Composting - while increasingly practised, praised and immensely beneficial, its advantages remain unknown to many who may be detracted by its supposed downsides: it’s smelly, it’s cumbersome, and it’s complicated. However, look at the numbers – and the overflowing landfills – and you will see why more and more Canadian cities are singing its virtues and implementing the Green Cart program and its curbside pickup.

Hamilton, Halifax, Sudbury, Toronto and Whitehorse are some of the Canadian cities with active Green Cart programs but the numbers are growing. In recent years, limited landfill space and increasing waste disposal costs have caused municipalities to take a good, hard look at what could be done. The answer, it seemed, was looking at trash in a completely new way.

Organic waste – that which breaks down naturally – accounts for around 40% of all household garbage (rates vary by city – Toronto says 30%, Hamilton 43%, Port Coquitlam 47%). The Green Cart program became, in essence, the recycling of organic waste. As you would drop your plastic container in your blue bin, you now drop leftovers, eggshells, tea bags, paper napkins, dryer lint, toothpicks, nail clippings, and so much more into a mini bin – provided by the city – which is to be emptied into a green cart – also provided – which is then wheeled out to the curb for weekly pickup. What results is less garbage at home and less garbage in the dumpsites.

If you are still not convinced, consider these facts from Port Coquitlam, B.C.: garbage disposal costs are expected to rise 59% by 2014, while the Green Cart Program will save taxpayers over $45,000 per year. These are statistics for one city, but they are echoed in others.

Still not convinced? Think of it this way: the garbage is not changing, you’re just putting it in a different container.

While most organic matter is accepted everywhere, some is not and its disposal will depend on the municipality’s processing facility. Diapers, sanitary products, kitty litter and other pet waste, hair, and leaves and yard waste may or may not be accepted, depending on where you live.

The Green Cart Program is growing and municipalities are becoming better equipped to inform their citizens and help them make a smooth transition into composting, even easing minds with efficient anti-pest and anti-odour solutions. The goal is to make composting user-friendly and to accent the positives, which clearly outweigh the burden of keeping an extra bin in the yard.

If you are fortunate enough to reside in a municipality that has implemented the Green Cart Program, take advantage and do your part! If your municipality is still Green Cart-free, do your part as well! Write to your local representatives and sing the praises of composting… Because with less waste, we all win.

As a concerned consumer, we are constantly reevaluating our choices, for our light bulbs, our meals, or our transportation. Every step takes us closer to a fairer, safer and cleaner world.

One large step in this process is to analyze the things that we consider the basics, those things which we have in our homes and against our very skin. Where does your underwear come from? How about your towels, sheets, or even your jeans?

Odds are, most of these will have one thing in common.

Cotton

Cotton is a wonderfiber. It resists high temperatures, years of washings and maintains its softness and superior absorbency. That’s why cotton is the best suited material for use in towels, bed sheets and clothing. It’s no wonder it’s been used for throughout human history!

And most important, it is a natural fiber, contrary to most bamboo or soy fibres. Those fibres are extracted after being treated with harsh chemicals to extract the fibre from raw pulp, to the point that bamboo or soy can not be certified as organic.

Cheap Cotton: at what cost?

• Farmers getting into debt to purchase toxic pesticides and synthetic fertilizer, and proprietary GMO-seeds, with disappointing yields.
• International cotton prices are kept low by disputed subsidies in the USA
• 1 tee shirt = 1 liter of synthetic chemicals
• Sweat-shop labor
• Toxic dyes and whiteners

The Result: people and landscapes poisoned

So what are the things to look for when selecting cotton products?

Is it really 100% organic? Look for the logo!

Natural fertilizers and pesticides combined with shared knowledge of improved techniques allow small-scale-organic producers to match and sometimes exceed the productivity of conventional cotton.
You also want to make sure that no toxic chemicals were used during the processing of the fibers. That means no bleaches or heavy metal-laced dyes.

