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Gabriela Haden-Pawlowska endorsed 2014-06-13 16:11:51 -0400Didn’t need to as I have a green bin and I use it.
Challenge 7 - Grow Green Bins
Help Grow Green Bins
One of the biggest types of waste is organic waste - this includes food waste and other things that can be composted, like tissues. However, many Torontonians just don’t have green bins. A large number of people who live in apartments and condos don’t have access to green bins. Many schools, small businesses and community centres across the City also don’t have green bins. That means thousands of tonnes of food waste are going to landfill.
The good news is that the City offers green bins to every apartment, business, school and building that the City collects waste from.
Challenge:
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Help bring green bins to more Toronto buildings. Call or email the building manager of your apartment, school or community centre to let them know that you'd like green bins for the building.
- If you have green bins at home, think about community centres, businesses and other places you go that don't have green bins, but should. Write to the relevant property manager, or call your Councillor.
Make a phone call, or use our suggestions below to send a letter to your building manager.
Dear (INSERT NAME of relevant property manager for your apartment, school, temple, etc),
INSERT PERSONAL STATEMENT - e.g. "I live in this building." Or "I attend this school." Or "I use this Community Centre for weekly classes."
Food waste is the largest single type of waste in our garbage. Toronto studies found that up to 70% of garbage from residents in apartments is food waste.
Organic waste collection, or green bins, can greatly reduce waste, recycling valuable nutrients back into the soil. With City of Toronto collection, green bin pick up is free, which also means lower waste bills.
Please bring green bin collection to our APARTMENT / CONDO / SCHOOL / COMMUNITY building, so that we can start reducing waste.
Sincerely
YOUR NAME, ADDRESS / EMAIL ADDRESS
Take the extra step:
Endorse
Start a backyard composter, or set up a worm composter on your balcony or at your office!
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Challenge 10 - Send your Electronics to a Better Place
Send your Electronics to a Better Place
Electronic waste, or e-waste, is a growing problem in Canada. It includes computers, cell phones (and their cables and batteries), TVs, printers, stereos and speakers. The heavy metals, flame retardants and rare minerals in e-waste can be extremely harmful to the environment and human health. Some estimate that e-waste only makes up 4% of the waste stream, but it accounts for 70% of the toxic pollution in our landfills.
The best thing is to keep e-waste out of landfill. Repair your old electronics if you can still use them, or donate or sell them to someone who can use them. But if it’s definitely not fix-able, send your e-waste to be safely recycled by the City.
Challenge:
- Repair, reuse or recycle your old electronics. Upload a photo in the comments below and tell us about it!
How to recycle your e-waste
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If you live in a house, just set out your e-waste on garbage day. Use the green bag delivered with your waste calendar, or put the waste in a box by the curb (best to put out a number of things at once).
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If you live in an apartment or condo, talk with your building manager about getting an e-waste collection spot for the whole building. When it's full, they just call the City for collection.
- You can drop off e-waste (and other special waste) at Community Environment Days held across Toronto in the spring, summer and fall. Community Environment Days are held in each ward, ensuring that residents in all parts of the City have a nearby location to safely handle waste. Find out when your local event is on the City website.
Did you recycle or reuse your old electroncis? Send us a photo and tell us about it below!
Endorse
- Repair, reuse or recycle your old electronics. Upload a photo in the comments below and tell us about it!
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Gabriela Haden-Pawlowska endorsed 2014-06-13 16:09:51 -0400I keep my toxic waste until my local community environment day and drop it off there
Challenge 9 - Tackle Toxic Trash
Tackle Toxic Trash
Certain types of waste can't go in the garbage or recycling bin because they contain toxic ingredients that can harm the environment or human health. This type of special waste needs to be sorted and sent to the right place so it can be recycled properly.
Special waste includes batteries, CFLs (compact fluorescent lights) and fluorescent tubes, medication, paint, oil, nail polish and cleaning products (anything with a 'hazard' symbol). Read the full list on the City website.
Challenge:
- Create a space in your home to store this. Choose a safe place away from kids and pets and keep all products in their original containers. Make a sign and let everyone in your household know about it.
- If you live in an apartment, ask your building manager to create a Special Waste drop off spot. They can call the City to collect it.
