I happen to live in what is known as the "greenest town in Ontario". This honour comes in part as a result of our community's efforts with regard to our natural resources and the responsibility assumed by individual citizens to do their part.
The Region of Peel provides residents with the tools required to make recycling easy. We have a bin for pretty much everything from newspapers to lawn clippings to kitchen compost to rainwater for plant watering. I am proud to say that I am down to half a bag of garbage per week and have been for over three years.
Continuing with the bin theme, I also purchased these nifty "Greenboxes" (love the name...Bin Shoppin') for my expeditions to the grocery store. I also have begun using the reusable tote bags for smaller purchases.
What else???
Two years ago, my furnace passed on and I decided to invest in a high-efficiency replacement with a programmable thermostat. As the One Million Acts of Green website suggests, I have also cut heat to the rooms of my home that are rarely used.
I use both low voltage and solar lighting outside the house. I wash the majority of my laundry in cold water. I have become quite accustomed to hand washing dishes and usually only use the dishwasher when I have company for dinner. My home was one of the first on my street to be installed with a "Smart Meter".
One thing my 'green' community does not have is public transportation and depending upon where you live in the town, ammenities are quite spread out. When I need to do errands, I try to bunch them together so that even if I have had to drive my car to location, I can walk from place to place. I also keep my tires properly inflated and the car goes for a yearly tune-up in the spring.
So, what's your act of green?