There are no federal laws ensuring that when a label in Canada reads ‘organic’, that’s what it really means!

The GOTS standard, the Global Organic Textile Standard, uses an international standard to keep that toxic mess away from your skin and away from the workers who make all those clothes. How can you trust this standard? It’s the only world-wide third-party certification, a truly independent assessment. ECOCERT has a pretty good summary of this certification.

It it fair-trade? Again, look for the logo!

The operating concept is TRADE NOT AID.

The Transfair logo guarantees that all of those responsible for bringing the fair-trade certified products to you, be it cotton, coffee or bananas, have been given a fair price for their labor, protected from the fluctuations of the market.

Fair-trade also covers those who process the bulk product, who make the t-shirts for example. You can be assured that there are no children or no slave labor employed, and that workers have a safe environment and a good salary.

Your purchases allow the producers and factory workers to lift themselves out of poverty and keep their kids in school thanks to their own hard work.

So is it worth paying more for a certified product?

Do your bath towels fight poverty?
Will your underwear send kids to school?
Can your t-shirt save lives?

They certainly can!

Anything less than certified is just an empty promise

About the Author: Muriel Abraham is a soil biogeochemist, who has always combined her studies with internships at wildlife rehab centres and grassroots development organisatons in Central America. She is committed to sustainable development and works at FibrEthik.org. She loves Montreal, her current home, because it’s a little granola, part Euro, part Canadian and a smidge Lebanese. Just like her!

Happy days, spring has arrived! With it come buds, blooms, leaves and green, grassy lawns. Keeping the latter lush, verdant and the envy of all your neighbours requires some serious upkeep, including lots of watering. For guilt-free maintenance, here are some water-friendly ways to keep your lawn cool.

o Remember: evaporation – Watering in the cooler morning or evening will keep the ground more moist than in the middle of the hot afternoon sun.

o Wind also increases evaporation, so avoid watering on windy days.

o Longer grass also keeps the soil more humid, so set your mower blade one notch higher (added bonus: you can leave short cuttings on the lawn – they make a great, natural fertilizer).

o If you can, hand-water instead of using a sprinkler, you will use half as much water this way.

o Blend family fun with lawn care: let kids play with the hose, sprinklers or water toys on a drier part of the grass.

Credit: Simon Howden

o Direct the water drain line from the air conditioner to the lawn, flower bed or tree base. Another option: put a bucket underneath, use gathered water in the garden.

o If you are willing to shell out a few bucks, use a drip irrigation system instead of a hose or sprinkler. They are relatively inexpensive, easy to install, and widely available online from great Canadian companies like Northern Garden Supply of Smithers, BC.

o Splurge a little more and get a rain sensor for your automatic sprinklers. These devices detect rainfall and shut down sprinklers, avoiding unnecessary watering. They are also available online and across the country, including at Waterworks Irrigation and Illumination Ltd of Bowmanville, Ontario. A free alternative to the rain sensor: turn off automatic sprinklers on days when rain is expected.

o Finally, for goodness’ sake, the sidewalk and driveway DO NOT need to be washed or watered! Please put away the hose and make sure your sprinklers are set up so that they are only spraying the lawn, garden, flowers…

None of these alternatives requires much time or effort, but go ahead - pretend that they do. Now sit back, relax, rejoice and enjoy the sun and your beautiful surroundings after a hard day’s work!

You have to eat and you have to drink, that is true. However, you do not have to overuse or waste an abundant amount of water to do so.

