to increase by an annual compound rate of 6%, or about 4,000 new positions (Solid Waste Management Labour Market Study, ECO Canada, 2010). As a result, workers who have the right skills and training can expect good employment prospects in waste management, now and into the future.

Trend 2: Modified Skills in the Green Economy

At the same time that there’s a growing demand for workers in waste management, there’s also an intensifying need for skills in waste management.

Here’s how this subtle distinction works.

Over the course of two major studies on green employment in Canada, we found that the main impact of the green economy on jobs is the adaptation or modification of existing work. As a result, many workers must add new competencies to their skill-sets because they must perform a greater range of environment-related activities in their work.

Along this vein, waste management skills are currently required for jobs in sectors that are not traditionally associated with waste management. In fact, 10% of green job vacancies in environmental protection listed a requirement for competencies in waste management, such as characterizing waste or monitoring waste disposal and reduction programs. An additional 8% of job openings in alternative/sustainable transportation and 6% of job postings in sustainable planning & urban design also mentioned waste management skills (The Green Jobs Map: Tracking Employment through Canada’s Green Economy, ECO Canada, 2012).

In this way, waste management is increasingly relevant for work in a greater variety of areas.

Trend 3: Shift from Disposal to Diversion

The green economy is one meta-trend that is shaping waste management careers, and the emergence of the “cradle-to-cradle” concept is another. At its most basic, the idea of cradle-to-cradle involves diverting waste from disposal to help conserve landfill space and preserve natural resources. In order to reach the goal of producing less waste in the first place, many companies are now considering new ways to redesign products and packaging, substitute materials, recycle, and use progressive waste disposal technology, such as anaerobic digestion of waste products.

These are exciting times for waste management, with a growing need for professionals who have the competencies to support not just waste disposal, but also waste diversion.

Trend 4: High Retirement Rates in Upper Management

This last trend shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. Many existing employees in waste management are nearing retirement age: 39% of the waste management workforce are 50 years of age or older. Employees in this age category are more likely to have at least 10 years of experience in their field, and as a result of this seniority, many of these professionals also hold positions in upper management (Solid Waste Management Labour Market Study). Another key characteristic of these workers is their level of education. Thirty-seven percent of senior-level waste management employees have a Bachelor’s degree, while 40% hold a Master’s.

The big question is, of course, what happens when these workers retire?

Based on the current characteristics of these professionals, there will be a strong future demand for highly-educated staff who have the leadership skills and general expertise required for management positions.

Together, these four trends are driving a dramatic shift in the work opportunities and requirements for waste management professionals. It will be truly exciting to see what the coming years will bring.

What are your own thoughts of the major trends in waste management? Where do you see this industry heading?

About this guest blogger:

Angie Knowles
Guest Blogger

I’m Angie Knowles.  As a Communications Coordinator at ECO Canada, I stay up-to-date on the latest findings from our ongoing labour market research and share these results with our target audiences in formats that are as meaningful and relevant as possible. For an avid writer and major bookworm, this role is pretty close to perfect.

Halton residents divert a lot of waste at Special Waste Drop-off Days

 

Residents drop off materials at Halton Region’s Special Waste Drop-off Days

The final numbers are in for all seven of 2012’s Special Waste Drop-Off Days.

Over 5,200 vehicles dropped off materials at our seven events — in fact, Halton residents diverted 108 tonnes of household hazardous waste and 128 tonnes of electronic waste.  That means a total of 407,000 kilograms of waste didn’t go to landfill!  Thank you Halton residents for your support!

We would also like to extend our gratitude to the corporations that provide space to host these events: Sheridan College, Suncor, and Woodbine Entertainment.  In addition we would like to thank the Town of Halton Hills for use of their public works yards.  We would also like to thank our event contractors Hotz Environmental and Toronto Recycling Inc. for providing quick and efficient service.

If you missed our 2012 events, there are a number of retail locations throughout Halton that will accept electronics and household hazardous waste materials at no charge.  Halton residents can also drop off items at the Halton Waste Management Site.

In 2013, Halton will be hosting another seven Special Waste Drop-Off Days.  The first two events are coming up in April 2013.  We hope to see you there.

Our furry friends and “their business”

My two furry friends, Mowzer and Cyndal

It is estimated that there is approximately 4.5 million licensed cats in Canada, with many households owning multiple pets.

