The amount of waste that we produce is a massive problem!! There is garbage at the top of Mt. Everest; there is garbage in the deepest ocean trenches. There are whales trapped by all the nets and lines in the ocean. Every shorebird has evidence of ingested plastic. There is an island of waste - mainly plastic - the size of Texas in the Pacific Ocean. You find trash in the Arctic, and in the Antarctic. The amount of land we use as “dump-sites” is very extensive.

Anytime you have something to dispose of, think - and be aware of best practices. The first step to consider is to try to “live light”. Living light means to use the four R’s:

1) REFUSE: Only buy something that you really, really need.

2) REDUCE: Buy in bulk with less packaging, buy local, and consider adopting a plant-based diet.

3) REUSE: Consider, for example, rechargeable batteries and reusable plastic containers.

4) RECYCLE: Get to know what products can be recycled. Some products you may not expect can actually be recycled, but you sometimes have to get them to a specific disposal site (e.g. ECO centre). Some products like paint and fluorescent lights need to be taken to a site so they can be disposed of properly.

When thinking of the term “recycle”, there are other opportunities to “re-cycle,” rather than throwing things away: For example, have a garage sale, donate to thrift stores (like Plato’s Closet, Value Village, and Nearly New), and do your shopping at thrift stores to reduce waste.