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wednesday, october 13, 2010 The VancouVer courier EW19

www.vancourier.com/live-greenyour guide to making green choices everyday

EW20 The VancouVer courier wednesday, october 13, 2010

RECYCLING ATSCHOOL REALLY PAYS OFFGeorge Pringle Elementary (Westbank) began the2009/10 school year with a 5 day bottle drive.It was such a success that they decided to collectcontainers on a monthly basis. One day in everymonth, parents dropped off their bags and boxesof containers at the school. The grade 6 studentsand Vice-Principal volunteered to collect juiceboxes and other containers from classrooms. Thisyear, the Parent Advisory Committee andteachers decided that the funds from depositrefunds would go towards a year end field tripto Vancouver. They’ve found that recycling is agreat way to save the environment while raisingmoney for things that are important to everyoneat their school.

Register your school today atreturn-it.ca/youth or call 1-800-330-9767.

RETURN-IT MAN SCHOOL TOURReturn-It Man, along with his Super Sidekick,visits elementary schools across the province,educating students about recycling beveragecontainers and electronics. Their fun andentertaining presentation explains howcontainers are recycled and what they arerecycled into. Kids get to actively participate inthe presentation and even receive an activitybook with a reuseable lunch bag to take homewith them.

Encorp’s School Recycling Programmakes fundraising as easy as ABC

Encorp’s BC School Recycling Programprovides elementary and high schoolswiththe tools and resources to make recyclingeasy, convenient and profitable. Schoolskeep 100% of the deposit for eachcontainer collected and the program coststhem nothing. Elementary and highschools from all parts of British Columbiaare encouraged to participate.The schools and the environment both

benefit from this popular program. Schoolsfind it’s an easy way to fundraise forspecial projects like field trips. Keepingbeverage containers out of landfills savesprecious resourceswithinourenvironment.The containers are recycled and used asraw material. For example, drink boxesare mashed into paper pulp which is usedto make cardboard boxes and toilet paper.Thousands of tonnes of paper pulp arerecovered in this process. And for every

Since 2000, about 33 million containers have been recycled, and Encorp has refunded more than$2 million in deposit refunds to participating BC schools.

ADVERTORIAL

LAST YEARS SCHOOL RECYCLINGPROGRAM 1ST PLACE WINNERSElementary School: Rogers Elementary, ThetisIsland Elementary, Upper Lynn Elementary,View Royal ElementaryHigh School: Chemainus Secondary, Prince RupertSecondary, Robert Bateman Secondary, SirAlexander Mackenzie Secondary, Yale Secondary

tonne of paper pulp recycled, approxim-ately 17 trees are saved.Since the program’s inception in 2000,

about 33 million containers have beenrecycled, and Encorp has refunded morethan $2 million in deposit refunds toparticipatingBC schools. In the 2009/2010school year alone, 365 schools (153,334students) who participated in Encorp’sSchool Recycling Program raised over$291,000 and they kept over 4.6 millionbeverage containers out of BC landfills.Encorp’s easy to use web application

allows schools to keep a running total oftheir own returns and compare their totalsto other schools. It also features a bloggingpage where they can share ideas aboutrecycling at school. Throughout the year,registered schools are provided withnewsletters to update them on the progressof the program. They’re also eligible toreceive free recycling bins and bags tohelp them collect containers.Encorp has spiced things up by adding

an extra incentive. Schoolswho collect themost containers per student are awardedbonus cash prizes. The contest is designedto allow similarly sized schools across theprovince to compete against each other inrespective categories. Each year, a total of$13,500 is split between the top threeschools in each of the nine categories.In addition to the collection contest

each year, Encorp holds other draws andcontests where students can get creativeto win their schools even more cashprizes. What’s more, award certificatesare given to individual students and groupsto recognize exceptional dedication tohelping our environment.Each year provides schoolswith a brand

new opportunity to fundraise. Distributingflyers and collecting containers fromsurrounding areas is also a great way forschools to develop and foster relationshipswithin their communities. School spiritreally pays off thanks to Encorp’s BCSchool Recycling Program. So startfundraising the easy way! Register yourschool today at return-it.ca/youth.

Education

Take a look at the garbage you and your family take to the curb each week. Now reduce that by 70 per

cent. That’s what your garbage-day reality could look like five years from now.

