Your Thoughtful Opinion Counts

Another installment about Effective MCR Conversations

Have you found yourself saying something like this?

• "I watched a video on CBC about recycling, last night, and..."
• "According to Mark Cullen, grasscycling is good for my lawn."

What you think counts even more than you think.

Everyone bases our everyday decisions on the thoughtful guidance of our peers. We take short-cuts by listening to what others have learned and their thoughtful opinions. We listen, we reflect, and we select the best perspectives for ourselves.

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In fact, your opinion matters more than what you've read. Yes, friends like that you read stuff and you listen to experts.  BUT what really counts is that you reflected on the topic and built an opinion.

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Sometimes we distance ourselves by talking through someone else. It's seems less risky to say, for example, "The City wants everyone to go bagless" But that statement makes going bagless about the City, not about you, not your neighbour, and not even about the grass.

Own your opinion and share it, respectfully.
Try something like "I go bagless because ..." This makes the topic more personal.

Do NOT push your opinions on others. Share how you see the world.

We all look for the opinions of people we trust. As an MCR, you have an informed opinion about Edmonton's waste system: share it.

Coming Soon: MCR Update Sessions

Of course, it's important to have up-to-date information. The MCR Team will host MCR Update Sessions in October. Come out and learn about changes to Edmonton's waste system.

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Find Common Ground

Another installment about Effective MCR Conversations

We've all met someone who simply "doesn't get it." They buy disposable everything or maybe they don't care about climate change. It's like you see the consequences of their actions, but they don't. 

You don't want to argue with them, but you also know this is precisely the person we need to chat with. Don't start listing arguments that will convince them to change ways.

Start by finding common ground.

Take a deep breath and look for what you have in common. Statistically speaking, all humans have more in common than we have different. In fact, common ground is not hard to come by. In some cases, it is almost universal.

People are more likely to be influenced by those they perceive to be much like themselves. We look to base their opinion on people with whom we have something in common.

It doesn't take much. You might comment on food they bought - saying how you really enjoy food at this particular fast food restaurant. You might hint at the challenges of parenthood. The weather is a good one: we are all subjected to the same weather.

You may say something like: "Wow, I see that you got food from [insert fast food place]. I love that place. Do you come here a lot? I find they give out a lot of disposables so I try to bring a reusable container with me whenever I go there for lunch". 

It's important to be genuine. Don't invent stuff. Simply connect on a human level.

This skill comes with practice.

Your first goal is building a rapport and planting a seed.

What are your successes with finding common ground? Share in a comment, below.

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Master Composter Recyclers Help Edmonton Re-Naturalize

Last Tuesday, MCRs planted 207 trees & shrubs at our annual summer planting event.  Thanks to everyone who came out. It was a big success.

We finished planting just before the rain and thunder came and all the plants benefited from warm showers, later that night. Perfect timing!

Staff with the City of Edmonton's Root for Trees program taught us about naturalization of urban areas. This includes letting the grass in an area grow (no mowing) in the first year and planting trees and shrubs in the second year. The new plants slowly take over, returning the area to a more natural landscape.

All in all, it takes several years to naturalize an area. Naturalization increases Edmonton's urban forest and offers many benefits. For one, this reduces mowing and maintenance.

MCRs chatted while we planted. The 175 trees & shrubs and 32 wildflowers included trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides), white spruce (Picea glauca), red osier dogwood (Cornus sericea), prickly rose (Rosa acicularis), and graceful cinquefoil (Potentilla gracilis).

Thank you, once again, to everyone who came out.

     

"Hello, Let's Eat" - A New City of Edmonton Pilot by MCR Amanda R.

The City of Edmonton is trying a new pilot program called “Hello, Let’s Eat” which lends out dishes for gatherings that foster relationships between neighbours, coworkers, and friends, and get people talking to each other! I wanted to try this program was because I desperately wanted to avoid disposables for my baby’s 100-day party.

The 100-day party is a Chinese tradition that always incorporates food. Our party took place on June 23, 2018. We hosted a casual backyard BBQ for approximately 30 friends, and coworkers.

The process is really simple. Visit Hello,Let’s Eat and fill out the application form.

Dishes packed into my vehicle from River City Events

The kits are available in either 12 or 24 settings.  We rented the 24-place settings – as you can see, it’s quite a few dishes!  It included flatware, plates, bowls, water glasses, and soup mugs. The kit also contains laminated placemats with the “Hello, Let’s Eat” logo.

Since our party was on a Saturday, I had to pick up the dishes on Friday, and return them on the following Monday.  I picked them up at River City Events, which is just north of MacEwan University.

One really nice perk of the program is that you don’t need to wash the dishes prior to returning them – simply scrape the food remnants into your compost pile (or the dog bowl) and then give everything a quick rinse.

I hope this program takes off- it’s a simple way to have a waste-free event, foster new and old friendships, and doesn’t cost any money!

Visit edmonton.ca/hello

Amanda became an MCR in 2016 and has been composting, reducing, reusing, and recycling ever since.  She has hosted information booths on various waste reduction subjects from vermicomposting to grasscycling and strikes up conversations with pretty much everyone about waste. Amanda’s favourite waste reduction strategies are using her tumbler composters (because it's free fertilizer/soil amendment for the garden!), gardening (ie. no food packaging!), and cloth diapers and wipes for her baby, Caspian.

     

Tell One Friend: Mow High, Mow Often

Do you leave your clippings on the lawn? Remember to mow high and mow often.

Mowing high ensures that your clip only 1/3 of the length of the grass blades, each time. Small clippings also break down easily. Mowing often develops a deep, extensive root system and leaves little room for weeds to grow.

• Raise your mower blade to medium range.
  Mow to the height of your pinky, or 6 to 8 cm (2.5 to 3 inches).
• Mow about every 4 to 5 days during the heavy growth season.
  When growth is slower, cutting once a week or less will suffice.
• Sharpen the blade. It's makes for a sharp-looking lawn.
  Grass recovers more quickly when cut cleanly.

Help your friends and neighbours keep it simple.

Prompt Them
"It's really simple to leave my clippings on the lawn. I don't cut off too much of the grass at a time. I mow regularly, but I don't have the hassle of bagging and dragging my grass."

One Small Ask
"Can I show you how to raise the blade on your mower? You can decide what length to go with afterwards."

Give Feedback
"I love how lush your lawn looks, and I noticed you leaving the clippings on the lawn. Will you get in touch if you ever need help?"

Did You Know?
It is not too late to go bagless if the grass has grown a bit too long. Just raise your mower blade to the highest possible setting. Go over your lawn once, then lower the blade it to a medium range, and mow the lawn a second time. It will still be more time effective than bagging your grass and ensures your clippings remain small enough to break down efficiently.

Visit edmonton.ca/gobagless
Visit edmonton.ca/waste to learn What Goes Where.

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