- Upload a photo of your waste collection spot in the comments below.
Where to recycle your hazardous and special waste:
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Residents can drop off special waste free at any of the 7 City waste Drop-off depots.
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You can drop off special waste (and other things) at Community Environment Days held across Toronto in the spring, summer and fall. Community Environment Days are held in each ward, ensuring that residents in all parts of the City have a nearby location to safely handle waste. Find out when your local event is on the City website.
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If you've got a lot of special waste, the Toxic Taxi can come right to your door to collect special waste for free. You need the equivalent of 10 litres of hazardous waste (about 2 and half paint cans). Call 311 or fill out an online request.
- If you live in an apartment, talk to your Property Manager about arranging a collection day for the whole building
Take the extra step:
Endorse
Find ways to reduce the special and hazardous waste in your home. Use rechargeable batteries instead of disposables. Or make non-toxic cleaners that are safer for you and the environment. See recipes in Section 8 of TEA's Toxics Reduction Tool Kit.
- Create a space in your home to store this. Choose a safe place away from kids and pets and keep all products in their original containers. Make a sign and let everyone in your household know about it.
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Gabriela Haden-Pawlowska endorsed 2014-06-13 16:08:21 -0400I tend not to shop at big grocery stores so I buy what I need rather that packaged things. I cook my own food so if I want soup I make it. I also reuse bags that I put my purchases in esp if they are clean plastic bags. I don’t want my bags sitting around for 400 years
Challenge 8 - Send Packaging Packing
Send Your Packaging Packing
Too much packaging, wrapping, padding and stuffing comes with most products today. Most of it isn't necessary and is really just a way for companies to advertise. The worst part is that a lot of packaging isn't recyclable in your Blue Box!
Take a look at the things you buy - is there an alternative with less packaging or recyclable packaging?
For example, you can buy food in bulk stores to avoid food packaging.
Challenge:
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Avoid products with excessive packaging, or non-recyclable packaging, or Change what you buy to avoid packaging and tell us about it
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Snap a photo and share your story
Take the extra step:
Sign our petition to ask companies to stop using non-recyclable materials and to stop offloading the cost of disposal to cities. Click here to sign the petition.Read TEA's report on how companies can take responsibility for their product and packagin waste, including great examples of Ontario companies that are already doing it!
Endorse
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Gabriela Haden-Pawlowska endorsed 2014-06-13 16:04:59 -0400I use the calendar to help me and any visiting family members sort things appropriately
Challenge 3 - Use Toronto's Trash Tools
Use Toronto’s Trash Tools
Did you know that in Toronto, more than half of what residents are putting into their garbage bag shouldn't be there? Much of what is put out as garbage can actually be recycled or composted.
There is a lot to learn about Toronto’s waste, and how we can reduce it.
The good news is that the City has a number of user-friendly tools to help you put your waste in the right place!
Challenge:
- Visit toronto.ca/wastewizard and bookmark the Waste Wizard, a simple online search tool to identify where to put your waste.
- The free City waste calendar lists waste collection days and each month features a number of tips on how to sort your waste - if you didn’t get one, order one now by calling 311 or send an email to [email protected] and ask for a Waste Calendar.
Tip: See "What Goes Where" on City of Toronto website for links to information on how to sort and set out your waste.
Take the extra step:
Endorse
If you already use the City tools above, share these links with a friend, or a family member.
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Gabriela Haden-Pawlowska endorsed 2014-06-13 16:01:48 -0400I have a medium garbage bin but it is never full. Usually just 2 shopping bags per pickup
Challenge 2 - Measure Your Waste
Knowing how much waste you produce will help you identify how it can be reduced!
- Use Tool #1 OR Tool #2 below to calculate the approximate garbage your household creates in a year.
- Enter your calculated household waste per year in the comment box below to complete the challenge.
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Gabriela Haden-Pawlowska answered 2014-06-13 16:00:00 -0400Q: 4 - What do you hope to get from the Waste Free Challenge?
A: Ideas on reducing waste
Challenge 1 - Waste Free Survey
The Waste Free Challenge is 10 simple steps that anyone in Toronto can take.
Take the survey
Tell us about you, and why you are taking the Challenge!