-
Recent Posts
Categories
- 3Rs Community Champion (11)
- Apartments (22)
- Blue Box (68)
- Businesses (13)
- Compost (40)
- Disposal (24)
- E-waste (9)
- Education (60)
- Garbage (46)
- Green Energy (5)
- Green Living (144)
- GreenCart (41)
- History (10)
- Household Hazardous Waste (21)
- Houses (41)
- Landfill (31)
- Movie Review (3)
- Product Stewardship (23)
- Recycle (122)
- Reduce (97)
- Reuse (103)
- Reuse Centres in Halton (6)
- Schools (25)
- Travel (9)
- Video (7)
- Waste Management in Canada (8)
- 3rs
- Blue Box
- business
- Canada
- career
- children
- Christmas
- climate
- compost
- composting
- conservation
- Conservation Halton
- consumerism
- disposal
- e-waste
- earth day
- eco
- education
- electronic waste
- energy conservation
- environment
- environmental education
- extended producer responsbility
- family
- food
- food waste
- Garbage
- garden
- gardening
- gift
- green jobs
- Halloween
- Halton Catholic District School Board
- Halton District School Board
- health
- high school
- history
- holidays
- holiday waste
- household hazardous waste
- International Compost Awareness Week
- landfill
- leave no trace
- litter
- Ministry of the Environment
- National Public Works Week
- nature
- new year
- ocean
- Ontario EcoSchools
- outdoors
- parents
- plants
- plastic
- presents
- product stewardship
- recycle
- recycling
- recycling council of ontario
- reduce
- reuse
- school
- science
- shopping
- sustainability
- sustainable
- travel
- vacation
- video
- waste management
- Waste Management in Canada
- water
- World Environment Day
- Yard Waste
- zero waste
Archives
- May 2014
- April 2014
- March 2014
- February 2014
- January 2014
- December 2013
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
Tag Archives: family
Children’s car seats and the 3Rs
Here at Halton Region, we often get asked if children’s car seats can be recycled or reused. This is one item that it is very difficult to apply the 3Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle). The first R, reduce, cannot be avoided … Continue reading
It started with a pickle bottle and a can
I was doing my dishes before meeting with a women’s conversation group. Beside the sink, there was a bottle and a can. I thought, “My children’s future: the glass in this bottle will never turn back to beach sand, and … Continue reading
Posted in Blue Box, Recycle
Tagged 3rs, environment, family, recycle, Recycling Revisited, waste management, zero waste
Leave a comment
Christmas: A time to renew the life of the Earth
One of the great holiday traditions at Christmas time is gathering with family and friends to set up a Christmas Manger scene in our homes and churches. I remember as a child taking great care in placing the figures of … Continue reading
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree
When I was a child I eagerly anticipated going to get a Christmas tree. I can vividly remember trekking through the snow and endless rows trying to find the perfect one. When we finally found it, the joy of yelling … Continue reading
Posted in Compost, Green Living
Tagged 3rs, artificial tree, Christmas, Christmas tree, Christmas tree farm, compost, composting, conservation, environment, fake tree, family, holiday waste, holidays, natural tree, real tree, recycle, recycling, reduce, reuse, tree
3 Comments
Chanukah and the Environment
In the darkest days of December, the Jewish community will be celebrating our annual holiday of Chanukah. This ancient ritual dates back close to 2,500 years ago when the Greek-Syrians took over the holy land of Israel from the Jewish … Continue reading
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
Posted in Blue Box, Garbage, GreenCart, Houses
Tagged 3rs, children, compost, composting, consumerism, environment, family, food, recycle, recycling, reduce, reuse, waste management
Leave a comment
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
Posted in Green Living, GreenCart
Tagged 3rs, compost, composting, environment, family, food, food waste, Ralph Martin, sustainability, World Food Day, zero waste
5 Comments
Meal planning = less stress and less waste!