Metro Vancouver has set a lofty goal of reducing the amount of garbage requiring disposal by 70 per cent by 2015.

That target is part of the region’s Integrated Solid Waste and Resource Management Plan. The plan is far from simple, and includes a contentious waste-to-energy proposal that has been opposed by residents worried that an incinerator will have a detrimental effect on air quality. Others say a properly designed and managed waste-to-energy facility makes the most sense for the long-term handling of our solid waste.

A 5,000-page report is now in the hands of the Ministry of the Environment, and it will be some time before a decision is made on the fate of the overall plan.

In the meantime, Metro Vancouver is encouraging residents to start taking steps now to reduce the amount of solid waste they create.

The Zero Waste Challenge includes a number of tips for individuals who want to be ahead of the wastemanagement curve.

For instance, Metro Vancouver suggests you take a look at how much food you are tossing into the garbage bin. It’s probably more than you think. (Metro Vancouver pegs the average at 40 per cent of total household waste.) You can tackle this from two angles.

First, consider your food purchasing and preparing habits. Are you throwing out spoiled food every week? Maybe it’s time to cut back on how much you buy at one time.

And if you are preparing more than you consume, make sure you plan ahead to use your leftovers rather than tossing them. Freeze portions for meals on another day, load up your re-usable containers with a healthy home-cooked lunch, or get creative and turn your leftovers into nutritious soups or stews.

Second, take a look at backyard composting. If you live in an apartment, or you want to introduce a composting program for your office, then consider getting a worm bin.

Reducing the use of disposable products can have a big impact on how much garbage is produced at home, at work and throughout the community in general. Single-use items, such as disposable coffee cups and plastic water bottles, are everywhere. Plan ahead: Purchase refillable containers and then don’t forget them as you are rushing out the door. Whether you want to sip a latte or quench your thirst with cool water, you can usually avoid using a disposable cup or bottle.

Challenge your co-workers to do the same, and make it a priority to teach your children that throw-away containers are not the best option. Buy them reusable containers that they can decorate with stickers and other fun stuff to make them unique and identifiable — and something they will be proud to show off to their friends.

For more information on how you can take part in the Zero Waste Challenge, go to metrovancouver.org/services/solidwaste/Residents/zerowaste/Pages/WatchYourWaste.aspx.

Are you up to the Zero Waste Challenge?We’ve got a long way to go to get a grip on our garbage

Last year, residents across Metro Vancouver sent about 1,400 tonnes of cardboard milk cartons to the landfill.PhOTO BY MIkE WAkEFIELd, NORTh ShORE NEWS


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There’s nothing more annoying than running out of kitchen counter space because you’ve got a pile of empty tins, yogurt and juice containers waiting to

be recycled. Is it time to clear off your counters and take stock of

the amount of space under you sink? Is the space under your sink being taken over by

special cleansers that are only used every few months like silver polish, floor wax and roasting pan scrubbers? Or maybe your cupboard hosts a bag of empty grocery bags? Go and take a look before reading on.

Why not prioritize the space for sorting out your garbage and recycling, activities you do every single day?

If you’re not using your cleansers at all, look up your closest Product Care site and get rid of them safely. do not pour them down the drain as the environment doesn’t want them either. This is not to suggest you stop cleaning your house, but like many people, you might want to switch to using fewer chemicals when cleaning your home. Check out www.metrovancouverrecycles.org for information that can help get rid of your old cleansers.

If you are using chemical cleansers, decide where else they can go — maybe under the bathroom sink? In the basement? Is there room to add a shelf high up in the pantry or shoe closet?

If you have a large “bag of bags” where plastic bags are shoved into one another forming a space-wasting,

earth-sized ball of plastic, take them back to your grocery store for recycling. Then commit to switching to reusable bags so as not to build up a ball of bags ever again. If you need a few as kitchen catchers, store them up high on a hook in a cloth bag.

how big is your garbage bin, and can something smaller do the trick? A smaller garbage bin is good motivation to make sure you recycle everything you can. Recycling food scraps alone will reduce your household garbage by up to 30 per cent.

Once you have cleared out the space under your sink, give it a good wipe down with white vinegar to get rid of any odours. Vinegar is an amazing cleanser.

