By Alison Hobbs
Reduced consumption will help to heal our sick planet. It’s fun feathering a nest when we’re young, but before we know it, the nest has to be downsized and decluttered. “What do I really not need?” is the first question to ask, but we should throw stuff away only as a last resort. “Could I give this away to a family that does need it, or could I find a new use for this, or get it mended?”
With the encouragement of the provincial government, the conversion of biodegradable waste for reuse by farmers and gardeners, or as a source of energy, is a big component of the City’s plans; many waste-diversion technologies, including experimental methods, are under consideration. “Your feedback will help create a waste management system we can all feel good about,” say the planners, so contact them at Engage Ottawa if you have specific ideas or concerns.
Growing awareness is key to dealing with waste. For example, each year in Canada, 8000 tons of cigarette butts are carelessly tossed away; our city’s streets and parks are strewn with them. Many smokers never realize that cigarette butts can take 15 years to decompose and contain acetates and microplastics that harm wildlife, sometimes lethally, as they leach into water and soil.
On September 17th, a couple of Lowertown neighbours, along with members of CFUW-Ottawa’s Environment Action group, spent an hour removing litter–including a great many cigarette butts–from Bordeleau Park and the nearby banks of the Rideau River. This activity was registered with the City of Ottawa’s Cleaning the Capital Program / Le Grand Ménage de la Capitale. Advised to avoid picking things up with bare hands in case of contamination, the clean-up team wore protective gloves. The City supplied these as well as garbage bags. (Pick-up sticks, buckets and rakes were useful as well.) At the end of the exercise the amount of garbage removed from the grass, the children’s playground and the riverbanks weighed 11 kg.