Now that summer’s over, I am back to work and the kids are back in school. I am faced with my new reality of less time and more commitments. Gone are the days of deciding what to feed my family … Continue reading
Posted in Green Living
Tagged children, compost, composting, consumerism, environment, family, food, reduce, zero waste
2 Comments
Six steps to upcycling success: from baby crib to blanket rack
Several years ago, a friend’s parents were preparing their home for sale. This included decluttering three decades worth of family-oriented items before they would make a “downsizing” move to another house. During a pre-move visit, I found that many precious, … Continue reading
Posted in Green Living, Houses, Recycle, Reduce, Reuse
Tagged baby shower, before and after, blanket rack, children, cribs, Declutter, diy, downsizing, family, paint, reduce, refinish, reuse, Up cycle, upcycle, upcycling
4 Comments
Preparing for baby
I am not a consumer. My husband and I modestly pride ourselves on being minimalists. Don’t get me wrong, I do like getting something new (or new to me) once in a while, but I definitely don’t desire the latest … Continue reading
Posted in Green Living
Tagged 3rs, baby, children, conservation, consumerism, environment, family, lifestyle, pregnancy, pregnant, sustainability, sustainable, waste management
2 Comments
La Chureca – Hell on Earth
There is a place in Central America, sometimes referred to as the end of the world. It is located in the capital city of Managua, Nicaragua, along the south shore of the second largest lake in the country. It covers … Continue reading
Posted in Landfill
Tagged conservation, environment, family, La Chureca, landfill, Nicaragua, recycle, recycling, reduce, reuse, social justice, waste management, World Day of Social Justice
1 Comment
Lent and the environment – making a connection
The season of Lent is arguably the oldest of Christian holy days. Lent lasts forty days, recalling the forty days Jesus fasted in the desert to prepare for his ministry. This year it runs from February 13 to March 30, … Continue reading
Posted in Green Living
Tagged 3rs, conservation, consumerism, Easter, environment, family, Holy Week, Lent, Maple Grove United Church, place of worship, recycling, reduce, reuse, spirituality, sustainability, sustainable, waste management, zero waste
1 Comment
Eco friendly gifts for the holidays
It’s the holiday season, and as that old song goes, “it’s the most wonderful time of the year!” It’s a time for gathering with family and friends, taking part in celebrations, sharing delicious meals, and giving gifts. Unfortunately, along with all … Continue reading
Posted in Green Living, Recycle, Reduce, Reuse
Tagged 3rs, Christmas, conservation, consumerism, eco, environment, family, gift, holiday waste, holidays, presents, recycle, recycling, reduce, reuse, sustainability, sustainable, waste management, zero waste
Leave a comment
Green holiday shopping tips
It’s that time of year again, the pumpkins and leaves have been sent to the composting pile and the malls are decked in holiday décor. The stores are filling up with holiday shoppers. According to Moneyville, the average Canadian will spend … Continue reading
Posted in Green Living, Recycle, Reduce, Reuse
Tagged 3rs, children, Christmas, conservation, consumerism, eco, environment, family, food, gift, holidays, presents, recycle, recycling, reduce, reuse, shopping, sustainability, sustainable, waste management, zero waste
Leave a comment
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
Posted in Blue Box, Compost, Green Living, GreenCart, Recycle, Reduce, Reuse
Tagged 3rs, Calgary Stampeders, Canadian Football League, CFL, composting, environment, family, food, Garbage, Grey Cup, landfill, party, recycle, recycling, reduce, reuse, sustainability, sustainable, Toronto Argonauts, zero waste
1 Comment
We’re having a party… to celebrate our landfill!
We’re hosting an open house to celebrate 20 years of environmentally safe waste management in Halton Region — and you’re invited! This Saturday, September 29, 2012 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Halton residents are welcome to come to the Halton … Continue reading
Posted in Disposal, Education, Garbage, Green Living, History, Landfill
Tagged 3rs, anniversary, children, conservation, disposal, eco, environment, environmental education, family, landfill, recycle, recycling, reduce, reuse, waste management, zero waste
2 Comments
Preparing for a move in Halton Region?