From store to stovetop, here as some tips to help you feed yourself using as little water as possible.

o At the grocery store, opt for whole foods like vegetables and rice while avoiding processed foods like chips, pre-made meals and soft drinks. Besides being bad for you, they take a lot more water to producethan products that come straight from the farm.

o Also consider limiting your meat and dairy servings; the amount of water used to produce these is much greater than the amount used to grow vegetables or grains.

o Try to plan your meals ahead – That way, any food in need of defrosting can be thawed in the fridge instead of the sink, under bucket-loads of running water.

o Wash fruits and vegetables in the sink or large bowl of water. Here’s a homemade, eco-friendly cleaning recipe: add ¼ cup of vinegar and 2 tablespoons of salt to your water, let soak for a bit, then scrub with a vegetable brush.

o Boil your food in as little water as possible; you only need enough water to cover the pasta or potatoes, not to drown them. As an added bonus, less water means more flavour and nutrients.

o Another boiling option if you are steaming vegetables to accompany your starches: put your vegetable steamer on top of your rice or potatoes. You’ll also get twice as much done with half as many pots to clean!

o When all the boiling is done, use left over, cooled-down water to water your plants.

o A drink with dinner: keep a pitcher of ready-to-drink water in the fridge, eliminating the running of the tap each time you want a fresh glass. A great option (and eco-friendly alternative to those lousy water bottles) is a Brita pitcher, which retails for around $25.00. Terrific news: their filters are now recyclable!

They say, “Eat, drink, and be merry”. Now, with a few simple and painless changes to cooking and grocery shopping, you can say, eat, drink, be merry and environmentally friendly!

We have a lot of people search our site for information about eco-audits, so EC decided to find out more about eco-audits and what you can expect during an eco-audit. Alexandra Henriques (AH), founder of ECO-Audit was kind enough to answer our questions.

EC: So I guess the first question is, what is an ECO-audit?

AH: An ECO-audit helps families and small businesses green their footprint, save money, but above all protect the health of their members. Why? Because almost everything in the average home is slowly poisoning us. Asthma, allergies, and cancer are rising worldwide at alarming rates. Children are the most vulnerable to this assault, but we can protect them. Through the home or business premises audits we do, we facilitate the adoption of sustainable, healthy, and cost-effective materials, products and practices.

EC: What is your background and how did you get into the business of ECO-audits?

AH: I have been a life-long environmentalist, with over 25 years of experience pursuing sustainable practices and applying them. My professional background is in education, which has come in very handy. I find there is a lot of education to do around mainstream products and practices which are no good for the environment — or us. ECO-audit also does sustainability education by providing workshops, and my experience developing learning materials for adults, and facilitating learning has been invaluable. I got into this business because I wanted to share all the environmental knowledge I had, and help others.

EC: What can I expect, when I get an ECO-audit?

AH: When you get an ECO-audit you can expect an appointment on a day and time that’s convenient for you, an interview to determine your concerns and objectives, and a thorough audit of the home or business premises. This will take from 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours. Within a week, you will receive by email the audit report, this will include all positive actions being taken presently, problem areas with concrete suggestions, a glossary of terms used, and a list of resources relevant to your issues and area. The second scheduled appointment will then take place to discuss the report, answer any questions, and help you on your way to healthier sustainability.
Ongoing support is included in an audit, anytime you hit a roadblock; help is just a phone call or email away.

EC: What types of eco-audits do you conduct?

AH: Besides the whole home or business premises audits, we have Focus Audits, featuring the BABY-audit - “peace of mind for expecting parents”, a very similar Pet-audit, a Diet-audit, which helps you become a locavore, green your diet, and avoid contaminants, especially important for children; we also have for D.I.Y.ers the Reno-audit, the Yard-audit, and the Move-audit; finally we have a Transportation-audit that helps those who want to drive less, but are not sure how to go about it.

EC: What are some of the things you might suggest new parents look for?

AH:To new parents I would suggest less is more, and go back to basics. What we see all around in our society is excess, but not necessarily quality, often just quantity. Go for the quality and protect your baby. For example, you say organic cotton is expensive, I say the baby doesn’t need 10 teething toys, a couple will do, get something healthy you don’t have to worry about. Go back to the basic toys all children enjoy, ones made by craftspeople out of solid wood for example, with healthy finishes, not plastic whose ingredients you can’t check and mass produced by exploited workers.

