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Saturday September Changing times Environment awareness a part of life This article is provided by local Realtors and the Ontario Real Estate Association ORE A for the benefit of consumers In the real estate market Times have changed significantly since the days when the three s referred to reading writing and arithmetic In today climate of in creasing environmental awareness they stand for reduction reuse and recycling and are becoming an in parj of our everyday language If you haven incorporated he three R into your lifestyle yet perhaps it time you gave it more thought Homeowners produce a veritable gold mine of recyclable material from soup cans and newspapers to old furniture and Christmas trees Take a moment and think about all the goods you consume on a day to day basis and the amount of household waste you generate Did you know that the average Canadian produces about kilograms of gar bage a As our landfills become increas ingly overburdened consumers are becoming more and more aware of the problem that our wastes pose People now realize that garbage dumps endless receptacles and that the future of our environ ment is dependant on the action we take today By reducing the amount of waste we produce we can make a cant dent in the amount of space we require for landfills And by re using various items we also cut down on the amount of waste generated Recycling and recyclable wastes also ensures that our natural resources are used over and over again COMMON SENSE AND ORGANIZATION Adopting the three in your home doesn I take a lot of effort just an organized approach and some common sense You can start by purchasing pro ducts without packaging or those that come in environmentally friendly packages or recyclable con tamers You should also try to buy containers that can be refilled Reuse your shopping bags by ing them along with you each time you go shopping especially to the grocery store You can also buy special reusable shopping sacs Avoid purchasing disposable pro ducts such as paper and plastic plates razors and diapers Instead buy products you can use again For instance try buying rechargeable batteries and a charger in stead of buving new packages all the If vou have an leftover paint check to see if a friend or relative has any use for it disposing of it Unwanted old paint can be taken to spcial household hazardous w aste depots for proper disposal If have some furniture you no longer want see if someone you know would like it or trv donating it to a charitable group for refur bishing instead of throwing it out Make sure sae vour glass jars and bottles as well as those made out of plastic for recycling Old newspapers metal cans and cor rugated cardboard are also easy to prepare for recycling Most communities throughout the province have adopted blue box multi matenal recycling programs While many of these programs were initially geared to service single dwellings many high apart and condominium dwellers can now participate as well To get an idea of exactly how much recyclable waste you re diver ting from your local landfill try weighing your blue box sometime when it s full weigh yourself while holding your blue box Ihen weigh yourself and subtract the dif ference it may not seem like a lot in small weekly or biweekly batches but it does add up over the course of a year I EAVES GRASS CUPPING AND BRUSH If your municipality has a special leaf or grass composting program make sure you partcipate in it it s in excellent way to recycle organic material Municipalities usually request that you put the leaves in clear plastic bags and pickups are usually made on on designated days You can also start your own com post pile using leaves clippings and other yard waste along with kitchen scraps Special compost containers can be hand made or purchased at some hardware or gardening stores By composting you make a significant dent in the amount of garbage particularly food waste that you discard every day You 11 also be gaining a nutrient rich soil enhancer for your garden By adopting the three philosophy into our homes and lifestyles we can make sure we do our part to ensure a healthy ment for the future MINIUM DISTANCES be In bathroom planning to ensure thai the room safe and functional THE BEAUTY OF A STONE LOOK reflected In ihb by combining two faux granite colors and a traditional tooted edge IMPROVING YOUR ODDS AGAINST CANADAS KILLER 0FF I Custom Mm and Custom Mini Blinds and Pleated Shades Celebrity Installed at NO EXTRA COST OSBORNE DECOR LTD HOME OF THE WEEK BOB MORROW S0N CARPENTRY LTD KITCHENS BATHROOMS Ceramics Additions Decks Doors and Windows CUSTOM CARPENTRY Lie No L103108 ARMSTRONG AVE GEORGETOWN Bus Res KINGSWAY CONTRACTING Commercial Industrial Residential New Construction Additions Renovations Country loti Available 8785222 For Early Spring Booking AUTO PROPANE RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL GUARANTEED SUPPLY GUARANTEED HOUR SERVICE 8782318 8227780