Waste Reduction

From it’s early days staffing the Town of Smiths Falls recycling depot, REAL has engaged in public education and advocacy to improve local recycling and waste reduction efforts.

Current projects include:

• The REAL DEAL Store and Environment Centre - Reopening in May 2008! A household goods, furniture, building supply and home improvement store that accepts and sells quality reusable materials and keeps them out of landfill.
• The REAL Free Store – a place for the free exchange of used household goods, located within The REAL DEAL.
• Pitch-In Smiths Falls – an annual, community-wide litter cleanup.
• PhoneBack Canada – a used cell phone collection program.
• Printer Cartridge Return – a collection program for used laser toner, printer toner and ink jet cartridges which are recycled by the Canadian Diabetes Association and Mulitlaser.
• Rideau.Reuses.com - an online waste exchange facility - all items free or less than $99
• Take it Back Recyclopedia - coming soon - an online directory of businesses and organizations in our area that take back waste items - accessible through Rideau.Reuses.com.
• Stop the Burn - a public information campaign to discourage backyard burning. Whether garbage is burned in woodstoves, burn barrels, outdoor furnaces or open pits, it releases toxic pollutants into the air.
• Waste Reduction Week – Each year REAL chooses some way to mark this nationally proclaimed week. In the past we have had composting demonstrations, organized a storefront of waste reduction information, promoted the Stop Backyard Burning campaign, and promoted the Smiths Falls Reuse Centre.
• Municipal Waste Reduction Options - click on any municipality in Lanark, Leeds and Grenville to determine its household garbage, recycling, composting and hazardous waste options.

Some Ways to Reduce Your Waste

• Use your municipal recycling programs and depots, and hazardous waste depots.

• Compost. Composting food and yard waste can reduce your garbage by up to one-third. Composting protects our water, prolongs the life of landfills and mitigates against climate change. To get started, get tips at the Composting Council of Canada’s web site.

• Shop locally. Support the local economy and create less greenhouse gases by not driving to the city.

• Close the loop by choosing products made with recyclable material.

• Choose less packaging. Buy in bulk, choose refillable containers, ask to leave packaging at the store, and let manufacturers know when you are not happy with your choices.

• Tell your municipal representatives that you are concerned.

• Don’t even think about burning your waste! Click here to find out why.

The Other R’s

We’ve all heard of the 3 R’s: reduce, reuse and recycle. But what about the other R’s?

Recover
Reject
Refuse
Repair
Re-evaluate
Replay
Refill
Rebuild
Recharge
Return
Rethink

Updated March 2008