EC: When I took at look at your website, I was really interested in the Yard-audit. I have always thought we should rethink our yards to focus on native plants especially the plants that attract the birds, bees, butterflies and other animals. Our yards should really be part of the natural circle of life. Is that the focus of a Yard-audit?

AH: Yes, that is definitely part of a Yard-audit, we have strayed too far away from nature, by starting with only native plants and then the value-added of drought-resistance we get on the right path again. Choosing to attract birds, butterflies or bees gives even more value. We can go even further by incorporating in the yard bird feeders, baths, or bird houses, a rain barrel, a composting bin, a dog W.C., a laundry line, or games.

EC: Is there anything else that you would like to add?

AH: Check our website for our Spring workshops, and you can also sign up for our blog.

EC: In closing, I noticed that there are gift certificates on your site. What a great idea for a house warming gift or for a shower gift for new parents. Alexandra, thank you for your time.

Yesterday I highlighted three social entrepreneurs with links outside of Canada. Today I will focus on five social enterprises that are fully Canadian. There are so many social enterprises to choose from and it was incredibly difficult to narrow it down to five, but I think these five really show different types of businesses with a variety of goals all within the realm of social enterprise.

EthniCity Catering

Pure genius. It started out with a few requests for ethnic foods. Today EthnicCity Catering offers high quality, multi-ethnic food to Calgarians. It employs immigrant women in transition and breaks the cycle of “no Canadian work experience, no Canadian work.” I was amazed to learn that women are usually employed by EthniCity Catering for only three months before they find other work or pursue further education. Wow!

Away Courier

When I came across this business, I was amazed to find that they have been around for 22 years and have over 1,700 customers in the Toronto. They are pioneers in social enterprise.  Using public transit, Away Couriers delivers same day packages at a reasonable cost to a variety of businesses including lawyers,  medical services and government departments. Away Couriers was founded and is run by people with direct experience with the mental health system, which is an incredibly empowering and meaningful way to eliminate stereotypes.

The Cleaning Solution

The Cleaning Solution offers cleaning services to businesses, organizations such as schools and churches and government in the Greater Vancouver. They focus on quality, health and environmental safety. They also have a mandate to support individuals recovering from mental illness that are ready to enter the workforce and to combat widespread stereotypes regarding mental illness.

Youth Opportunities Unlimited: YOU

Based in Mississauga, YOU has several services, but the one I was most interested in was their three social enterprises that offer youth meaningful, hands-on job experience. In the kitchen, youth work one-on-one to create preserves that are then sold online. In the woodshop, an experienced carpenter trains youth in woodworking skills to produce exceptional furniture. Finally, at the recycling facility youth are trained in skills that will be valuable in the growing green economy.

Options Canada

Options Canada is a businesses service company that offers printing, photocopying, graphic design along with many other services. In offering these services, they also provide employment training to individuals who have an intellectual disability. The program is designed to help individuals integrate into the workforce and includes business etiquette and transferable skills. Part of the program includes a high school co-op where students can experience what it is like to work in a retail environment. As they say, “this helps them decided what path to choose after finishing school.”

Choice is important for all of us. These are great businesses to choose to work with.

Have you thought about gardening yet this year? It might seem a bit early for some but this is really a good time to get the information and seeds you will need this year. The Toronto Community Garden Network is hosting another Seedy Saturday on Sunday (yes, on a Sunday) February 21st at Artscape Wychwood Barns.

There will be workshops and presentations, a kids zone, yummy food, exhibitors and, of course, seeds. You can learn about growing native plants that will attract birds and butterflies or find out about bee keeping. If you are interested in starting an organic garden, there is a workshop for you as well.

If the February date does not work for you, there is a Scarborough Seedy Saturday on March 6th from 12 to 4.