Now think about the number of bins, cans or boxes you will need to make it easy to sort your recyclables. Make fun signs labelling the new sorting containers like “well-read newsprint,” “flattened cardboard,” “unavoidable plastic bottles,” “milk and juice containers for the depot.”

Maybe your city offers food scraps collection, or you have begun backyard composting. Your food scraps collection container can go under the sink too. Try a glass or stainless steel bowl with a dish for a lid, or an ice cream pail with a lid.

Like anything in life, once your recycling station is clean and organized, it will be easier to use. — courtesy of Metro Vancouver

This is part of a series of articles that can help you make changes at home to improve the environment we all live in. For more information, go to www.metrovancouver.org.

Get organized with your recycling

Photo: stock

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Don’t forget to include any capless, cleaned and crushedmilk containers on your trip to the Return-It Depot. There’sno deposit when you buy so there’s no refund when youReturn-It. It’s the only way to keep them out of our landfills

and recycle them into something new.

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Yard and food waste collected from many households around the Lower Mainland enjoys a second life right

back in the ground where it started. Many residents leave their grass

trimmings and yard waste at the end of their driveway every week without giving a second thought to where it ends up.

Most of the organic waste - which includes food scraps, yard and wood waste - in the Lower Mainland gets sent to Fraser Richmond Soil and Fibre, an organic processing facility in Richmond.

“We look at ourselves as handlers of a commodity or resource rather than looking at it from a waste perspective,” said executive vice president Steve

Aujla. “So all the materials that we have coming into our facilities from residential curbside programs for green materials, food scraps, urban wood materials, these are all resources so we’re manufacturing compost.”

The company has been in the composting business since 1993 and is one of the largest commercial composting operations in the region.

In 2009, Metro Vancouver signed a long-term contract with Fraser Richmond Soil and Fibre and the company increased the capacity at its facility in order to accommodate an additional 50,000 tonnes of food waste.

Last year, four Metro Vancouver

communities - Coquitlam, delta, Langley Township and West Vancouver - embarked on a food scrap recycling pilot project. Port Coquitlam has had a similar program in place since November 2009.

The Metro trial ended in March and board chair Lois Jackson said while a final report is still in the works, a preliminary review showed one kilogram of food waste was collected per household per week and the participation rate was between 20 and 30 per cent.

Fraser Richmond Soil and Fibre receives organic waste from most municipalities in the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley, from West Vancouver to Chilliwack. Packer trucks bring material

either directly to the facility or to one of the transfer stations in North Vancouver, Langley, Maple Ridge and Surrey.

The material is composted in large batches. The yard waste, food scraps and wood waste are mixed together in piles with larger pieces of already composted material, which are then covered with carbon activated ash from wood sources, which helps to insulate and reduce odour.

“We’re trying to create an ideal environment for the organisms for them to thrive off of, so they can multiply quicker so they can ideally break down the stuff in near perfect conditions,” Aujla said.

he said odour concerns are a top

Yard waste comes full circle BY JESSICA kERR


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WESTSIDE RETURN-IT CENTRE3311 West Broadway, Vancouver604-464-3377

REGIONAL RECYCLING960 Evans Avenue, Vancouver604-689-4722

SOUTH VANBOTTLE DEPOT34 East 69th Avenue, Vancouver604-325-3370

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priority. “Organic processing facilities, we’re not in business if we’re producing odour so everything we do revolves around odour control and odour protection and odour mitigation,” Aujla said.

After seven to nine weeks, the material is ready for the next steps. The batch of compost is sieved to separate the finer material, which is the marketable compost, from the larger pieces, which are put back into the next batch of compost. That practice also helps speed up the composting process as the partially composted matter will bring many microorganisms with it to help jumpstart the new batch.

“They all get recycled, they get re-composted again until they break down smaller and smaller and smaller,” Aujla said.

Once separated, the finished compost is piled in another area of the site. The product is sold as pure compost and also gets combined with sand to make garden, turf and top dressing soils. It’s then sold in bulk to homeowners, landscapers, municipalities and other companies, which bag and sell the products under other names. The entire process takes between 10 and 12 weeks.

“It’s amazing those little creatures what they’re doing,” Aujla said. “We take a lot of credit for what’s happening here but, to be honest, we’re moving things around but the real work, the magic, is being done by the army guys behind the scenes - the organisms.”

