Category Archives: GreenCart

Put waste in the right place

Have you used Halton Region’s popular Put Waste In Its Place database? Simply type the name of an item and we’ll tell you how to recycle, compost or dispose of it properly. Here’s a list of the top five most commonly searched … Continue reading

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Egg-cellent information about recycling

Sunny-side, over easy, scrambled or hard-boiled — who doesn’t love an egg? Remember, egg shells go in the GreenCart. Paper egg cartons go in the GreenCart. Clear plastic egg cartons go in the Blue Box. Styrofoam egg cartons go in … Continue reading

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School lunch programs and the packaging waste they create

When I was in elementary school, we’d have hot dog days once every few months. Parents would get together and steam hot dogs in the staff room. The hot dogs came wrapped in a paper napkin, and we had a … Continue reading

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Will you be my green Valentine?

It may feel like we’ve just gotten through the holiday season and now it is already time to start thinking about yet another holiday — Valentine’s Day. While Valentine’s Day is about celebrating love, it can result in a lot … Continue reading

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2014 Halton Waste Management Guide and Collection Calendar – how it’s made

Starting tomorrow, residents of Halton Region will start to receive their 2014 Waste Management Guide & Collection Calendar. This popular guide — the largest public document produced by Halton — provides you with your waste collection schedule, and information about Blue … Continue reading

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Five person family — one bag of garbage

I was out walking with my kids the evening before our waste collection day and my 6 year old commented that a neighbour down the street had A LOT of garbage. It’s funny what kids notice! I decided against speculating … Continue reading

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Are you throwing away edible food?

My personal journey with food waste started in October 2011, when I heard Dr. Ralph Martin, Loblaw Chair in Sustainable Food Production from the University of Guelph, deliver a keynote speech about how we are going to feed ourselves in … Continue reading

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Cups runneth over

The summer season is in full swing — bringing long weekends and warmer temperatures, backyard barbeques and outdoor parties. Entertaining in the summer is fun and, while reusable beverage cups are truly the best option, many find that outdoor entertaining … Continue reading

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It’s easier to clean our hands than to clean our compost

This is a call out to residents to ensure we are all treating the GreenCart with the respect it deserves.  Many residents are unaware that the material you throw in your GreenCart is being turned into beautiful compost.  This compost … Continue reading

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All the good reasons Halton is reducing its garbage limit

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 http://www.halton.ca/garbagetags. You may be wondering why Halton Region is reducing its garbage … Continue reading

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Score a touchdown for the environment! Make your Grey Cup party green

Touchdown! Coming from the Canadian prairies, Grey Cup football parties were a time to show my “Rider Pride” green.  Now “green” takes on a whole new meaning, with efforts to make my Grey Cup party environmentally friendly. This year marks the … Continue reading

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Fostering environmental literacy through Ontario EcoSchools

Students across Ontario are going green!  They’re collecting classroom recycling and organics, ensuring energy is being conserved, creating outdoor learning spaces, and learning about how their actions — no matter how small — can make a big difference for our … Continue reading

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St. Luke: Eco’s Best Friend

St. Luke Catholic Elementary School is a great school because we use R, R, R!  Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. First we have “Walk to School Day,” which is a day where our whole school walks to school so we don’t … Continue reading

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The importance of waste management and fresh water resources: Looking at Indonesia’s Citarum River

Before you read this blog post, you may want to watch this YouTube video on the Citarum River: We are so lucky to have the fresh water resources and river systems that we do in Ontario. I have been very … Continue reading

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Posted in Blue Box, Disposal, Green Living, GreenCart, Household Hazardous Waste | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Tips to help your waste collector out

Your neighbourhood waste collection operator has a tough job.  This summer’s weather has made their job even tougher due to the extreme temperatures we’ve experienced. I recently asked one of our contractor collection staff how he was managing in the … Continue reading

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An inadvertent side effect of a Full House – How would Uncle Jesse manage all this waste?

A little while back my in-laws decided to downsize and sell their house. They got into the early spring market and voila — their house sold in record time at full asking price.  Only problem was that everything happened a … Continue reading

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Let’s reduce, reuse, recycle when going back to school

It’s yet again that time of year… back to school! It’s time to find out what can be reused from last year’s wardrobe and what school supplies are still in good condition to be used again. As each school year … Continue reading

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Make environmental choices when “back to school” shopping

Time for back to school!  I visit Staples for some some environmentally friendly options for “back to school” supplies.

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Teaching children about recycling with fun activities

Young children at home or in daycare, pre-school or kindergarten, can develop a love of the environment and commitment to recycling and composting through fun activities. Many schools are implementing Ontario’s Full Day Kindergarten, a play-based education program.  Within this … Continue reading

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Going green while going for the gold at the Olympics

The countdown is on — the London 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics Games are only days away. This major sporting event is enjoyed by tens of thousands of spectators in the host city and is watched by hundreds of millions … Continue reading

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Guess what Mom and Dad? I got a job at a landfill!

