Archive for May, 2008

Green Living Blog: Small-space gardening and composting

by Daniela Payne
May 6, 2008

After reading this post, don't forget to enter our contest – you could win a new dishwasher. Plus, do you have your own story to tell? Send it to greenchallenge@canadianliving.com (no more than 300 words, please), and you could win one of 30 daily prizes.

Today's winner is Jennifer Wilson.

Although I live in an apartment, I compost my kitchen scraps and put them in my small outdoor composter. Come springtime, I have enough good new earth to do all of my patio container plantings. I water my pesticide-free containers with "grey" water left over from my dishwashing water, coffee, tea, and liquid left from cooking vegetables. I do not consider myself someone with a green thumb, but the results have been amazing! I have provided (more...)

Green Living Blog: How everything adds up

by Daniela Payne
May 5, 2008

Today's winner is Susan Spidle of Lunenberg, NS.

My family does its best to keep our garbage to a minimum. Our pick-up is once every two weeks and we usually have only a blue bag and one regular garbage bag that is half full.We have our own compost in the backyard and use most of our paper in our fireplace, which we use most of the time instead of the furnace to keep the house warm. We have our own woodlot and my husband keeps busy cutting trees and replanting when he clears out a few trees. We put brush around the house in the winter to help keep the heat in the basement.

When I go grocery shopping, (more...)

Green Living Blog: Go green with an electric bike

by Daniela Payne
May 4, 2008

Today's winner is Angela Smith of London, Ont.

Living in another country helped me appreciate what Canadians do for the environment. But, it also helped me realize what more I could do.Last year, we returned to Canada after living in England for three years. Our first year there, we lived without a car. Walking everywhere got us in better shape. I bought a pull trolley to carry groceries home when I walked the 2.5 kilometres to the store. With no curbside recycling, that trolley also carried plastics and papers to a recycling centre on the other side of town.

Now back in Ontario, we live in London, but my husband works in Toronto – a two-hour commute. Unfortunately, his job and the distance from our family required us to get a car. We couldn't stay as green as we would have liked. But, my husband still mostly uses the train on the days he travels to Toronto.

I wasn't finding it as easy to get all my errands done here as it had been in England. Southwestern Ontario isn't as pedestrian friendly. Not wanting to make things worse by becoming a two-car family again, we found an environmentally friendly solution: an electric bike for me! Charging the battery costs about 6 cents and I get between 20 and 30 kilometres per charge. I get to most places in the city while getting fresh air and exercise (okay, I admit, the motor does help on hills).

I also use a pretty, tapestry-covered shopping trolley to pull groceries home from our nearest supermarkets. I've gotten over the hang-up of it being an "old lady" thing!

I am glad to be back in Canada where recycling is so established. But keen to be greener, I decided to try my hand at composting too. Feeds my garden – and a few mice, I'm sure!

Thanks to Angela for sending in her story – and don't forget, if you still haven't entered, there's still time to send your own story to greenchallenge@canadianliving.com. Stuffed and Starved/water pitcher

Angela wins a copy of the book Stuffed and Starved by Raj Patel, courtesy of HarperCollins, and a Clear2O Home Water Filtration System.

Today's code word: trolley

Green Living Blog: Make your lunches greener

by Daniela Payne
May 3, 2008

Today's winner is Irene Leung of Port Dover, Ont.

I have been aware of the excess packaging I and others waste on a daily basis every time we eat lunches, whether it be takeout or brown-bagging it. So, I have come up with ideas on how I can reduce the waste of materials and packaging.I try to avoid take-out food as the restaurants use some sort of container or paper and instead, I make my lunches. Making lunches has enabled me to be creative and thoughtful. I have swayed away from using plastic baggies and throwaway bottles, plastics and tetra-paks. The main key is to use an array of reusable containers which you do not throw away but reuse. Then pack them all in a cooler bag or cooler box packed with reusable ice packs. Here are some of my tips: (more...)

Green Living Blog: Eco-friendly lawn mowers

by Daniela Payne
May 2, 2008

Today's winner is Dot Mann.

My six-year-old son, Jakob, didn't like the loud noise of the lawn mower so he really wanted a push mower. We bought a push mower without even thinking about the environment. Now I use it all the time and rarely have to use the gas mower all summer long. It's environmentally friendly and is very good exercise. Composting is also a great way to reduce the garbage taken to the landfill sites. It is great for gardens. Also use a rain barrel for watering your garden. This summer I would like to invest in some solar lights for the deck and garden.

Thanks to Dot for sending in her story – and don't forget, if you still haven't entered, there's still time to send your own story to greenchallenge@canadianliving.com. Ten Thousand Villages purse

Dot wins a woven rattan purse courtesy of Ten Thousand Villages.

Today's code word: mower

Green Living Blog: Purging paper towels

by Daniela Payne
May 1, 2008

Today's winner is Linda Morehouse of Keswick Ridge, NB.

I must admit that going green is often not as challenging as I once thought, except when it comes to paper towels. Yes, I am a paper towel addict. First of all, we have enough paper towels in our home to eventually black-market them once the last tree is gone. Paper towels are so easy to use and then toss that I can go through a roll a week. I grab some when I want to wipe up a spill, wash windows, use as a napkin or placemat, and/or polish "something." So I decided this week to challenge my paper towel addiction. (more...)