Join the movement and help us celebrate today, April 22, which marks Earth Day!
Not only today, but everyday, we must work to unite our friends, our families and our communities to make a positive impact on the environment. We must recognize not only the challenges that real problems such as climate change pose but also the importance of creating and maintaining a healthier, greener environment for the future children of tomorrow.
It is important that we as a Municipality, take action and lead by example. It’s easy to dream, hope and plan for a better tomorrow but let’s take a look at some of the results directly obtained by action of our residents. Below you’ll find stats on volumes of materials RM of St Clements residents kept out of the landfill and how it compares to the previous year’s volumes.
Household Recycling – up 152.5 tonnes
- 665.7 tonnes in 2021
- 513.2 tonnes in 2020
Used Lubricating Oil – up 6.6 tonnes
- 32.5 tonnes in 2021
- 25.9 tonnes in 2020
New Household Hazardous Waste collection depot opened June 1, 2021
- Diverted over 5,272 kg of paints, toxics, flammables, and fluorescent lightbulbs from landfill in 2021
“Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.”
Vincent Van Gogh
Symbolically Call in Sick for Earth Day
This years theme for Earth Day is to symbolically ‘call in sick’. Insomnia? Stress? Anger? Climate change is already affecting us, and more and more of us are experiencing these symptoms because of it. It’s called eco-anxiety. The 2022 Earth Day campaign highlights this little-known mental illness that is gaining traction and the ways we can remedy together!
Join in the celebration and visit the official website for Earth Day 2022 which includes events, programs and even more ways that you can help!
Activities to help celebrate Earth Day
Are you looking for some inspiration of different ways you can celebrate today with your children, family, friends or community? Check out some ideas below, and remember, you can incorporate these ideas any day of the week not just today!
- Organize a shoreline clean-up activity with an organization in your area, or simply collect garbage around your school, neighbourhood or street
- Set up recycling and/or compost collection
- Take ‘concrete action’ by using active transport like walking or biking to school, work or a friends house rather than driving
- Challenge yourself to go the day without tv, computer or your phone
- Plant trees and/or shrubs
- Visit a hiking trail and learn more about what it is our earth has to offer by observing different ecosystems, plants, animals, etc.
- Organize a swap with someone you know with items that you may not find useful anymore (remember, someone’s trash is another one’s treasure!)
- Challenge yourself to only use reusable items and not create any waste
- Find stores that allow you to refill your everyday items which saves on packaging – such as cooking, cleaning or beauty products
- Challenge yourself to a ‘zero paper’ day (look at documents on the computer rather than printing)
- Get involved as a volunteer or become a member of an environmental organization
- Create a rainwater harvesting system outside your home
- Research – one of the most important things you can do. Learn the difference between sustainability, recycling, reusing, reducing
Recycling
Recycling frequently and correctly is very important. It ensures that processed recycling doesn’t end up in the landfills due to improperly being put in the blue bin when it doesn’t belong.
Things to remember when recycling:
- Plastic bags, clothes and batteries do not belong in your blue bin
- All recyclables should be empty, clean and dry before putting them in your blue bin
In addition to recycling, reducing and reusing are an important first step.
- Try avoiding single-use items when possible
- Use a reusable water bottle and grocery bags to cut down on plastic
- Donate clothes, toys and other items instead of throwing them away
Join us in celebrating Earth Day by making these easy changes to your daily routine with the hope of leaving the earth a better place!
Recyclepedia – unsure if an item can be placed in your blue bin? Here you can find recycling guides and even search for certain products by name!
“Recycling is what we do when we’re out of options to avoid, repair, or reuse the product first. Firstly: Reduce. Don’t buy what we don’t need. Repair: Fix stuff that still has life in it. Reuse: Share. Then, only when you’ve exhausted those options, recycle.”
“There is no such thing as ‘away’. When we throw anything away it must go somewhere.”
Annie Leonard