If you cant get enough this year, then you will also want to attend Canada Blooms from March 17 to 21st.  Five days of garden tours and flower competitions along with presentations, workshops, and demos will give you enough ideas to make your garden the feast of the neighbourhood.

When you come into my home, you need to walk up some stairs to get to my foyer. This foyer is about 3 metres by 2.5 metres and has no furniture in it - aside from a bookcase in a space built into the wall specifically for that purpose. Our foyer has a closet, stairs up to the next level and five doorways leading to other rooms. This space often has books, backpacks, lunch packs, gym bags and an assortment of similar items here and there. It also has the family calendar and a large white board for writing notes to ourselves and other family members.

We moved here last August because we all wanted more space. We have lots of places to sit, bookcases full of books, closets with plenty of space for clothing. A dining room with a table and chairs to enjoy a meal. Nothing is shiny and new (the house itself is about 100 years old) and no magazine would come knocking asking to showcase our home, but it is comfortable and we feel safe and warm and happy here. Does this sound something like your home?

Take a trip in your mind to a typical home in a developing nation. It is 3 metres by 3 metres. Wait. That’s the size of my foyer. That place with no furniture where we tend to dump things as we come and go. For some families that is their entire living space. I wonder what it would be like if my family had to live in our foyer? No bathroom, no fridge, no stove, no privacy, no beds.

Our homes are expensive, but then we tend to put a lot of money into making them big as well as showcase beautiful. We are all so lucky and spoiled, living in such big comfortable homes with more space than we really need. It is easy to forget and lose perspective and a reality check is a useful now and then. Maybe we need to change our perspective.

Build Direct posted a great blog today that will help us all gain a better perspective.

‘Waste not, want not’ was a common refrain from Helvi, a friend of my parents when I was young. Apparently, she had what is commonly referred to as ‘Elephant Man’s’ disease, but I don’t remember that. They said she rarely left the house because of people’s reaction to her, but I was young and had no expectations of her physically. I only remember her saying, ‘Waste not, want not.’ and slapping my hand when I fingered the cookies looking for the best one.

She was right, of course. Waste not, want not. She taught me an important lesson. This week is Waste Reduction Week and a good time to reflect on Helvi’s wisdom. So I challenge you to slow down this week and think about what you are using, what you are buying, what you are discarding.

Challenge yourself to use less: less electricity, less water, less paper, and much less packaging and disposable goods.

Each time you reach for your wallet think, “Do I really need this? Could I do without? Could I use something else? Is there a more sustainable option? Will this be in a landfill in the next six months, six weeks, six days?

When you put your foot on the pedal to open the garbage can, question why you are tossing this item into an already overburden landfill. Can you find another use for it? Can you give it away? Can you recycle it?

Every day this week, Ethical Consumer will help you with this challenge by suggesting ways to be less wasteful. We’d love to hear what you are doing to be less wasteful as well.

We have known for many years that paint needs proper disposal, which might be why 38% of us with paint to get rid of still have it kicking around. Many of us think we might be doing touch ups later or maybe just don’t know what to do with it. I have to admit I still have some paint tucked away that I thought I might use again to touch up spots. Hadn’t thought much of it until I read this study, but now I realize it is time to get rid of it.

The good news is that only 4% of Canadians toss paint into the garbage. Over half of us dispose of it properly by taking to proper waste depots or returning it to suppliers. If you are looking to dispose of some old paint like I am (Let’s face it. I am not doing the touch ups.), then go to http://www.productcare.org/ - an industry-sponsored program - and click on your province. Currently, there are programs in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia. It takes a few clicks but you will eventually get a list of depots near you.

They also have links to other provincial programs on their links page; so if they don’t work in your province, see if they have a link to a paint disposal program near you.

The paint options are quite varied now and you can buy paint that is far more environmentally friendly than in the past.  Here are two suppliers from opposite sides of the country that offer alternatives for our walls, our families and the planet.

New Brunswick www.eco-house.com/

British Columbia www.greenpaint.ca/