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Rn "A Family Tradition for 126 Years" PORT PERRY STAR - Tuesday, May 26, 1992 - 13 New environmental group formed in Scugog Township Anew environmental organi- zation has formed in Scugog. Township residents con- cerned about the environment started meeting in January and have recently formed the Scu- gog Environmental Associa- tion. Janet Banting, a local envi- ronmentalist and member of SEA, told the Star the organiza- tion is perfect for residents who "don't want to think regionally or globally" but who are con- cerned about local environmen- tal issues and want to do some- thing about them. The group hopes to imple- ment numerous local projects to aid the environment. Its first project, which will happen during Canada's Envi- ronment Week June 1-7, is to encourage shoppers to use reuseable bags. IGA, Valu-Mart, and the LCBO will be selling a variety of reuseable bags during the week. (See separate story.) The association is also work- ing towards getting recycling ig- loos for the village of Greenbank and other areas of the township. Mrs. Banting said the associ- ation is looking for additional members. Anyone interested in joining the SEA may call Mrs. Banting at 985-3225 or Larry Doble at 985-3723. Waste Reduction Week Every fall the Recycling Council of Ontario sponsors an awareness-raising Waste Re- duction Week, and this year's is being planned for Sept. 27 - Oct. 4 Volunteers keen to spread the word about possible waste reduction projects for individu- als, families, schools, business- es and community groups -- is encouraged to call 985-3225. An initial planning meeting will take place on Thursday, May 28 at the Region's Works Department office. Call 985- 3225 or 668-7721 if you would like to take part. Purchase a reusable shopping bag to help protect your environment By Janet Banting The theme for this year's En- vironment Week, celebrated across Canada and coming up June 1-7, is "It's Up To All Of Us!" The message? We have to stop waiting for "someone else" to do all the work needed to clean up this fragile, damaged planet. Each and every one of us has arole to play. With this in mind, members of the new Scugog Environmen- tal Association have been work- ing with local grocery store own- ers on a project to encourage shoppers to begin carrying reus- able bags when they do the weekly shopping. Port Perry grocery store own- ers Jim Grieve {IGA) and Ken Dowson ({Valu-Mart} will be helping to promote the reusable concept during Environment Week by selling bags for the low price of 99 cents. Customers will be encouraged to buy and use, use and re-use them. The IGA will be selling cotton cloth bags, while at Dowson's string bags will be available. Port Perry's LCBO store is also tak- ing part in the Environment' Week promotion, selling a cloth The Old Soft Soap- by Michelle Bull : phate free. but it had A few weeks ago, I was standing in the aisle of the grocery store staring at the laun- dry detergents. ch one to buy? This one was biodegradable and phos- leach. Another was leach free and nitrate free, but it had phos- phates. This one was in a large container, : but it had been tested on animals. This one {| was cruelty free, phosphate free, and biode- gradable, but it had been imported from Eu- rope, no doubt by ship, which used fossil fuels, causing pollution and adding to the greenhouse effect. Which to buy? As | was standing there thinking that life had been a lot simpler in the days before I had started worrying about the environ- ment, a store clerk came by. "Can | help you with anything?" he asked. I sighed. "I'm looking for some laundry detergent that has no phosphates, no nitrates, no optical brighteners, no bleach, is biodegradable, can be bought in bulk, is made locally and is not tested on animals." He sighed, too. Then he said, "You know, you are standing here worrying about what's the best laundry soap for the environment and other people are still pouring oil down the drain." I have to admit that I felt very discou- raged, and I was even tempted to buy my old brand of laundry soap from my pre-green days. After all, if other people are pouring oil down the drain, what possible difference can it make? I somehow rallied myself and bought what looked like the best of a bad bunch. After all, even if other people are doing things they shouldn't be, I had always been taught that it did not let me off the hook. I was still sup- posed to do the right thing, even if everyone else wasn't. So what about laundry detergent and oth- er household cleaners like dish soap, auto- matic