3 Tips to Reduce Your Household Waste

In 2004, more than 348 million batteries were discarded in Canada. Only 7 million of these were recycled while the rest were sent to landfills. These batteries contain toxic substances and should be properly disposed of. But that’s not all! Many other household products, such as fluorescent light bulbs, should be disposed of safely. Luckily, recycling programs for these products exist across Canada.

Take Back Programs

You can reduce your environmental impact with Take Back programs. Through these programs, a system has been put in place which enables the consumer to bring back a product once it has reached the end of its useful life.   

National and provincial waste diversion programs exist to take back batteries, paints, pesticides, electronic and electrical equipment (e.g computer, television), hazardous waste and much more. Many municipalities have put in place programs for proper disposal of hazardous waste, some of them in the form of Take Back programs.

Some leading private sector companies have also put in place programs for recycling and reuse of their products as part of an extended producer responsibility approach. According to this approach, a company is responsible for manufacturing, use and disposal of a product. The product may have expired but its environmental effects live on! For example, even though a battery is out of juice, it still contains heavy metals that may seep into soil and groundwater if it is not properly recycled.

Take action to reduce the harmful effects of potentially toxic products! Ask about a company’s end of life recycling program prior to your purchase, and choose products that have the smallest environmental impact. Careful disposal of these goods helps to keep you and the planet healthy!

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