The effort involved in living green often seems overwhelming, but if you set yourself up right- it can be easier than you think and it really is SO rewarding. If you have older kids- it’s a great chance to teach them about responsibility & about our planet.

RECYCLING

• Keep a recycle bin as well as a garbage bin in your kitchen, you can get a small streamlined blue bin at most hardware stores & it will run you under 10$- I keep mine under the right hand side of the sink since the garbage is under the left-hand side.
  • Think about this – if you, yourself, go through 1 bottled water a day that would add up to 15 cases in 1 year- from 1 person- If you don’t recycle it then you yourself are dumping that much into a garbage dump.
• Keep a box of recycling bags on hand (see-thru blue bags) & empty your blue bin into your bags as needed. The bags are great because on recycle day the wind doesn’t blow your recycled items all over the neighborhood! (Your municipality may or may not accept blue bags)

COMPOSTING

DON’T STOP READING NOW!  It’s not as hard as you think! Firstly if you live in Cote St Luc the city’s got you on the plan & you are set-up for success. If not, read on:

• You’ll need an “earth machine” to set up in your backyard. It’s usually available from the city for about $40. It’s a big, plastic thing & very easy to install- there really is nothing to it.
• You’ll need some form of receptacle in your kitchen, in an easy-to-access place – to collect compostable items- you can buy composting containers, I just use a rectangular plastic storage bin- shoebox size.
• When your container is full- dump your clippings into the earth machine & as per instructions- from time to time, you’ll need to add “dry” ingredients such as dried leaves or dried grass clippings. If you have older kids send them out to do the dumping. They love it!
• From time to time you’l need to aerate/turn the pile with an old shovel or other tool you deem appropriate
• That’s really all there is to it – that & TIME- it will take time to get your first compost – but when you do….WOW! When I did, I was so excited. I couldn’t believe that all that “garbage” had just turned into what looks like earth! This compost can be used as as fertilizer for your lawn or garden
• Honestly though, the most amazing thing about the composting is how much smaller the load of trash is on garbage day…it really got me thinking of how much of a difference this could make if more families would do it.
• One problem in our climate is the winter- it is said that you can keep your compostable items in bins outside & then add them in the spring. In my experience this is not really practical. I truly found it painful, however, to discard veggie trimmings & apple cores in the trash after a great season of composting- it just becomes second nature after a while!
• For a list of compostable items click here. 

DIAPERS: Cloth or Disposable?

We know the issue here – we’ve all heard it. What can I say? I am guilty as charged for using disposable on 4 kids…I can only imagine the damage we’ve done (Why do you think we started composting…in an effort to redeem myself!!!). Anyhow- the truth is that I conveniently bought into the argument that the effect on the environment of the soaps & energy used in upkeeping a cloth diaper system would be just as harmful as what the dumped diapers are doing…Apparently this is not the case. What I can say is that every parent owes it to our children & the next generation to at least look into what is involved in a cloth diaper system & then evaluate. I have friends who’ve used cloth & guess what? With today’s system of liners, etc-it’s not as bad as we think. For more information you can click here.