GTN 2
17/6/19
Zero-Waste
Every year, humans produce over a trillion kilos of garbage, much of which can be Refused, Reduced, Reused, Recycled or Rotted. Each Canadian produces more than 750 kg per year! One part of keeping our planet healthy is to minimize our waste. This edition of the Green Team Newsletter is all about creating a zero-waste community (or the closest version to that possible). It’s not about being perfect, it’s about making better choices. Here we will talk about methods for decreasing our environmental footprint. - Matthew (chief editor)
Quick Snacks, easy & delicious
Millions and millions of people around the world buy their snacks from grocery stores and other external sources, and all the non-recyclable rappers from snacks and food are tossed into the trash. This is one of the issues that causes excessive waste; a granola bar made in New York will make the 600 km ride to Montreal causing air pollution and using energy. Our mission here in Green Team is to help people understand how to protect the environment. This means decreasing our waste output and decreasing garbage production coming from store-bought snacks. These recipes are easy to make at home, and produce no waste. If you take them on the go, wrap them in bee wraps, a cloth napkin or a Mason jar (we love Mason jars!!!).
Here we have a few vegan snack recipes, our initiative is to make a better future by making our own vegan environmentally friendly snack instead of going out and buying packaged / shipped goods. Make the world a better place one recipe at a time!
- Mahan M.
Vegan Tip: Often vegetarian recipes can easily be made vegan by replacing simple things like honey with maple syrup or agave!
Wait for upcoming newsletters with more food related content including recipes !
Waste, A Wake-Up Call
You may have been told many times in your life why it is so good to compost and recycle. Maybe you have taken this seriously. But maybe you have just shrugged off this warning, and not cared. Maybe when you finish an apple, you still throw the core into the first trash bin you see. Maybe you have heard this warning, and just not understood the gravity of the situation, or why it is so important.
This following article will not be accusatory. Above all, it is meant as a friendly wake-up call, to teach you about a problem you might not even know you are contributing to.
Plastic, trash, it’s everywhere. Nearly everything we buy has plastic: shampoo bottles, ziploc bags, containers, thousands and thousands of plastic wrappings. So where does all this plastic go?
We are lucky: here in Canada, there are programs in most municipalities to recycle and more and more, to compost our trash. But in most other countries around the world, this plastic is thrown out, and ends up in landfills, or, even worse, into the ocean.
The main problem with plastic is that it takes, on average, 1 000 years to decompose, meaning that it just stays there, out in the open.
You may be thinking, why is this bad? (although hopefully you’re not).
Well, it’s bad because, first of all, we have a mass accumulation of garbage, but secondly because animals eat it. And because, unlike food, plastic doesn’t decompose in the animal’s system, they can’t digest it, so it gets stuck there, blocking their digestive system. The result of this? They can’t eat food any more, and die.
Have you ever heard of Garbage Island? It’s a big “island” in the middle of the pacific ocean, the center of a meeting point of three currents. This means that a lot of plastic is sucked there. So this island? Forget your image of a pretty sandy beach with palm trees: the island is made entirely out of garbage.
And that’s not the only problem with plastic! Plastic is made out of oil. We transport this oil overseas, accidents happen and boats sink, oil spills everywhere. This is catastrophic, and the effects can last over decades. The wildlife gets poisoned by the oil, and the marine birds who get oil on their feathers can no longer fly.
Okay. So hopefully now you’re thinking: oh, god, that’s awful! But maybe you’re also thinking: Buuut… What can I do about it?
Well, if that’s what you’re thinking, we’ve got some suggestions!
Some things you can do to help the situation is to avoid plastic. There are a lot of items we buy on an everyday basis that are wrapped three times over in plastic! Simply refuse to buy this type of packaging. Instead, choose compostable or reusable wrapping options. For example, instead of buying fruits and vegetables in a supermarket like Provigo, Super C, Costco or Loblaws, you can go to a market with a pile of reusable produce bags and get everything you need with no (or very, very little) wrapping!
Instead of getting deodorants and lip balms and the such that come with those big plastic tubes, make your own in little mason jars at home! [Recipes can be found here!]
Did you know that coffee cups are not recyclable? I know, sucks, right? So if you are a coffee amateur, get a Keep Cup: these cups are made specially the same size as regular disposable coffee cups so that companies can make your coffee in them but afterwards you take them home and wash them instead of throwing them out!
There’s an app called ‘Ça va où’. Someone using this app can simply look up an object and the app will tell you, depending on what city you live in, where to dispose of that object (recycling, compost or garbage). The app is operated by RECYC-QUÉBEC.
If you have something you don’t want anymore, you don’t have to throw it out: you can give it away instead, to charities like Goodwill or the Salvation Army so someone else can use it. That way, less people have to buy more new stuff. And even if it’s a little broken: you can just patch it up a little and if you still don’t want it, then you can give it away.
And of course, make sure to practice the 5 Rs! REFUSE, REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE and ROT! Right?
Coffee Cups Opinion Piece: https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/opinion-single-use-coffee-cups-are-a-blight-lets-emulate-freiburg
Petition to Protect Oceans (against many things including plastic): https://bit.ly/2Marggy
Recycling Videos:
What happens to the plastic you throw away?
Is recycling (as it works now) the perfect solution?
This video highlights the importance of sorting and staying educated about how our systems currently work. Would you be interested in GTN exploring which recycling system worldwide is the most efficient? By extension, how our system could improve? Let us know: greenteam@stgeorges.qc.ca !
*Please do not take this video as a reason not to recycle at all*
Tip:
Use the Flashfood app. Buy foods with a shorter shelf life for a discount! This diminishes food waste and gets you a deal!
