97% of Canadians recycle where roadside pick up is available. That’s excellent! But roadside recycling is only part of the solution. What about recyclables that do not get picked up roadside? Over the next few weeks, I will look at four items that are recyclable but that aren’t picked up curbside: medications, batteries, Information Technology waste and paint.  More Canadians could be recycling these items and probably would be if they had the right information.

Expired and unused medications find their way into our medication basket at our home and once in awhile I go through the basket and clean it out. This year, when my mother’s medication regiment changed, the pharmacist handed me a bag of old medications and vitamins. I asked the pharmacist if they could dispose of them safely and she said I should find someone who might want them. Huh?

O.K. so maybe the vitamins. Fine. I’ll see what I can do. Well, I started asking around and everyone just looked at me as though I was growing a couple of extra heads. No one who knew and trusted me needed them and no one who needed them knew and trusted me. I didn’t blame them. So where should I take all these old meds and why?

Recent studies have shown that pharmaceuticals and personal care products disposed of incorrectly find their way into our waterways and are causing hormonal disruption in many aquatic animals. The boy fish don’t want to be able to procreate all by themselves. Eventually, we will be drinking those hormone disruptors and as the levels increase so will their effect on humans.

What do you do with your old meds? Here’s a multiple-choice questionnaire for you. When disposing of old medications I
a.    Flush them with the goldfish
b.    Dump them in the garbage
c.    Bury them in the backyard
d.    Keep them cuz I don’t know what else to do
e.    Take them to the local disposal facility.

It turns out that in Canada almost half of us disposed of them correctly. Another  39% dumped them in the garbage, flushed them down the drain or buried them in  the backyard. No kidding, people bury old meds in the backyard. The remainder keeps them. Maybe they just don’t know what to do with them.

Choice e. is easier than you think. You could ask at your local pharmacy, not that it worked out for me the first time, as they should know what the procedure is in your province. In many provinces, the pharmacy is the drop location for old meds. If that doesn’t work then go to Medications Return and click on ‘Provincial Programs,’ choose your province and then your city and you will find out where to drop them off near you.

I don’t know how every province disposes of the medications, but I do know that in British Columbia they are incinerated at extremely high temperatures to neutralize the waste.  For more information about the BC program check out the Capital Regional District.

Another alternative would be for Canadians to come off the meds, but that’s another post. Maybe one day.

What to consider
When your baby is newborn and is on one continuous cycle of eat, sleep, wake, diaper change, eat, sleep…..you don’t have to worry too much about changing up your daytime diapering routine. The nights aren’t that much different. It’s when your baby begins to sleep longer and you abide by the golden rule “do NOT wake a sleeping baby” that you may need to make some changes.

Things to think about:

• Longer sleeping = your diaper needs to absorb MORE pee (typically babies do not poop in the night).
• Different positions for sleeping require different strategies.
• Boys anatomy is different from girls and you may need different strategies for each.
• If you have a “trickler” versus a “waterfall” type pee-er, you also may need to strategize differently.

That being said, generally more material = more absorbency. This is why you may add a doubler to your day diapers to transform them into a night diaper. Or this is why you may add an extra insert to your pocket diapers for naps and nights. Your night diaper may be bulkier than your day diaper. This is okay, mobility isn’t a huge need at night.

If you have a girl, think about a middle wetter. If you have a boy, the wet goes in the front. Until they start tummy sleeping… then it all changes. My daughter sleeps on her tummy all night so all her pee goes to the front of her diaper. So I make sure there is extra padding up there. When she was little and back sleeping, her pee went to the back of her diaper.

Some parents swear by pocket diapers for night for the stay dry feature and the great absorbency of microfiber. I find that generally they work well but sometimes, I think my daughter must do the “Niagara falls” routine. So after a night like that, the next night she gets a fitted diaper (hemp or bamboo) with a fleece liner and a cover (Bummis Super Whisper Wrap or an Arisotcrats) and voila, the waterfall is dammed (so to speak!). I like hemp or bamboo for night because they absorb more than cotton so they are generally less bulky than a night diaper made from cotton.

So what are good night solutions?

1. Pocket diaper with extra insert (microfiber or hemp)
2. Hemp or bamboo fitted diaper with a fleece liner (for stay dry effect) and a cover (Bummis Super Whisper Wrap or Wool)
3. Prefold with hemp doubler and cover

How do you find what works for you? See how things are going during the day. Add absorbency to your day time diaper (more than you think you need) and then see what the diaper is like in the morning. If its not soaked then you can possibly cut back on the amount of absorbency. It’s better to start with too much than too little. And remember, cloth diapers will feel wet in the morning. It’s okay – it’s meant to be like that.

Karen Randall owns New & Green Baby Co, which specializes in earth-friendly, Canadian-made diapering products.

