Yearly Archives: 2015

Everyone has a part to play in reducing waste. We all need to look at our daily habits and make a change, whether it’s turning the lights out if not in a room, making sure electrical items are not left on standby, printing only when necessary and then double-sided, recycle and reuse wherever possible. The

Ever since the damage done to the environment came to the fore as one of the modern world’s most urgent problems, discussions concerning who causes it and whose task it is to solve it have become prevalent. It seems to me we cannot just point towards one business or practice and blame them for all

Healthcare facilities in the U.S. that generate hazardous waste pharmaceuticals have reported difficulties complying with some hazardous waste regulations. One of the concerns raised by stakeholders is that healthcare workers, whose primary focus is to provide care for patients, are not knowledgeable about hazardous waste regulations, but are often involved in the implementation of the

Packaging is as critical to modern life as the water supply system. Towns and cities could not exist without it and today more than half the global population live in urban areas. Ten times more resources go into producing products than making their packaging so the packaging has to ensure that those resources do not

By now it is no surprise that bottled water is wasteful. The environmental cost of the massive consumption of bottled water has led some U.S. and Canadian local governments to consider a ban on its sale. This may seem an extreme response however the scientific concerns are well-founded and the facts may surprise and concern

Religion and the environment may seem like an odd couple but researchers, congregations and companies are all beginning to look through this lens for new ideas. For companies and investors, the Pope’s call for all people to do their part to tackle climate change could mean a new segment of consumers with an appetite for

Ask yourself if you have ever disposed of unused or outdated medication by flushing it down the toilet or by tossing it in the garbage. Sadly, most of us must admit we have done this at one time or another. So what is the best way to get rid of them? Individually, all that is

Clean water is a basic need for human life, and for many of us it is not something that requires a lot of thought or effort. As Canadians we have the good fortune to be recipients of one of nature’s most generous water supplies due to our many glaciers, lakes, rivers and streams. We know this

Let’s use this month’s ‘Earth Day’ celebration to remind ourselves that while recycling is a very important tool, so too ‘Reduce and Reuse’ are of equal value. For example, how would 'reduce' manifest in your life? Ask yourself –do I really need this? How did the production of this product impact the environment and what

Spring has sprung... finally! After this punishing winter, it is a joy to finally be seeing the first signs of spring. Our quote this month, by Rachel Carson, brings to mind her landmark book “Silent Spring” – published in 1962. In it, she predicted that unbridled use of synthetic chemicals, particularly DDT, would lead to