While I was in the midst of packing up all my possessions to move them to my new house, I started to question my decision to do this. I am starting to understand why on the TV show Love It … Continue reading
Posted in Apartments, Blue Box, Green Living, Houses, Recycle, Reduce, Reuse
Tagged 3rs, cardboard box, conservation, environment, family, moving, new house, recycle, recycling, reduce, reuse
Leave a comment
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
Posted in Blue Box, Compost, Garbage, Green Living, GreenCart, Houses, Reduce, Reuse
Tagged 3rs, children, composting, conservation, consumerism, eco, environment, family, food, Garbage, parents, recycle, recycling, reduce, reuse, sustainability, sustainable, waste management
2 Comments
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
Posted in Blue Box, Compost, Education, Green Living, GreenCart, Recycle, Reduce, Reuse, Schools
Tagged 3rs, child development, children, curriculum, daycare, early learning, early years, education, environment, family, kindergarten, pre-school, recycling, school, teaching
4 Comments
Managing solid waste caused by emergencies and disasters
9/11 and the World Trade Center. Hurricane Katrina. The earthquake in Haiti. The tsunami in Japan. These disasters resulted in a horrifying loss of human life and the destruction of property. They also generated an unexpected amount of solid waste that needed … Continue reading
Posted in Apartments, Garbage, Green Living, History, Household Hazardous Waste, Houses, Recycle, Reduce, Reuse
Tagged 3rs, conservation, debris, disaster, disposal, earthquake, eco, education, emergency management, environment, family, federal emergency management agency, flood, household hazardous waste, hurricane katrina, landfill, litter, Peterborough, recycle, recycling, reduce, reuse, science, SWANA, tornado, tsunami, waste management, zero waste
3 Comments
Making your workouts good for the environment
I once heard someone say: “I never understand the people who get in their car, drive to a gym, and then run a treadmill for an hour, only to get back in their car and drive home. Why not run … Continue reading
Posted in Apartments, Education, Green Living, Houses
Tagged 3rs, athletic, children, environment, exercise, family, fitness, gym, health, healthy-living, leave no trace, plastic water bottle, recycling, reduce, reuse, sustainable, water bottle, zero waste
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
Posted in Apartments, Compost, Green Living, GreenCart, Houses, Recycle, Reduce, Reuse
Tagged 3rs, breakfast, children, composting, consumerism, cooking, eco, education, environment, family, food, Garbage, leftovers, parents, recipe, recycle, recycling, reduce, reuse, zero waste
4 Comments
Ultimate recycling in Haiti
Going on a mission has been on my bucket list for years. I have always envied and admired missionaries — anyone who would drop everything, and, at some personal risk, go to a foreign country experiencing health, social or environmental … Continue reading
Posted in Education, Green Living, Houses, Landfill, Recycle, Reduce, Reuse, Travel
Tagged Canadian Baptist Ministries, children, Conscience International, conservation, disposal, earth quake, earthquake, education, environment, family, Haiti, rebuild, reconstruction, recycle, recycling, reduce, region of waterloo, reuse, sustainable, travel, vacation, waste management, zero waste
4 Comments
Enjoy and protect nature when camping this summer
I love camping: getting the family together, sleeping in tents, swimming, riding my bike, sitting around a campfire making s’mores — the list goes on! Literally, camping has been something I’ve done since I was six months old. Every year, we … Continue reading
Posted in Blue Box, Compost, Education, Garbage, Green Living, Recycle, Reduce, Reuse
Tagged 3rs, camp, camping, composting, conservation, Conservation Halton, education, environment, family, Garbage, leave no trace, national park, nature, outdoors, provincial park, recycle, recycling, reduce, reuse, summer vacation, sustainability, sustainable, tent, trailer, travel, vacation, waste management, zero waste
3 Comments
How early settlers and Victorians lived sustainably for the environment
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, … Continue reading
Posted in Education, Green Living, History, Reduce, Reuse, Video
