Tag: waste reduction

Recycle twice: Re-use before recycling

As part of my waste reduction challenge I am trying to re-use more things here at home before recycling them. I’ve already been using the back side of pages that I had printed and didn’t turn out right as note-paper, however I rarely print, (who prints these days?), so I ran out. Since then I have started re-using the blank parts of the junk mail that shows up in my mailbox – I just cut the usable parts out and recycle the rest. It’s amazing how many items have good-sized blank areas, for example, most envelopes have at least the back blank, and may have the entire inside blank as well.

Here’s my collection from just the last few days:
Recycling

Garden, and a Waste Reduction Challenge

Baby GardenIt seems to be springtime here in Montréal. The snow is pretty much melted, bulbs and some perennials are up, grass is getting greener, and most of the stuff that was hidden under the snow has been swept away. That means it’s time to garden!

I started early this year. Last week I started a bunch of different seeds, mostly herbs & flowers, (tomatoes will be bought), and I already have some cinnamon basil and marigold seedlings. The plan is to produce as much as possible! I’ll also try to write about it sometimes with photos as I have previously.

Spring CompostWith the spring thaw I am once again able to access my composter, so starting today on Earth Day I am starting the Waste Reduction Eco-Challenge: a challenge to reduce the amount of garbage I throw out as much as possible. This won’t be as formal a challenge as the electricity eco-challenge, (update soon), it is more of a personal challenge without charts & stuff, but it is a challenge! The plan is to compost and recycle as much as possible, and to try not to bring as much stuff that needs to be thrown out into the house.