Global warming has emerged as the most important issue of our generation and the topic of “the environment” is hot these days- no pun intended. The question is: how do we best run our businesses in this context? We as businesspeople are becoming conscious of our ability to take an active role in solving our societies environmental crisis. At the same time, studies show that people will choose an eco-friendly or green option if given the opportunity. Increasingly, consumers are “voting with their dollars” to support green businesses that are reducing their carbon footprint and reducing the amount of carbon dioxide they produce.

Given this reality, it makes business sense for each of us to make our companies as eco-friendly as possible. Given the economic context of running a business, this shift towards low carbon use must be balanced with sound financial judgment; we must chose options that reduce our carbon footprint and also maintain profitability.

In this context, choosing green web hosting is a good business investment. In terms of pricing, green web hosting rates are reasonable. Solar Energy Host offers individual plans starting at only $9.95 per month ($119.40 per year.) For larger businesses, managed dedicated servers are also available. This compares to about $6.99/month for hosting that uses non-eco friendly energy sources. Conventional hosting seems cheaper. However, when the marketing benefits to your company of using green web hosting are taken into account, an option such as Solar Energy Host is actually more cost effective than conventional hosting.

The key to maximizing the benefit of green web hosting to your company is in publicizing it properly and using it as a marketing tool. Green web hosting conveys a key marketing message; “Trust us, we are doing the right thing, just like you are.” However, consumers are increasingly aware and critical, they are looking for proof. They want to know that the businesses they support are not engaged in “green washing.” This is why it is critical that companies go further and explain to their customers just what makes their web hosting “green.” This in turn will increase the customer’s trust and loyalty. Using an option such as Solar Energy Host allows companies to promote their web hosting as the “greenest” because they power their servers directly with solar panels. This reduces the carbon footprint of the Internet. This contrasts sharply with other “green” hosting companies that simply buy Carbon Credits while they continue to use “dirty” energy.

How this information is communicated depends on the nature of your company and target market. For example, it can be displayed on a special page of your website and/or links and logos can be displayed at the bottom of each page of the site to signify that your company is using the greenest hosting option possible. Your companies “green web presence” can also be promoted in other marketing material. In such a way your efforts to green your businesses can also improve your sales and leads and, ultimately, your bottom line.

Heavy metals occur naturally in the environment. They are a fact of life, but that doesn’t mean I want lead or arsenic in my toothpaste. Heavy metals are prohibited as ingredients in cosmetics in Canada but still make their way into the products we put on and in our bodies. They start out as impurities in the raw materials used and end up in the final product. Health Canada is currently consulting with interested parties on proposed guidelines for heavy metal levels in cosmetics sold in Canada.

We can absorb heavy metals in three ways, through our skin, orally or through inhalation and the level of exposure, manner of absorption and the effect differ from metal to metal. Each heavy metal has a tolerable weekly intake outlined by the World Health Organization (WHO) based on body weight.

For example, lead affects numerous organs such as the kidneys, and systems including the central nervous system. As with all heavy metals, children are at more risk due to their size, hand to mouth habits and developmental stage.  Lead can be tolerated, according to WHO, at 25 micrograms of lead per kilogram of body weight per week for children.

Girls Painting Nails

Other heavy metals that Health Canada are looking at include arsenic, cadmium, mercury and antimony. Absorption and effect depends on the heavy metal in question, the manner of exposure (i.e. oral vs. skin), the amount of product used and site of application (i.e. around the mouth vs. on legs) as well as the number of products used with heavy metal impurities.

Health Canada has come up with the following limits

• Lead: 10 parts per million
• Arsenic: 3ppm
• Cadmium: 3ppm
• Mercury: 3ppm
• Antimony: 5ppm

These levels are based on

• review of other country’s limits (such as Germany which has already implemented a program),
• levels found in products sampled in Canada,
• safe levels for susceptible groups such as children

If you would like to submit comments about the proposed guidelines, you can send emails to cosmetics@hc-sc.gc.ca or for more information you can read the Consultation Document. They are accepting comments from January 19th to March 4th.

According to Statistics Canada, 45% of us are environmentally active.  What does that mean? A report released in December measured participation rates for six environmental actions and then categorized us accordingly. For example, those who practiced 4 to 6 behaviours were considered active, 2 to 4 behaviours were moderately active and 0 to 1 behaviour were considered less active.

The behaviours themselves, along with the percentage of Canadians who partook, included

• composting (30%)
• use of reduced volume toilets (37%)
• lowering temperatures (54%)
• use of low-flow showerheads (56%)
• use of compact flurescent light bulbs (CFL) (59%)
• recycling (97%)

Recycling was the most common behaviour as 97% of Canadians with access to recycling participate. Recycling isn’t the easiest item in the list. It takes a bit of effort to determine what is recycleable, sort through items, clean out recyclables, get them into the different containers and then take the extra boxes/bags to the curb.  Unlike the one time activity of installing a low-flow showerhead which only 56% of Canadians have done so far.

