Hey Canadians!! 🇨🇦💚🇨🇦 How do you do Sustainable?

[Jennifer3225]

Hi all After the success of Earth Day 2023, I am excited to see just how everyone is doing for their sustainable efforts at your property here in Canada.🇨🇦 🍃

Compostable packaging

Earth Friendly Cleaning?

Collect Food Waste

What is important to you?

1. Culture? Do you recognize nearby Indigenous Communities? In Canada we have 94 actionable items for truth and reconciliation. It’s every Canadians commitment to make and facilitate peace!
2. Language French/English/Both
3. Do you use Solar lights?
4. Do you up cycle your furniture?
5. Do you make a point of what packaging you bring into your listing?
6. Nature -How do you support Mother Earth? Do you showcase local trails?
7. Economy- Do you support local? Do you do local gifting? 
8. Do you grow food? Do you collect Food Waste?

Please let me know. We are compiling a list of items that Canadians 🇨🇦 are already doing to promote their sustainability in their homes?

Let me know!

[Jacqueline639]

Thank you for all the work you're putting into this Jennifer!

At our listing we:

1.  sort recyclables

2. use LED lightbulbs

3. naturalize our shoreline (no fertilizers, lawn cutting, shallow rooted plants)

4. pump out our septic tank annually

5. locally source firewood

6. use low phosphate cleaners

7. use a wifi based thermostat

8. offer metal straws

9. do not offer any single use plastics

Haven't quite cracked the code on organics/composting as the counter top models are expensive and our local municipality does not support this and will need to change out our furnace at the end of its life as it uses fossil fuels (for now).

[Jennifer3225]

HI @Jacqueline639  I do like that one. Sourcing Local Firewood. That is very relevant and something I had not thought about. Good one. 

Tell me more about pumping out your septic annually. What are the benefits of this? If you are talking about the Vitamix Food Cycler. I got one recently second hand for $54.00. Keep your eyes out. Sometimes people don't know what they are. If I see one again, I will scoop it up for you.

Found this beauty second hand

[Jacqueline639]

The annual septic tank pump out is to prevent system overload and potential leeching into our lake after extra volume due to guests, laundry, etc.  Many of our guests have no experience with a septic system so it's also a precaution against build up of non bio items that may get flushed in error.

I found this article comparing countertop composters that I thought you'd find interesting ... now also on the hunt for a used one:  https://chatelaine.com/living/countertop-composter/

Have a great day!

[Jacqueline639]

@Jennifer3225 If you can believe it, I just found a gently used Food Cycler on FB marketplace and am picking up tomorrow.  Let the composting adventure begin!  Thx for the inspiration!

[Jennifer3225]

@Jacqueline639  Did we just become best friends? 

[Jacqueline639]

I think so! @Jennifer3225 

[Karen1100]

I LOVE this initiative!  Way to Go @Jennifer3225 and the others who have spearheaded this!

Great ideas from everyone
Mine are fairly basic, but trying to do more.  

- Switched from Electric baseboards and Invested in an Eco Heat Pump that gives both Cooling and Heating. 

- I weed our yard instead of using harmful pesticides. 
- Provide Shopping Bags for guests to use.

- Providing Recycling Bins for our guests.

- Use Low Flow shower head and toilets 

- Use Eco-Friendly products as much as possible. 
For Cleaning, I love this brand of cleaning system called Enjo! 
They are amazing and you only use water with the cloths, and leave surfaces sparkling!  (Let me know if you want some products I can get a deal🙂) 

- I share all the get outdoors, nature, Eco-Friendly ideas for things to do in the area, I have been creative with "Locals Only" suggestions!  My guests love it!  
Local Hikes and biking, we have SUP for our guests. 

- I added in our listing acknowledgment of Indigenous Lands we are on 

***We would like to acknowledge that the land on which we gather is the traditional territory of the Sinixt, the Ktunaxa, and the Syilx peoples, and is home to the Métis and many diverse Indigenous persons. We honour their connection to the land and rivers and respect the importance of the environment to our strength as a community.***

I am working on a Passport Sheet of Fun Eco-Friendly Activities for our area.  I think many guests would be interested in doing less environmentally impactful activities.   
Karen

[Carol8224]

@Jennifer3225 We have recycled for many years. In our new location:

We installed low flow fixtures and LED lighting throughout the whole house.

Almost all of our furniture is gently used second hand.

Our cleaners and weed maintenance products are natural or enviro friendly. 

We have a recycling cabinet and a composter for household food waste.

We have electric heat in the suite and a monitor that keeps track of Radon levels, temperature and humidity levels which has been very useful.

We have Brita water jugs and reusable water bottles and travel mugs for guests.

We don't use Kuerig or other pod system coffee cups. Grounds can feed the composter.

I like @Karen1100  idea of a passport sheet to get guests more involved if possible.   

I would have posted a picture of our recycling cabinet but couldn't figure out what "source" means.

Carol T 

[Shanel31]

I forgot to mention our REUSE CENTER here in the Shuswap.

You know that saying, one person garbage is another treasure... well that is exactly what the reuse center is based on!

At our local landfill, there is an area where you can leave old furniture, toys, household items such as dishes or small appliances. You may just upgrade something in your house and instead of throwing out the old one people can bring it down to the reuse center and the best part is it is completely FREE for anyone to leave items and to take items! Not only does this keep unnecessary garbage out of our landfills but it also helps people find treasures they might not have the means to purchase themselves. 
Seriously this is such a great program that people rave about in our small towns. 
My husband always gives me a hard time and says I always go to the garbage with a truck full of recycling and then come home with a whole truck load of furniture. We have gotten all our outdoor chairs for around our firepit for our Airbnb from there, replaced all the dishes in the Airbnb and I usually always score a new toy for my kids too!

If you do not have something like this in your home town I strongly encourage bringing the idea to your municipalities. The program really is  win win for everyone!!!

[Catriona57]

We provide a page in our house manual about how our guests (which are all long term - 30 days minimum) can join us in composting all kitchen waste, including paper waste. We provide an under-the-counter bin and show them where to empty it for pickup.

We explain to guests how to clean and place their nonorganic recyclables in their own outdoor recycling bin. In Vancouver, almost everything is recyclable, and what City trucks won’t pick up, we sort, collect, and take to our neighbourhood “Zero Waste” facility. Easy-peasey:)