RecycleSmart's Waste Diversion Programs Are Across Canada!

With a new year around the corner, we expect much to change, including the amount of waste we all can divert from the landfills. This year living a sustainable lifestyle is more important than ever as the amount of takeout packaging waste and safety equipment (PPE)  being disposed has increased exponentially during the pandemic. Although 2020 was a tough year for all, Canadians have been making sustainability a top priority and we are here to support these initiatives from coast to coast. 

We Support Waste Diversion Across Canada, Both English and French! 

RecycleSmart believes we are all-in-this together and that is why are 2021 resolution is to continue to expand our communications in both English and French. Actively supporting our client's waste management solutions throughout Canada, we bring together more like-minded people to advocate for better waste diversion services. We have remained adaptable to support our bilingual client's needs and our support begins with education. We want to make it easier for you and others to make the right decisions when disposing of your waste and recycling, starting with a "Do's and Don'ts Recycling Guide offered in both English and French versions! 

For many of our clients, we've had positive feedback about creating easy to read graphics, specifically catered to their municipality's program, designed to facilitate those critical decisions about which bin their waste goes...a picture tells a thousand words and pictures are always bilingual! 

Download our Do's and Don'ts of Recycling Handout with the links below.

What are your 2021 Sustainability Resolutions?

This year we wanted to inspire our team and others to set achievable sustainability goals and seeing how social trends have been it hasn't been hard. We reached out to our team and clients and had so many positive responses. We hope these find you well and maybe provide you with ideas that can help you achieve your goals too! 

Samantha Torrens, Analyst, Sustainability at RioCan Real Estate Income Trust 

"A few things I want to get better at in 2021 are: 

• Use fewer plastics by using reusable produce bags, jars/ containers for bulk, reusable shopping bags
• Meatless Monday's 
• Consume more plant-based products (better for the planet)
• Hold friends and family members more accountable for composting 
• Wash with cold water and minimize dryer use 
• Stop using single-use masks!" 

Kenzie Byrnes, Business Analyst at RecycleSmart  

"My sustainability 2021 resolutions are: 

• Consume less energy and water -  BC Hydro has a challenge that you can do to reduce your energy consumption. My goal is a 10% reduction in 2021. 
• Limit waste by buying less pre-packaged items, buying in bulk, less food waste. 
• Becoming a more educated consumer, for example, buying items locally, fair trade from sustainable businesses. Will be buying zero fast fashion in 2021 and onwards!"

Carlo Caponigro, Waste Audit Specialist at RecycleSmart

"Our household sustainability goals this 2021 are: 

• Reduce, Reuse and then Recycle - We recycled a lot in our household In 2020. However, in 2021, I will consume less as I found in 2020 that much of what our family bought was not needed.
• Reduce paper towel usage - Paper is the #1 item going into the landfill. An alternative to paper towels are microfiber cloths and/or reusable cloth napkins and towels. I have purchased a bag of these napkins and will put in the washing machine when dirty which will  save our family money in the long run and helps reduce unnecessary paper waste.
• Eat less meat, more fruits and vegetables - The livestock sector generates as much greenhouse gas emissions as all motorized vehicles, so I'll commit to reducing meat and dairy consumption weekly and making fruits and vegetables a bigger part of my diet.
• Eliminate phantom energy - Also known as vampire energy, which is the energy used by electronic devices that continue to draw power even though they are "off". Energy vampires can add up to nearly 10% of a household's monthly electric bill. In my new home, I will use smart power strips to save money and energy and also by shutting down power bars and unplugging power cords when not in use.
• Use eco-friendly cleaning products - There is a belief in my mind that popular, fast-acting brand-name cleaners work best. Once in our new home, we will be buying eco-friendly cleaning supplies! From biodegradable degreasers to natural dish detergent, there are plenty of options and popular demand has made them more affordable. These are less damaging to the environment and safe for our household use.
• Upcycle or donate - We have been de-cluttering our wardrobe while preparing for our move to our newly renovated home. Many items such as clothes I have not worn in a year and my children's unusable clothes will be handed to friends with smaller children or donated over 2021. Donating items keeps them out of the landfill and can benefit the local community."

We hope that this inspired you as much as it did us to hear about the great things others are doing around sustainability in the new year. Please take some ideas and if you'd like to give us some of you're own subscribe to our blog down below and we'd love to hear about some of the great things you're doing in your community. 

As always our RecycleSmart team is here for your waste and recycling needs and we wish you a safe and happy new year!