Waste free grocery stores and zero waste lifestyle boutiques continue to pop up in Vancouver, Toronto and New York. It’s not just peace-love-and-granola multi-taskers that are getting onboard with this trend. Everywhere you turn, people are going one step further to save the earth, and they’re not just cutting down on garbage, they’re cutting down on recycling too! Here’s how:
Buy milk in glass bottles.
It’s fantastic that milk bags, cartons and plastic jugs can be recycled. But in 2018, milk in glass bottles is the way to go! The first time you buy milk this way, you’ll have to pay a bottle deposit. But from then on, just rinse the empty bottle and exchange it for a full one.
Make your own bread.
You know that feeling you get when you arrive at your favourite bakery and all the loaves are still warm? Well, you can make that happen daily, by making your own bread! Whether you bake it in the oven, or in a bread maker you’ll be reducing the amount of plastic and paper sleeves you recycle.
Buy spices in bulk.
Next time your glass or metal spice jars are empty, don’t toss them in the recycling bin. Instead refill them at your local bulk-food store. The first time you go, take the spice jars to the cashier to get weighed. Once your jars are filled with spices, the cashier will weigh the container, and remove the jar’s weight so that you are only paying for the weight of the spice.
Crockpot vs. Take-out
Ordering take-out for a family of four? The good news is that food containers, plastic cutlery, and plastic delivery bags can all be recycled. But be warned, your blue bin will definitely overflow. Consider planning one or more slow cooker meals a week, and you’ll be amazed at how much recycling you’ll cut down on.
Wage war on junk mail.
Peaceful steps to stop junk include:
- Email or call the businesses that you no longer wish to receive mail from.
- Put a note on your mailbox that reads: We do not wish to receive Canada Post Neighbourhood Mail™.
- To stop the delivery of all Personalized Mail™ items, including catalogues and coupons, fill out a form on the Canadian Marketing Association’s website:https://cornerstonewebmedia.com/cma/submit.asp.
- Make your own no junk mail sign with a slogan like ‘Save the trees, no junk mail please’. Or you can order a weatherproof sign from the millions of options available online.