Richmond Soil and Fibre executive vice president Steve Aujla turns yard and food waste into compost in 10 to 12 weeks.PhOTO BY JESSICA kERR



Let’s be smart with our power and waste less electricity byrecycling seldom used televisions. To find a recycling depotnear you, visit return-it.ca/electronics

YOUR THIRD TELEVISIONGETS ASMUCH ATTENTIONAS THE SMALL PRINTBELOWOUR LOGO.

seriously, nobody ever reads this

From farm to table, naturallyby helen Peterson

Going for a drive in the country is nice on occasion, to visit the outlying farms and grab a few bags of delicious produce.

however, thinking practically, it’s more energy-efficient and ecological if the produce comes in to the city in volume. Local farmer’s markets are a good method of selling, but they don’t continue through the winter.

Now there’s NOWBC, a co-op established two years ago by like-minded individuals who wanted to create convenient, local depots where residents of the city could come all year round to pick up their organic produce and other items.

The online market works like this: Buyers register on the website, where they can pre-order (with no minimum charge or frequency required); staff and volunteers fill the orders from their preferred network of sustainable farms, etc.; the deliveries to the depots are made at a set time every week (depots are, in fact, porches or carports of volunteers); buyers go to pick up their items (using their own recyclable bags, of course); finally, the customer leaves a cheque for NOWBC with the homeowner.

Community Outreach Coordinator Joanna Michal says there are 25 depots around Vancouver, and that this is a pilot project that will likely be adopted by other cities.

“I’d say 80 per cent of the food items are fresh fruit and vegetables,” she says. “But, we also source dairy like milk and cheese, grains, dried beans, cereals, eco-cleaners and the like.

“In winter we can also get frozen salmon, beef and chicken, frozen berries as well as dried, but we don’t do fresh meat products,” Michal says.

Both volunteers and customers benefit by meeting at the depots to socialize with neighbours and discuss “green” ideas. And because NOWBC believes in delicious, naturally grown food cultivated with a focus on nutrients, flavour and derived of healthy, sustainable farmland, the chain of sustainability remains intact.

“NOWBC was created to be able to offer a great supply of healthy and local organic food accessible to people in as many Vancouver neighbourhoods as possible,” says Michal. “And two new depots are opening this month in the dunbar area.”

Walk, don’t drive, to your local NOWBC co-op depot, for the good of the planet. Go to www.nowbc.ca for pre-ordering info.

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Powell Street Return-It Bottle Depot1856 Powell Street, Vancouver(604) 253-4987

South Van Bottle Depot34 East 69th Avenue, Vancouver(604) 325-3370

Regional Recycling960 Evans Avenue, Vancouver(604) 689-4722

Vancouver Central Return-It Depot2639 Kingsway, Vancouver(604) 434-0707

Here’s where you can recycle them safely and free of charge in Vancouver:

WANT TO RECYCLE YOURUNWANTED ELECTRONICS?

WHAT IS THE ELECTRONICS STEWARDSHIPASSOCIATION OF BRITISH COLUMBIA(ESABC) PROGRAM?ESABC is a not-for-profit extended producer responsibilityprogram set up by the producers and retailers of electronicsin British Columbia to provide a province wide recyclingsystem for unwanted electronics.

WHAT ARE THE ACCEPTABLE ELECTRONICITEMS INCLUDED IN THE PROGRAM?Effective July 1, 2010, the following items can be recycled freeof charge at any Encorp Return-It Electronics™ Collection Site:display devices, desktop computers, portable computers,computer peripherals, computer scanners, printers and faxmachines, non-cellular phones and answering machines, vehicleaudio and video systems (aftermarket), home audio and videosystems, and personal or portable audio and video systems.

Salvation Army – E. 12th Avenue261 E. 12th Avenue, Vancouver(604) 874-4721


Recycling is not just for paper and plastic anymore.Now you can also recycle your old TVs, computers,monitors, printers and fax machines – and save moneyat the same time.

“Most people don’t know that the extra TV they’ve gotsitting upstairs in the guest room where it gets used maybeonce a year is actually costing them money every day,” saysBC Hydro’s Kari Reid, ProgramManager in ResidentialMarketing. “As long as that TV is plugged in – whether it’sturned on or not – it’s using energy. And it’s adding up ontheir electricity bills.”

