Issue 2: May 2008

THINK OUTSIDE THE BOTTLE PLEDGE.
Staying hydrated is a must. But did you know the container you drink from could be just as important as the water you drink. A reusable water bottle is a much better environmental option. Try reusing a glass bottle in your car or at the office. For more active pursuits, choose a lightweight stainless steel container. Show your support for reusable water bottles and good ole' tap water by signing the Think Outside the Bottle Pledge.

MARKHAM'S PESTICIDE BY-LAW NOW IN EFFECT. The outdoor use of non-essential pesticides on lawns, gardens and trees on public and private property is no longer permitted in the Town of Markham. Learn about environmentally-friendly ways to maintain your lawn, garden and trees. Download the Markham guide "Lawn Care that Won't Cost the Earth" for useful information on pesticide-free lawn care.

JOIN THE RED DOT CAMPAIGN. There is a grassroots campaign underway to help people stop the onslaught of unsolicited flyers, catalogues, take out menus and ads. It's called the "Red Dot" Campaign because Canada Post uses red dots on mailboxes to let its carriers know that the owner of the mailbox has no desire to receive ad mail. To sign up to stop junk mail from entering your mail box visit the Red Dot Campaign website.

NEW GOODWILL DONATION CENTRE OPENS IN MARKHAM VILLAGE. Markham has opened a new Goodwill Donation Centre at the Markham Village Recycling Depot located at 6041 Highway 7 just east of Markham Road. The new donation centre is staffed and ready to accept your used stuff from 8am-8pm 7 days a week, 364 days a year. Check here for information on what can be donated to Goodwill.

THROW A ZERO WASTE PARTY THIS SUMMER. When your patio is open for BBQ season, why not try making it a zero waste party. The key to a zero waste party is thinking ahead of time about all the materials your guests will be disposing of, and then choosing materials that are reusable, recyclable or compostable instead of disposable. Tips: use regular ceramic plates, reusable plastic picnic plates or paper plates (as these can go in the green bin for composting). Use cloth napkins or paper napkins (as these too can go in the green bin). Use silverware instead of plastic cutlery, and glasses or paper cups for beverages. Zero Waste Party Tips.

TURNING OVER NEW LEAVES. Don't send your fall leaves to the landfill! Help reduce greenhouse gasses by composting these valuable organic materials. Leaf and yard materials are collected every other week on your regular collection day. Please keep our streets clean by only placing leaf and yard material at the curb the night before collection (By-law 32-95). Leaf and Yard Material Rules.

WHAT CAN I RECYCLE AT A MARKHAM RECYCLING DEPOT? Markham residents are welcome to drop off their blue box materials at any of Markham’s four recycling depots. In addition to blue box materials, the depots also accept scrap metal items (no appliances), car/small truck tires (limit 4), polystyrene foam, plastic grocery bags, ink cartridges, cell phones, plastic pails, rechargeable batteries, fluorescent bulbs and tubes. Markham Community Recycling Depot Locations and Hours.

WORLDS GREENEST CITY? A new plan to create the worlds greenest city in Dongtan, Shanghai aims to build a city that runs completely on renewable energy for its buildings, transportation and infrastructure. Dongtan will recycle and reuse 90% of its waste, with hopes of eventually becoming a zero waste city. The plan mandates that waste will be considered a resource. Plans include the city not having a landfill and sewage will be processed for energy recovery and composting. All housing will be built within a seven minute walk to public transportation. Transportation will include solar powered water taxis and hydrogen fuel cell buses. Read more.

CANADIANS & GHG. Statistics Canada issued Human Activity and the Environment: Annual Statistics 2007 and 2008. "In 2005, just over 23 tonnes of green house gases were emitted for each person in Canada, an 8% per capita increase since 1990", says the report. "Canada has about 0.5% of the world's population, but contributes about 2% of the total global GHG emissions." Read summary.