Tagged 3rs, children, early settlers, education, environment, family, food, Halton Region, Halton Region Museum, heritage, history, International Museum Day, Kelso Conservation Area, museum, Nassagawaya, nature, pioneer, recycling, reduce, research, reuse, science, sustainability, sustainable, sustainable practices, Victorian, victorians, waste management, zero waste
Leave a comment
Yard sales have always been great for the environment
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 … Continue reading
Posted in Blue Box, Disposal, Garbage, Green Living, Houses, Landfill, Recycle, Reduce, Reuse
Tagged 3rs, consumerism, eco, environment, family, garage sale, hoarding, landfill, recycle, recycling, reduce, reuse, science, spring cleaning, waste management, yard sale
2 Comments
Garbage In – Gold Out
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 … Continue reading
Posted in Compost, Education, Garbage, Green Living, Houses, Recycle, Reduce, Reuse
Tagged 3rs, backyard, backyard composter, compost, composting, conservation, education, environment, family, food, garden, gardening, garlic mustard weed, grass clippings, Halton Master Gardener, International Compost Awareness Week, nature, plants, recycling, reduce, reuse, sustainable, waste management, zero waste
3 Comments
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
Posted in Compost, Education, Green Living, GreenCart, Houses, Recycle, Schools
Tagged 3rs, backyard composter, backyard composting, compost, compost material, composting, conservation, education, environment, family, food, International Compost Awareness Week, organics, plants, recipe, recycle, recycling, science, sustainable, waste management, Yard Waste, zero waste
2 Comments
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
Posted in Apartments, Blue Box, Compost, Disposal, Education, Green Living, GreenCart, Houses, Recycle, Reduce, Reuse, Schools
Tagged 3rs, book, children, earth day, eco, education, environment, family, landfill, libraries, library, literacy, national environmental education week, reading, recycling, reduce, reuse, school, sustainable, waste management, zero waste
2 Comments
Reuse and Recycle Clothing to Help the Environment
In this 3 minute 34 second video, I interview Elisha deKort of Clothing For Charity Ltd., to learn how clothing can be reused and recycled in Halton Region to help the environment.
Posted in Apartments, Green Living, Houses, Recycle, Reduce, Reuse, Video
Tagged 3rs, children, clothes, clothing, conservation, consumerism, creativity, culture, education, environment, family, home, recycling, reduce, reuse, science, spring cleaning, style, sustainable, textiles, video, waste management, zero waste
3 Comments
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
Posted in 3Rs Community Champion, Compost, Education, Garbage, Green Living, GreenCart, Houses, Recycle, Reduce, Reuse, Schools
Tagged 3rs, ADHD, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder adhd, children, composting, curriculum, education, environment, environmental education, family, garbage cans, learning disabilities, Ontario EcoSchools, Ontario Ministry of Education, recycling, reduce, reuse, school, science, Trillium Demonstration School, waste management, zero waste
1 Comment
Earth Hour – an environmental event for the whole family
I try to instil in my children a need to protect the environment. In my family, we practice the 3Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle), and discuss other things we can do as a family to help the environment. One small way … Continue reading
Posted in Apartments, Education, Green Energy, Green Living, Houses, Schools
Tagged conservation, Earth Hour, eco, education, energy, energy conservation, environment, events, family, parenting, parents, sustainable, World Wildlife Fund, world wildlife fund wwf
4 Comments
Keep the Environment Free of Recycling Litter on Windy Days
Weather…it happens. And if you live in Halton it is fair to say that we get and see it all. It may be due to the Niagara Escarpment or the big body of water we call Lake Ontario. It may … Continue reading
Posted in Blue Box, Businesses, Green Living, Houses, Recycle, Schools
Tagged 3rs, environment, family, litter, litterbug, recycling, waste management, weather, wind, zero waste
5 Comments
How We Recycle Blue Box Materials
Ever wonder how Blue Box materials are recycled in Halton Region? In this 2 minute 33 second video, I interview Paulina Leung of Emterra Environmental, who explains how Blue Box recycling is processed. Paulina also answers some common recycling questions.