I wonder what makes the difference? Is it the level of education we have received around recycling? Is it the willingness to spend time rather than money on making a difference? A low-flow shower head might put you back $15.00. Maybe not cost.  Maybe it is the fear of residual shampoo in our hair.

Here’s what the study came up with.  The three factors that most affect environmental behaviours are

• home ownership
• income level
• education level

The most active Canadians owned their own homes, which makes sense since renters can’t really replace toilets and don’t have the level of control over their environments that home owners have. Most renters live in shared spaces such as apartment buildings and must follow the rules as laid out by landlords, whereas the majority of home owners live in single dwelling homes they fully control. Homeowners were 3x more likely to be very active than renters.

The level of participation also increased with income. The more disposable income we have, the easier it is to replace toilets and so on. However, this was not as strong an indicator as homeownership was. Who is driving all those gas guzzling SUVs out there?

Education, the final indicator, was also not as strong as homeownership. 50% of households in which at least one member was a university graduate were very active, compared to 34% of households in which no one had completed high school were considered very active.

Finally, the province with the highest rate of participation was P.E.I where nearly two thirds of all households practiced four or more environmental behaviours. I think I’ll try to be more like those living in P.E.I. Kudos.

How do I measure up in this study? I participate in 4 our of 6 behaviours with composting and reduced volume toilet being my archilles heel. I am going to do a bit of research on each of these behaviours to see what each one takes to implement.  Stay tuned.

There are so many ways businesses can lead the way in looking after our world. Here is a continuation of how yoga studios can contribute, although the ideas can be carried across to other industries as well. Again, thanks to Mojgan from Newport Yoga Studios for her help in writing this. You can find her blog at Newport Yoga Blog

Web Hosting

Since you now have your schedule online, think about switching to a wind powered (or another form of sustainable energy) web-hosting company. This will allow you to feel even better about going paperless.

Cleaning

Plants can help you keep the air clean as well as create a natural and welcoming atmosphere. Choose plants that are known for their ability to take toxins out of the air such as English Ivy or the Rubber Plant. This will help your yogis breath deeply during the classes. To learn more about using plants to keep your air clean, go here… http://www.torontobotanicalgarden.ca/mastergardener/OldPages/cleanair.shtml

Everyone will appreciate your choice of nontoxic natural cleaners and there are more options available each day. If you can, buy your cleaners from a local company to cut down on transportation emissions.

Since we are talking about cleaning up, use towels instead of paper towels. When you have no choice, use recycled paper in the kitchen and bathroom. And while we are in the bathroom and kitchen, switch to water saving devices when you are buying new.

Sharing Space with your community

When you are not using your space, offer it up to the community for events that fit in with your values. These might be educational events about a raw food diet or a dance class. You can advertise these events on your website to your yogis as value added lifestyle workshops. You might need to charge a nominal amount to cover overhead such as lights and heat during the event.

Educating Employees/Instructors/Yogis

First off, let everyone know exactly what you are doing and how this will make the planet liveable now and in the future. Don’t just tell, employees, instructors and yogis, but also your community. Be a leader and educate others. Call the local press and let them know what you are doing…oh that should be part of the marketing/advertising section!

Ask your employees, instructors and yogis to go on a green plan with you. Every three weeks, let them know what step they need to take for the next 21 days. It could be no water bottles, or walking to the studio. Maybe during those 21 days new habits will be formed. Make it fun. Each time someone shows up with a non disposable water bottle, let them put they name in a box. At the end of 3 weeks, pick a winner to receive a special prize such as a free class, a discount on their next month or some eco-friendly, socially-just chocolate. (Oh, and don’t forget to let your community know what you are doing! Maybe other businesses will catch on.)

If you would rather these initiatives be facilitated with someone else, then maybe consider RunforOnePlanet. They offer many challenges that yogis can take together and provide information as to how these challenges actually make a difference in our environment.

Keep public transporation information handy at the studio or have a “how to get her on public transit” on your website. Make sure there are bike lock ups somewhere accessible to you.

Water

If at all possible install a water fountain in the studio, or provide reusable water bottles (either for purchase or for re-use) to encourage your yogis not to bring plastic water bottles. We have all been in those situations where you go to yoga right after work and have forgotten your stainless steel bottle — what do you do? Quickly stop at a convenient store and purchase a plastic water bottle. Well, not if you can get some water at the studio.

Why not brew some organic tea? After class, the yogis can sip some tea and get to know each other better. After all, yoga is all about community building.

Merchandise

If you are selling merchandise such as yoga mats, yoga bags, hoodies and t-shirts try as much as possible to carry eco-friendly products.