Do You Want to be Greener? See 5 Ways to Cut Down on Your Waste this Summer in Toronto
‘Being green’ is not just a declaration. It’s more than that and it’s more than a commitment as well. Being eco-friendly and green takes daily effort. For a commercial entity, there’s a lot of opportunities to conduct business in a green way. For the average Canadian living in Toronto though, one’s not necessarily always aware about how the decisions they make on the daily affect others.
There are a multitude of different ways to go green in Toronto but we’ve boiled it down simply to our top five. Before we jump in though, if you want to live an eco-friendly life, all it takes are decisions. The infrastructure for a zero waste society is still being built. Single persons can only do so much, with the waste management and recycling opportunities around them. That aside, consider these five tips.
Be creative
A huge theme you’ll find in trying to live the greenest life possible is to be creative. If you have a family, consider making this a group activity. Think about some DIY stuff you could do to either reuse or recycle. Did you know you can make your own shampoo and bath products? It’s true! Consider going to events sharing and trading clothes, books, electronics, and more. Look up possible reuse or recycling crafts online! This can get very fun.
Don’t use single-use products
One of the easiest ways to live green is to give up using single-use, non-recyclable products. It’s generally ok if a product is single-use and biodegradable or recyclable because you know it’s lifespan is going to be longer than simple one use. Something like a grocery bag though, it has one purpose and then it ends up in a landfill. Switch to multi-use products and you’ll be playing your part in reducing landfill waste.
Use transit
The TTC isn’t perfect – trust us, we know the worst of it – but public transit in Toronto is an eco-friendly way to travel. Anyone can get virtually anywhere in the GTA if they know what bus, streetcar, or train to take. If you don’t own a vehicle, you likely already have a TTC pass of some kind. Regardless, if you don’t use public transit, consider leaving the car at home and giving it a try. You’ll also save yourself a little on gas money!
Buy local
Whenever possible, buy local from Ontario sources and farmers. There are plenty of places that are offering Ontario-based product so this one shouldn’t be hard to do. By shopping locally, you can also support small businesses that have smaller environmental footprints, in addition to cutting down on transportation energy costs in moving product from far away to here. Local is also so delicious!
Try meatless
You don’t need to become a vegetarian or vegan. That said, limiting meat consumption is a green way to live. Growing meat plays a huge role in creating greenhouse gas emissions. Even reducing your meat consumption by a single meal is enough, on an annual basis to make a difference.
Cutting down on waste in Toronto involves managing your resources, making the right choices, and actively tackling it every day. No matter if you’re a person or a business, sustainable living is more than possible thanks to the diverse collection of resources and advantages we all have to living in such a great city!