Posted in Apartments, Blue Box, Education, Green Living, Houses, Product Stewardship, Recycle, Schools, Video
Tagged 3rs, children, education, environment, family, materials recovery facility, MRF, product stewardship, recycle, recycling, recycling facility, recycling plant, school, video, waste management, zero waste
3 Comments
Sustainable Lessons from our Grandmothers
“A house needs a grandma in it.” ~ Louisa may Alcott Recently, I have been reading the excellent book, Barefoot Blogger: How To Save The Planet by Karin Kloosterman. In her book she reminds us how our grandmothers are good … Continue reading
Posted in Education, Green Living, Recycle, Reduce, Reuse
Tagged 3rs, children, education, environment, family, grandmother, grandparent, recycling, reduce, reuse, sustainable
5 Comments
Bulk Waste Collection
As the person responsible for ensuring waste is collected in a timely fashion every day, bulk waste can cause me a lot of headaches, mainly when people disregard the “rules,” and there seems to be some confusion about what we accept as … Continue reading
Posted in Garbage, Houses, Landfill, Recycle, Reduce, Reuse
Tagged 3rs, consumerism, disposal, environment, family, Garbage, landfill, recycling, waste management
2 Comments
Packing waste-free kids lunches
It’s 7 p.m. on Sunday evening and my girls and I are in the process of packing their school lunches. This year, I’m trying to get my girls more involved by having them participate in making their lunches. I have one fussy eater, … Continue reading
Posted in Education, Green Living, Recycle, Reduce, Reuse, Schools
Tagged 3rs, children, conserving, environment, family, food, parents, recycling, school, sustainable
1 Comment
The GoodGuide: Helping Consumers Make Informed Choices
Do you want to make good consumer choices when shopping, but are not sure how to do that? Do you want to choose products that do not contain harmful chemicals and are made by companies with good social policies? The … Continue reading
3Rs Community Champion – Eliot Zelem
It was mid-autumn when we had the pleasure of meeting one of Halton’s 3Rs Community Champions, Eliot Zelem. It didn’t take long before he had both amazed and inspired us with his enthusiasm and knowledge of the 3Rs — Reduce, … Continue reading
Posted in 3Rs Community Champion, Blue Box, Compost, Education, Green Living, Recycle, Reduce, Reuse, Schools
Tagged 3rs, children, composting, education, environment, environmental education, family, parents, recycling, waste management
Leave a comment
What’s Up Doc? Looking after medications environmentally
This weekend I opened up the medicine cabinet and was amazed at how many expired medications were in there. Why have I been holding on to them for so long? It was time for a major clean up. However, medications — … Continue reading
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
Posted in Blue Box, Compost, Garbage, Green Living, GreenCart, Recycle, Reduce, Reuse
Tagged 3rs, environment, family, holidays, new year, recycling, resolutions, waste management
1 Comment
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
Posted in Apartments, Blue Box, Compost, Education, Garbage, Green Living, GreenCart, Recycle, Reduce, Reuse
Tagged 3rs, children, Christmas, environment, family, holiday waste, holidays, parents, recycling, waste management
1 Comment
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
Posted in Apartments, Blue Box, Green Living, GreenCart, Recycle, Reduce, Reuse
Tagged canning, children, Christmas, environment, family, food, holiday waste, holidays, recipes, recycling
Leave a comment
Making Christmas free of waste and stress
Have you started thinking about your holiday shopping? Do you feel excitement or dread when you look at your list? Several years ago my family decided to make a change when it came to gift giving. We used to buy … Continue reading
Posted in Apartments, Blue Box, Green Living, Houses, Recycle, Reduce, Reuse
Tagged 3rs, children, Christmas, environment, family, holidays, recycling
1 Comment
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
Posted in Apartments, Blue Box, Garbage, Green Living, GreenCart, Houses, Recycle, Reduce, Reuse
Tagged 3rs, children, Christmas, environment, family, holidays, recycling, zero waste
3 Comments
A Buy Nothing Day Challenge
November 25, 2011 is Buy Nothing Day (BND) in North America. What is BND you may ask? BND was created in Vancouver in 1992 by Ted Dave, a social critic and media activist, as a time for all of us … Continue reading
Posted in Businesses, Disposal, Education, Garbage, Green Living, Reduce, Reuse
Tagged 3rs, Buy Nothing Day, consumerism, environment, family, sustainable, zero waste
11 Comments
Teaching Children about Recycling and the Environment
“Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” — I recently heard my 4 year old singing this. Sadly he didn’t learn this song from me, but as part of the curriculum at his daycare. As I watched him take his 2 year old brother by the … Continue reading
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
Posted in Compost, Garbage, Green Living, GreenCart, Houses
Tagged composting, environment, family, food
2 Comments
The Abundance of Stuff
Television presents us with a spectrum of shows about families dealing with clutter. You can watch shows about basic home organization (Neat; Home Made Simple), shows about extreme cleaning (How Clean is Your House?), shows about clutter (Clean Sweep; Enough Already) and the guiltiest-pleasure … Continue reading