Tip of the Month | RECYCLING COUNCIL OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

2009 Tips

January Tip: The Gret Coffee Cup Debate
February Tip: How Green is Your Valentine?
March Tip: Used Cooking Oil
April Tip: Earth Day
May Tip: Save Money By Being Green!
June Tip: Green Vacation!
July Tip: Greening Your Summer Grill
August Tip: Natural Yard Care

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May Tip: Save Money By Being Green!

In these tough financial times, learn how going green can help save you money! Browse our list for ideas on how going green can save both money and the planet!

Make your own household cleaners, not only is it cheaper but they are also safer for the environment and your family's health. Check out RCBC's Toxic Toolkit for household cleaner recipes and more!
Did you know an average North American meal travels 2,400km before it reaches the dinner table? Purchase your fruits and veggies from local farmers markets. Support BC farmers and save money, as well as greenhouse gases!
Grow your own fruits and vegetables. Find satisfaction in knowing that what you are eating is inexpensive and nutritious.
Buy used. Purchase household items from a thrift store or visit any one of the reuse websites run by RCBC (www.bc.reuses.com). Have reusable items lying around the house collecting dust? Instead of throwing them in the trash, why not sell them on one a reuse website and make a little money.
Replace incandescent light bulbs in your home with compact fluorescent lights, CFLs. By simply replacing a 100-W incandescent bulb with a 25-W CFL, you can save approximately $30 in electricity per bulb.
Save money on your water heating bill by purchasing an indoor water saver kit. Many municipalities offer residents water saver kits at a reduced price. Contact the RCBC Recycling Hotline to find out if your municipality is one of them.
Replace your energy intensive appliances with energy efficient ones. Not only will you save money on your energy bill for years to come but BC Hydro also offers Energy Star appliance rebates. Contact the RCBC Recycling Hotline for more information.
Unplug your electronics when you are not using them! Did you know that certain electronics, such as computers, stereo equipment and cell phone chargers use up electricity even when they are turned off? This invisible energy is called "phantom loads" and by reducing it you can save money on your electrical bill.
Use public transit or carpool. It saves you money and valuable time on your commute by using the always alluring HOV lane.
Take up cycling or walking. It saves you a trip to the gym, produces zero greenhouse gases and is a cheap alternative to driving!

Feel good about saving money and the planet!

For additional information, contact the RCBC Recycling Hotline, Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm, and Saturdays 9am to 4pm at 604-732-9253 (Lower Mainland) or 1-800-667-4321 (province-wide).

June Tip: Green Vacation!

Try something different this summer and take a green vacation! Here are a few tips on how to take your green lifestyle on the road:

Vacation close to home. You would be surprised at what adventures you can stumble upon in your own backyard. Check out Tourism B.C. for a few ideas!

Instead of travelling by air, why not take a scenic train or car ride. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has reported that high altitude emissions have a greater impact on climate change than ground-level emissions. It is best to avoid air travel when possible.

If you can't avoid air travel, why not purchase carbon offsets to balance out your carbon footprint. There are a number of companies that offer carbon offsets, like Planetair.

Take a volunteer vacation. Help out on a conservation/sustainability project overseas and be exposed to sights and sounds that you wouldn't experience in a resort.

Minimize your waste footprint by picking up after yourself, taking a reusable water bottle and avoiding unnecessary laundry.

If staying in a hotel, try booking one that practices sustainability measures like water and energy conservation, recycling and composting. A few hotels even have their own rooftop gardens!

Eat and shop locally, by doing this you would be supporting the local economy and ensuring that unnecessary fossil fuels were not burned on its way into your suitcase.

Rent a fuel-efficient car, like a hybrid!

Before heading out on your eco-friendly adventure, remember to cancel your newspaper subscriptions, unplug unnecessary electronics and turn down the thermostat.

For additional information, contact the RCBC Recycling Hotline, Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm, and Saturdays 9am to 4pm at 604-732-9253 (Lower Mainland) or 1-800-667-4321 (province-wide).

July Tip: Greening Your Summer Grill

Pull out the barbeque and invite a few friends over for an eco-friendly grill! Here are some tips on how to green your summer grill:

Try going vegetarian with meatless burgers and hotdogs. Cattle production produces potent greenhouse gases like methane, nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide. It also accounts for 18 percent of human-induced global greenhouse gas emissions -- even more than the transportation sector!
If going vegetarian isn't an option, cook up some organic, hormone-free meat. Hormones may cause adverse human health effects and can contaminate nearby water bodies once they pass through the cattle and enter the manure.
Serve B.C. grown, organic fruits and vegetables. They are fresher, more nutritious and didn't have to travel as far to get to your table.
Send any leftovers home with your guests and compost the rest.
Use an electric or gas grill instead of charcoal briquettes or wood. Charcoal and wood are dirtier fuel options as they emit more carbon dioxide than any of the alternatives.
Use reusable dishes or purchase disposable paper dishes that have at least 30 percent recycled content. Also, instead of using disposable napkins, use cloth napkins that can be easily laundered and used again.
Set up clearly labelled recycling, compost and waste bins for your guests.
After the big party, clean up the mess with non-toxic cleaners that you can either purchase or make at home. Check out our Toxic Toolkit for some non-toxic alternatives.

For additional information, contact the RCBC Recycling Hotline, Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm, and Saturdays 9am to 4pm at 604-732-9253 (Lower Mainland) or 1-800-667-4321 (province-wide).

August Tip: Natural Yard Care

Natural yard care is a low maintenance and environmentally friendly way to maintain your yard. Here are a few tips on creating and maintaining a healthy, relaxing outdoor space:

1. Create healthy soil

Mulch - Mulch is a layer of organic material, such as leaves or woodchips, which covers the soil. If spread an inch away from the stems around the plant base, it can reduce evaporation, prevent weeds and provide nutrients to the soil.
Compost - Compost is produced when organic material, such as food waste or grass clippings, break down over time. Compost loosens soil, helps it hold water more efficiently and provides nutrients. Many municipalities sell composters to residents, for more information contact the RCBC Recycling Hotline.
Grasscycle - Grasscycling is the practice of leaving grass clippings on the lawn after mowing. Grasscycling reduces water evaporation and returns nutrients back into the soil.
Fertilize - Use organic, slow-release fertilizer to release nutrients slowly over time so there is less nutrient leaching and runoff into nearby water bodies. Both Jobes and Miracle-Gro sell organic, slow-release fertilizer.

2. Pest management

Remove weeds with proper tools, like a weed fork, and mulch immediately to prevent germination.
Plant species which attract beneficial insects. Ladybugs, ground beetles and green lacewings are natural predators of pests. Beneficial insects can be drawn into your yard by planting thyme, dill, coriander, daisies, lavender, marigolds or sweet alyssum.

3. Choose the right plant and right place

Group plants by their growing conditions.
Plant species that grow well in your local conditions. For more information on plants native to BC, visit the Native Plant Society of BC website at www.npsbc.org.
Avoid planting invasive species. Invasive species compete with native species and reduce biodiversity. For more information on invasive species, visit the Invasive Plant Council of BC website at www.invasiveplantcouncilbc.ca.

4. Smart watering practices

Water the lawn in the morning and/or evening to avoid maximum evaporation.
Use a timer. A lawn only needs 2.5 cm of water a week.
Make sure the soil is not too compact, compact soil will not allow water to percolate.

For additional information, contact the RCBC Recycling Hotline, Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm, and Saturdays 9am to 4pm at 604-732-9253 (Lower Mainland) or 1-800-667-4321 (Province-wide).