Most cats become a part of the family. These furry companions bring us much love, but just like dogs, bring us many hours of cleaning up after them.  Now, unlike a dog, our cats are neat and tidy by “doing their business” in a purchased plastic box filled with clay litter.

In many urban communities, municipal by-laws are in place to deter owners from letting their cats wander (and do their business) outside, unattended.   Therefore, pet litter becomes essential for your cat’s every day needs.

In Halton Region, any pet waste, including pet litter, cannot go in your GreenCart.  Halton’s GreenCart material is sent to the City of Hamilton’s Central Composting Facility, which is an indoor aerobic facility that breaks down your food waste in 21 days.  Accepting materials like pet waste could drastically change Halton Region’s final compost.  Pet waste and pet litter has unwanted pathogens that results in lower grade compost    The grading of composting is set by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment.  Lower grade compost becomes more difficult to market because its end use is limited.  Here in Halton Region, our GreenCart material is turned into grade AA compost that is used on farmer’s fields, acting as a natural fertilizer.

Therefore, residents must place their pet litter in the garbage.  Depending on the number of cats in your home, clean up of the pet litter may consist of a small bag, to potentially multiple bags.

Clay cat litter can make your garbage bags quite heavy.  Be sure to clean your litter boxes multiple times throughout the week, and don’t put all the litter  into just one garbage bag.  Halton Regional has a maximum garbage bag/can weight limit of 50 lbs (23 kg). So when disposing your cat litter, try to disperse it between multiple bags.  There is now a 3 garbage bag/can limit; ensure you place your cat litter among the 3 bags, not all in one, to avoid heavy bags that might not be collected.

Also, if using clay cat litter, ensure you are using a clumping litter.  Clumping litter reduces how much litter your throw out each week, which will reduce your overall garbage. After cleaning out the clumped litter, the remaining litter can last around 3 months before an entire clean out is required.

There are other cat litters on the market that are lighter and more manageable for your garbage, such as litter made from recycled paper, wooden pellets, compost, etc.  Though these litters still go in the garbage, they are much lighter and won’t greatly affect the total weight of your garbage.

Some people are willing to go that extra mile and put cat litter in their backyard composter.  This compost will act as a natural fertilizer and help keep moisture in your soil.  You can use this compost on your yard, however any compost with animal waste in it should not be used for vegetable gardens.  Do not try to compost clay cat litter, you will find this material is very hard to break down and increases the clay content in your soil.  But remember, no cat litter in the GreenCart.

With proper care, cats and other pets are great additions to any family.  With some additional attention, we can better manage the waste they produce.

All the good reasons Halton is reducing its garbage limit

A maximum of 6 garbage bags/cans are now collected every other week in Halton: 3 untagged, 3 tagged.

As of April 1, 2013, Halton Region has reduced its garbage bag limit and introduced garbage tags. Information on the program details and garbage tags can be found at www.halton.ca/garbagetags.

You may be wondering why Halton Region is reducing its garbage bag limit. There are many good reasons, including the fact that 85% of households are already below that limit because of all the great reducing and recycling that they do. Starting in April, Halton is also adding more acceptable items to the Blue Box program. We know that once Halton residents start putting this additional material in their Blue Box, there is going to be even less garbage.

Halton Region has set a waste diversion goal of 65% by 2016. By reducing the amount of material that is put in the garbage, we can extend the lifespan of Halton’s landfill. Opened in 1992 after a long and costly search, the landfill was originally forecast to close last year in 2012. But due to the waste diversion efforts of Halton residents, it is now forecast to remain operating until 2040 and with these new programs, 2044. The Halton landfill is a valuable resource that we want to conserve as long as possible. How long a landfill remains open depends on how slowly or quickly a community is producing garbage that needs burying.

An aerial photo of the Halton Waste Management Site

Halton’s landfill not only incorporated state of the art engineering principles, but also the unique characteristics of the site to protect the water and soil around the landfill. The landfill won’t last forever, but we want to put off the need to construct another landfill as long as possible. The Environmental Assessment process to approve the landfill lasted 10 years at a cost of $8 million. The cost of a new landfill site will be $700 to 900 million. It is estimated that by extending the landfill life an additional fours years, Halton taxpayers will realize a long-term savings of $15 million.

The Halton Waste Management Site is a valuable resource that we need to use sustainably so that it will continue to provide safe, efficient and reliable garbage disposal services to Halton residents for years to come. What kind of legacy do we want to leave for future Halton residents?