101 EASY ZERO-WASTE TIPS!
- I recommend this blog. Kathryn is reasonable, positive, passionate and clever! She’s a great person to follow if zero waste is your passion and also has great tips to get started!
- While reading the article, write down the suggestions that interest you! From that list pick one or two and start implementing them! When you’re done, pick another and so on!
- READ HERE: https://bit.ly/2p6bIOo
Remember the 5 Rs!!
When thinking of what to do with something, follow the order of The 5 Rs! Let's say you have no more use for some paper, you should recycle it before composting it.
*What you cannot recycle or compost goes to the landfill!
Can’t help but go on a trip?
Reduce damage to our planet by offsetting the CO2 emitted from your travels through Compensation CO2 Québec.
Us humans have produced too much CO2, making it a major contributor to climate change. Fortunately, trees absorb it! Compensation CO2 Québec plants trees that reforest the province and reduce your impact as much as possible.
http://www.compensationco2.ca/
SWAP DON’T SHOP!
What & Why?
A clothing swap is a fun get together with friends! You get to dig into your friends cool styles and find pieces you may not have bought otherwise. If there is an article of clothing you cannot wear anymore but has sentimental value, it’s kept within your circle. These meetups are usually chill hangouts, but can also be a full event. You could really have any number of people, but at least 5 is recommended. However, doing some trading between just one of your friends can be fun too!
Click here for types of swaps & invitations! →→
Zero-waste travel kit.movZero Waste Travel Kit
Have you ever gone to a fast-food place to grab a bite and felt overwhelmed by just how much unnecessary waste is being created? Ketchup packets, styrofoam containers, plastic forks & bottles and single-use straws…. just to eat!
Well not anymore! Make your own travel dining kit: it’s easy and customizable. Take it with you when you spend a day out. Whether you go to a cafe, diner, salad bar or drive-in, it’ll come in handy. Watch the video below to find out how I made my travel kit.
Step-by-step guide to a zero-waste home:
By Shirley Barnea
You’ve probably heard the words “zero-waste” before. You might have heard about people who can fit all of their trash for the past few years inside a mason jar. And you’ve probably thought “that’s impossible”. But actually, reducing your waste is easier than you think. The key is to change your wasteful habits one at a time, making sure you are comfortable with each new habit, and soon they will become second nature and you will have so much less waste! It’s important not to get discouraged if you are having trouble, because everything you do makes a positive impact! Here are a few simple things you can do to reduce your waste:
1. Refuse freebies
This is probably the simplest and easiest thing you can do, but makes a big difference. We don’t notice it, but over time we all accumulate mountains of free pens, toys from the dentist and shirts from events that we will never wear. So next time a salesperson offers you a pair of hideous sunglasses, just say no!
2. Properly dispose of everything you can
Your garbage bin will automatically shrink by at least half! If you don’t know what goes where, check out compost and recycling 101 and the montreal recycling guide. If your district/area doesn’t have compost (yet), you can get it from Compost Montreal or another private company, or try home composting! It doesn’t stop there. Donate unwanted clothes and toys, recycle plastic #6 at the Lasalle ecocentre and check out Terracycle, they’ve found a way to recycle just about anything!
3. Avoid products in non-recyclable/non-compostable packaging
This will make a huge difference! If everything you buy comes in recyclable/compostable packaging, you will have almost no waste!
4. Bring your own...
shopping bag, cutlery, takeout container, to-go coffee cup. It may be annoying at first, but you’ll get used to it in no time! The key is to keep each item in a strategic place like in the car, by the front door or in your bag, and make it a habit to always have them with you.
5. Reuse your plastic bags when buying produce
Chances are, you have a drawer or shelf full of plastic bags at home, just waiting to be used. So use them! Next time you go to the grocery store, grab a bunch of your old bags and put the produce you buy in them - the cashier won’t even notice! Don’t be afraid to to flip your used bags inside out and wash them to reuse, and if they really are too dirty, don’t forget to RECYCLE! Or better, get a set of reusable, washable cloth produce bags!
6. Shop the bulk aisle with your reused plastic bags
Don’t limit your use of reused plastic bags to products that come only unpackaged: most grocery stores have a nice bulk aisle where you can find most of what you’re looking for, and usually for cheaper! So next time you need some nuts or beans, go check it out... with your reused plastic bags or your cloth bags!
7. Shop at bulk stores
Once you feel comfortable with bringing your own bags, start bringing your own mason jars! (of course, you can still bring your reused plastic bags) Bulk stores also have a much wider range of products, including spices, cleaning products, liquids and personal care products. Some good places to go in Montreal are Vrac et Bocaux, Frenco, Mega Vrac, and Loco.
8. Buy second hand clothes and other second hand stuff
A common thing that people do to go green is start buying things from more responsible companies. The problem is that these companies are rare and usually way more expensive. However, buying second hand is even better (and way cheaper) than trying to find responsible companies, since the things you buy have already been produced and were otherwise destined for the landfill.
9. Make your own...
deodorant, lip balm, toothpaste, beauty products, reusable food wraps, there are so many thing you can make yourself! Here are a few to get you started. Click here for more!
10. Get zero waste products
Some things, you can’t make yourself. Some good products you can get are bamboo toothbrushes, compostable floss, reusable lunch containers, wooden hairbrushes, reusable bags, bar shampoo and more! Find them at bulk stores or online at Wild Minimalist.
REALITY CHECK: zero-waste ≠ only DIY
READ ARTICLE: https://bit.ly/2I6gqTo
"Too much DIY, not enough realism. Let's just do our best."
Treehugger has other good articles when it comes to living without waste!
CORRECTIONS:
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🌱 CREDITS: Julieta L-R, Matthew H, Emma B, Joey D, Shirley B, Mahan M. | With help from: Danielle D.
🌱 Much Love,
GREEN TEAM 🌱