Wondering what you can do?
There are practical things we can all do to reduce waste.
Waste Reduction
We separate our garbage into recyclables, compost, and landfill garbage bags.
By separating out recyclables you help put reusable material back in the cycle, reducing the need for new resources. Details on how to separate in this region can be found here.
We eat most of the food we buy.
The average Canadian throws out about 400 lbs. of food per year, about $1,450 worth.
We take our waste to where it can be disposed of properly and recycled.
Things like paint, fluorescent bulbs and batteries or other household hazardous waste can be brought to the mobile eco-depot or various drop-off sites in south-eastern NB.
We buy bulk groceries to minimize plastic waste.
This is also good for your wallet.
We repair or refurbish broken things.
Maker spaces, tool cafés and tool libraries are popping up across the country! These options provide access to tools and expertise.
We use reusable coffee mugs and water bottles.
Every year Canadians use over 5 billion single-use coffee cups and water bottles.
We use reusable bags when we go shopping.
Canadians use 3 billion plastic bags a year. Bags take 1000 years to break down and are ending up in the oceans, where they are killing marine animals.
We compost what we can’t eat.
Organic waste in landfills produces a lot of methane, which contributes to climate change.
We participate in shoreline and beach cleanups.
By 2050, it is estimated there will be more plastic in the oceans than fish. Every piece of plastic removed from shorelines and beaches can make a difference.
We bring our own containers to take-out restaurants and stores.
Some stores now have a reusable container program.
We shop at second-hand, thrift or consignment stores when it comes to clothing.
Canadians buy about 70 new clothes a year and more than 25 billion pounds of textiles end up in North American landfills yearly. There are too many clothes in the world for the amount of people.
We skip the straw.
Straws are nearly impossible to recycle. Ask restaurants and bars to omit the straw when they bring you your drink.