Green up your morning coffee...

Folks who went to the Canmore Folk Fest are talking about the pasta alternative to wood stir sticks.

I mentioned this to my friends at 3 Bananas and their first impression was that food should not be thrown away. This kind of surprised me, but having been raised by people who lived through the depression and then the war I certainly understood that reaction.

(I learned that this coffee house is already doing a bunch of stuff to reduce waste, Bravo!)

Of course, harvesting, transporting, and processing wood is incredibly energy intensive. The pasta option has big environmental and economic benefits, like local products and manufacturing, plus kitsch options like spelling out fashionable words, or bright orange and green Carrot shapes.

Despite the sign in this photo, I don't think the stirring would take long enough to cook the noodle, but hey, if it does, why not make them Biscotti Flavoured and reduce waste even more?!?

Volunteer Opportunity: Talk to your favourite barista about it, and then log your hours under the "Building Awareness..." activity on myVolunteerPage.com.

Have a great weekend, and don't forget your travel mug!

Friday Fun - an offer you can't refuse!

Reuse those discards before you compost them!

I grow tasty tomatoes every year, and never considered the possibility of reusing the leaves and stems for anything besides compost, but this article in the New York Times has taught me a valuable lesson.

Even corn cobs are full of juicy sweetness and can be used to flavour broth.

While you enjoy the article, I will be gathering tomato scraps...

Biodegradible Pail Liners

Which kitchen collection pail liner is best?

Check out this article and video.

Do Not Try This At Home!

New MRF planned for EWMC

C&D Recycling gets automatedAn expansion of the construction and demolition recycling site at the EWMC is currently underway.

A new six stream separation process targeting un-sorted C&D waste is expected to be up and running by this October.

It will include sorting and stockpile areas and feature a new 50m x 80m facility that will use both automated and manual sorting, by a crew of up to 20 City and contracted employees.
The process will produce clean end products that can be marketed or reused in Branch operations.

“The expansion was needed,” states EWMC supervisor of operations Shailesh Modak, who will oversee its operation. “We are being proactive by expanding our facilities to divert mixed C&D waste from landfill.”

C&D waste accounts for a quarter of the total amount of municipal solid waste sent to landfill in Alberta.

Items to be recycled include:

• metals (ferrous and non-ferrous)

• asphalt/concrete

• drywall off-cuts (unpainted)

• wood (treated and untreated)

• asphalt shingles

• cardboard

Last year the Branch accepted over 75,000 tonnes of C&D waste at the EWMC.

DID YOU KNOW?


Four to seven tonnes of waste (six 12-yard bins) is produced during the construction of an average house.