Virtually all electronic devices – TVs, computers,printers, modems, DVD players, cell phone chargersand anything else with a clock, timer, adapter, memoryor remote control – continue to draw power even whenthey’re not in use. With the average Canadian home todayboasting more than 25 electronic devices, you can bet thatat least some of those devices remain plugged in, evenwhen they’re old or broken.

But just tossing your out-of-date electronics in thelocal landfill is not the answer.

“TVs, like computers and other electronics, havecomponents that should be recycled,” says Kari. “The bestthing is to take your unused electronics to a Return-It™Electronics recycling depot, where they will get broken downsafely and properly.”

The Return-It™ Electronics recycling program ismanaged by Encorp Pacific (Canada) on behalf of theElectronics Stewardship Association of British Columbia.The ESABC established the program in 2007 (in additionto its Return-It™ Beverage and Milk Container recyclingprograms) to respond to the fast-growing issue of e-waste.

“New and better products keep coming on the marketall the time,” says Kari, “and we’re snapping them up. Who

doesn’t want a sleek new flat-screen TV? But some peopleare just throwing their outdated electronics in the trash, orsimply putting them in a drawer or a closet because theydon’t know what else to do with them. Some people, too, arejust moving them to another room where they stay pluggedin but unused – which is just wasting energy. We want tosee unused electronics unplugged, then disposed of properly.”

“Once you’ve done that,” says Kari, “there are a numberof other things you can do to reduce your energy use.”

For example:� Plug all your related electronics, like your

computer, modem, monitor and printer, into a singlepower bar, then switch them all off at once when you’renot using them.

� Switch to a laptop. A typical laptop computer usesapproximately 55 kwh/year compared to a typical desk-top andmonitor that uses approximately 290 kwh/yr.

�Unplug your cell phone and other chargers assoon as the battery is topped up.

� If you’re in the market for a new TV, look for onewith the ENERGY STAR® label – it will use as much as50 per cent less energy than a less-efficient model.

� As a general rule, the larger the TV the moreenergy it uses. Make sure your TV is the right size foryour room by dividing the distance between whereyou’ll be sitting and the front of the screen by 2.5.

“It can take more electricity per year to keep your DVDplayer in standby mode than it actually uses playing DVDs,”says Kari. “Unplug it or turn it off at a power bar and you’llsave energy. And as I said before, get rid of your unusedTV! If just one in 10 households in British Columbiarecycled just one unused television, it would save enoughenergy to provide all of Squamish with electricity for morethan a year.”

Recycle Your Old TV AndSave On Your Energy Bills

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To find out more about the Return-It electronicsrecycling program or to find a recycling depot near

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Wireless industry leads cell phone recycling initiativeby Jason r. shirley

Did you know that 96 per cent of your old cell phone is recyclable? When you get a new cell phone, don’t let

your old handset end up in a landfill or just be another unwelcome addition to the junk drawer. Think recycle – a small effort on your part can make a big difference.

Canada’s wireless industry is making it even easier for us to recycle our old cell phones and contribute to some great charities at the same time. Recycle My Cell is a national program that lets consumers get information about where and how to properly dispose of their cell phones and other wireless devices.

With over 3,700 drop off locations across Canada, finding a location is simple: all you have to do is enter your postal code at www.RecycleMyCell.ca. This generates a list of the closest recycling drop-off sites. If you can’t visit one of these drop-off locations in person, the web site provides postage-paid labels to use for mailing.

So, regardless of one’s chosen submission method, recycling a wireless

device is hassle-free and at no cost to the consumer. The website also includes instructions for clearing your device of all personal data to ensure none of your information ends up in the wrong hands.

Many different items are accepted for recycling, including smartphones, pagers, batteries and accessories. After your device is received, it is sent to a recycling plant where it can be refurbished or taken apart for scrap. All phones recovered are recycled or refurbished appropriately and in accordance with international e-waste laws.

Recycle My Cell is run by the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association, in conjunction with cell phone carriers and handset manufacturers who have come together to raise awareness about the importance of cell phone recycling. The goal of this

program is to keep handsets from entering Canada’s landfills.

And just as important, the proceeds from the recycled wireless devices go to benefit many local and national charities.

Article courtesy www.newscanada.com.

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