dishwasher detergent, shampoo, etc., - etc.? Can we find cleaners that can be bought in bulk, locally, at reasonable prices, a destroy the environment, and that really work? Yes we can. In fact there are a number of sources for soaps and detergents that do not contain pollutants, that are biodegradable, cruelty free, bulk and local. One source is the Earth Dance store in Oshawa, at 8 Midtown Cres., just off Bond St. near the Midtown Mall. This store carries EMJ products, including dish soap, laundry § soap and all-purpose cleaners. You can brin your own containers if you like, and avoi uying new ones. They also carry Soa P 3% Works and Soap Factory products, including §& etergent and person- | al care products. All are made with natural § ingredients and are environmentally safe. § automatic dishwasher They also work. I have tried them, so I know. If you want to avoid driving to Oshawa, § there is now a dealer for Principally Green § products in Port Perry. These products are § made in southern Ontario from natural in- § gredients, they are not tested on animals, § and you can reuse your containers. They in- § soap, all-purpose § condi- §& tioner. These also work. I have tried them. If & you are interested, call Bill or Carol Wagg at § clude dish soap, laund cleaner, toilet cleaner, shampoo an 985-9946. Another source for environmentally friend- ly cleaners, including personal care prod- ucts, is the Marigold Organic Food Co-op. These are also cruelty free, but not all of them are local. You must be a member of the Co-op to buy these products, but member- ship also allows you to buy good quality or- # ole- & sale prices. I have also tried a number of & ganic and bulk foods and vitamins at w these products and they also work. All of the products available from the . sources | have mentioned are available at competitive prices. They all work as well as their polluting competitors, and they are all § made from natural ingredients that do not paliute our land and water and kill our wild- ife. None of them are tested on animals. Most of them are available in bulk and are made locally. In other words, they do the job, they often save you money, and they do not harm the environment. So there is no excuse for buying Brand X with phosphates and bleach, tested on ani- mals, imported from far away, and sold in stupid little containers that you have to throw away. {And if anyone is still pouring their oll down the drain, this would be a good time to stop that, tool} We all have a part to play, and what we do does matter, even if someone else doesn't care. So do your part. Every little bit counts! \ N bag for $1. If more and more Canadians begin to practice the three Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle} effec- tively, it will help to lighten the load on rapidly filling landfill sites. While plastic bags can be returned to many grocery stores for recycling, most of the more than 55 million used weekly by Canadian shoppers still land in dumpsites. Anyone recently taking part in .tch-In Week clean-ups can attest to the fact that plastic bags blow all over the countryside, creating a con- siderable litter problem. The old saying "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" really puts environmental CY RR store. Port Perry grocery store owners will be helping to promote the reuseable concept during Environment Week (June 1-7) by selling shopping bags for 99 cents. IGA will sell cloth cotton bags, and Valu-Mart will sell string bags. The LCBO will also be selling cotton bags for $1 each. Jim Grieve, owner of the Port " Perry IGA, displays the cotton bag available at his Queen Street roblems in proper perspective. t's a whole lot better to prevent problems from developing in the first place, than to spend vast resources of time, energy and money cleaning them up later. Residents of Scugog Town- ship will be able to help do their bit for a better enyironment this Environment Week by switch- ing to reusable shopping bags. They can also visit a display at Scugog Memorial Library and pick up handouts containing helpful advice on how to be more "environment friendly." Let's remember during Envi- ronment Week and every week, "It's Up To All Of Us!" ANID HELIS AUTHORIZED DEALER repel water. ( sikkens **'Kkens | | Cetol 1 & Cetol 23 To Protect the Natural Beauty of Your Exterior Woodwork -Specially formulated to -Effectively penetrates and protects wood surfaces. PAINT & WALLPAPER 295 Ritson Rd.S., Oshawa 434-3939 CENJRA v \4 \4 v 52 Water Street, Port Perry 985-4132 Hand Painted Figurines Solid Wood Furniture Folk Art Solid Oak Frames/ Prints