I recently started working for Halton Region Waste Management Services as a Waste Management Program Coordinator. While in the past I have worked in the waste management industry, my office has always been removed from frontline activities.  Most other Greater … Continue reading

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Posted in Blue Box, Education, Garbage, Green Living, GreenCart, Landfill, Recycle, Reduce, Reuse | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Oy vey, the data! Using data to understand how much material we recycle, compost and throw away

Did you know, on a daily basis approximately 600 tonnes of total waste is collected from the curb?  Of that, 45% is Blue Box recycling and GreenCart organics, and 20% is yard waste.  And there is an average of 60 … Continue reading

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Posted in Blue Box, Disposal, Education, GreenCart, Household Hazardous Waste, Landfill, Product Stewardship, Recycle, Reduce, Reuse | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Reduce waste and reuse your leftovers for delicious new meals

I love leftovers!  I love making a new meals or baked goods out of food that was left from the night before, or even from fruit that we just didn’t get around to eating.  I love the idea of being … Continue reading

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Posted in Apartments, Compost, Green Living, GreenCart, Houses, Recycle, Reduce, Reuse | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Travelogue – Sustainable Vacationing in Costa Rica

I recently travelled to the Gulf of Papagayo in beautiful Costa Rica for a one week escape to paradise. I stayed at a resort with many Canadian, American and European travellers, as well as a few locals that were on their spring … Continue reading

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Great Acts Are Made Up of Small Deeds

The old saying goes “reduce, reuse and recycle.”  In times of environmental crisis, these three simple words are an excellent guide to live by. Unfortunately, people tend to focus solely on the latter of the three, completely disregarding the importance … Continue reading

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

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 … Continue reading

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A recap of Municipal Waste Association’s spring 2012 conference

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, … Continue reading

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

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, … Continue reading

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

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 … Continue reading

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Visit the Library, Read a Book, Help the Environment

Earth Day is coming up on April 22.  What better way to prepare for this important celebration of our earth than by reading books about the environment.  One of the best places to access environmental books is your local library, where the “reuse” … Continue reading

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3Rs Community Champion: Trillium Demonstration School reduces garbage to recycle more

Students at Trillium Demonstration School have taken the planet to heart — incorporating environmental initiatives into everything they do. “We only have one planet, so we need to minimize garbage to try to preserve it,” said a Trillium student. The … Continue reading

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4 Songs that Put Waste to Music

The 3Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle) really do get people inspired, and they sometimes put their passion into song. I love music and I love to write lyrics & songs… and apparently many other people who care about the environment also share … Continue reading

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10 Environmental New Year’s Resolutions

It’s that time of the year again.  Christmas has come and gone; the dinners are over but definitely not forgotten. We’re all complaining about those few extra pounds the holidays brought us.  For many of us, it’s time for New … Continue reading

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Tips for an Environmentally-friendly Christmas Morning

If you have children like I do, Christmas morning can create a whole new dimension of waste! Anyone who’s attempted to open (not to mention assemble) a child’s toy on Christmas morning knows that bleeding fingers and an engineering degree … Continue reading

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Encouraging You to Reuse This Christmas

‘Tis the season to begin my Christmas shopping.  Every year I try to put a new twist on ensuring my gifts to family and friends are recyclable, compostable or re-usable. I also take great care in making something each year … Continue reading

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Tips For a “Waste-less” Holiday

The holiday season brings with it a lot of excitement.  For many of us it’s a time for family gatherings, food, and gift giving.  Whether you celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanza or just enjoy the time spent with family and friends, … Continue reading

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3Rs Community Champion: White Oaks Futures Program Promotes Reuse

Did you know that plastic bags account for about 3% of the average household garbage bag in Halton? Concerned about the number of plastic bags being buried in the landfill, students in the Futures Program at White Oaks Secondary School, … Continue reading

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Garbage. Waste. What’s in a Name?

Many people use the words “waste” and “garbage” interchangeably. However, within the waste management profession, “waste” acutally means something different than “garbage.”  Waste is anything being thrown away, including Blue Box, GreenCart, Yard Waste, Household Hazardous Waste and Garbage materials.  Garbage … Continue reading

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Composting is good but wasting less food is better!

Let’s face it, we’ve all done it, we’ve let the broccoli, strawberries, and bread, go bad. Luckily for Halton residents, we have the GreenCart program that accepts those food items and more we’ve so easily let expire. Let’s take a … Continue reading

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Instead of red and orange, let’s see “Green” this Thanksgiving

It’s that time of the year again where many families get together for Thanksgiving to enjoy delicious food and the beautiful array of colours the fall season has brought upon us. Thanksgiving is one of my favourite holidays; it’s like Christmas … Continue reading

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