96 results found

1. Using GoogleMaps, connect people so they can pool their low-volume recyclables together.

   Make it possible for residences or small businesses to find other people / businesses near them, so they can pool low-volume waste streams like batteries, light bulbs, wood pallets together to make it economically viable for recyclers to come and pick them up

   3 votes

   Vote Vote Vote

   Vote

   We're glad you're here

   Please sign in to leave feedback

   Signed in as (Sign out)

   Close

   Close

   1 vote 2 votes 3 votes Remove votes

   You have left! (?) (thinking…)
   0 comments  ·  Reduce waste  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →

2. Disposable Deposit

   Each and every disposable container should have a 50 cent deposit on it; a coffee cup with a lid = $1.00, a plate, fork and knife $1.50 etc.

   15 votes

   Vote Vote Vote

   Vote

   We're glad you're here

   Please sign in to leave feedback

   Signed in as (Sign out)

   Close

   Close

   1 vote 2 votes 3 votes Remove votes

   You have left! (?) (thinking…)
   8 comments  ·  Reduce waste  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →

3. Ban non recyclable products

   It is about time no? Why can we still buy products that cannot be recycled? If we want a zero waste society, we can not have the choice anymore of consuming goods that will end up in the garbage.

   36 votes

   Vote Vote Vote

   Vote

   We're glad you're here

   Please sign in to leave feedback

   Signed in as (Sign out)

   Close

   Close

   1 vote 2 votes 3 votes Remove votes

   You have left! (?) (thinking…)
   3 comments  ·  Reduce waste  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →

4. E-voting saves on paper ballots

   E-voting saves on paper ballots and ensures greener politicians win since they tend to be favoured by the hackers who would penetrate the online system!

   14 votes

   Vote Vote Vote

   Vote

   We're glad you're here

   Please sign in to leave feedback

   Signed in as (Sign out)

   Close

   Close

   1 vote 2 votes 3 votes Remove votes

   You have left! (?) (thinking…)
   0 comments  ·  Reduce waste  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →

5. Outlaw Freebies and Handouts

   Here's a top-down, Draconian notion that still has merit: a bylaw that prohibits the distribution and posting of leaflets and placards and other miscellaney. Fine those who insist on papering our doors, bikes, benches, cars, and streets with unrequested promotional materials. It's one thing to offer somebody an item and another to scatter them pell mell.

   5 votes

   Vote Vote Vote

   Vote

   We're glad you're here

   Please sign in to leave feedback

   Signed in as (Sign out)

   Close

   Close

   1 vote 2 votes 3 votes Remove votes

   You have left! (?) (thinking…)
   1 comment  ·  Reduce waste  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →

6. Instead of having trucks pick up leaves in the fall the city to lend electric mulchers to neighbours

   It saves greenhouse gases by the trucks cleaning the streets, provides compost, and gets citizens talking

   4 votes

   Vote Vote Vote

   Vote

   We're glad you're here

   Please sign in to leave feedback

   Signed in as (Sign out)

   Close

   Close

   1 vote 2 votes 3 votes Remove votes

   You have left! (?) (thinking…)
   0 comments  ·  Reduce waste  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →

7. Eternal Olympic Flame that actually helps the Environment!

   When dog waste goes into landfill, it releases methane into the atmosphere. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that is approximately 23 times more harmful than carbon dioxide.

   When it’s burned in the presence of oxygen, it separates into carbon dioxide and water vapor, so businesses can actually earn carbon credits from burning off excess methane.

   Here is an article on a park in Massachusetts where they are using methane created from dog poop for a gas burning lamppost (http://parksparkproject.com/home.html).

   Eventually the methane could be used to reduce overall energy consumption by heating buildings/water etc, but in the mean time it would be pretty cool to have the Olympic Flame burning and actually helping the environment!

   When dog waste goes into landfill, it releases methane into the atmosphere. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that is approximately 23 times more harmful than carbon dioxide.

   When it’s burned in the presence of oxygen, it separates into carbon dioxide and water vapor, so businesses can actually earn carbon credits from burning off excess methane.

   Here is an article on a park in Massachusetts where they are using methane created from dog poop for a gas burning lamppost (http://parksparkproject.com/home.html).

   Eventually the methane could be used to reduce overall energy consumption by heating buildings/water etc, but in the… more

   3 votes

   Vote Vote Vote

   Vote

   We're glad you're here

   Please sign in to leave feedback

   Signed in as (Sign out)

   Close

   Close

   1 vote 2 votes 3 votes Remove votes

   You have left! (?) (thinking…)
   0 comments  ·  Reduce waste  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →

8. Ban the Disposal of Recyclable Products

   The Nova Scotian government has an amazing program where garbage has to be disposed of in clear garbage bags and if it includes recyclable goods the waste it not picked up and has to be sorted.

   The ban includes "Bans on the disposal of beverage containers, corrugated cardboard, newsprint, scrap tires, used oil, lead-acid batteries, waste paint, automotive antifreeze, glass food containers, steel/tin cans, selected plastics and compostable organic materials."

   http://www.gov.ns.ca/nse/waste/swrmstrategy.asp

   2 votes

   Vote Vote Vote

   Vote

   We're glad you're here

   Please sign in to leave feedback

   Signed in as (Sign out)

   Close

   Close

   1 vote 2 votes 3 votes Remove votes

   You have left! (?) (thinking…)
   0 comments  ·  Reduce waste  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →

9. "Smart" garbage cans that pay you to recycle

   Modify city garbage and recycling cans to contain identification tags, so the biggest recyclers can get coupons, cash or credit rewards. The worst recyclers get warnings and fines that pay for the project quickly. The cost of this project has been only $2.4 million elsewhere.

   Please look at these links:

   http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2006/1001-smart_trash_cans.htm

   http://www.telecomengine.com/newsglobe/article.asp?HH_ID=AR_6544

   10 votes

   Vote Vote Vote

   Vote

   We're glad you're here

   Please sign in to leave feedback

   Signed in as (Sign out)

   Close

   Close

   1 vote 2 votes 3 votes Remove votes

   You have left! (?) (thinking…)
   1 comment  ·  Reduce waste  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →

10. Recycling Education and Expanding the Recycling Program

    Updated education on what is recyclable and what isn't would be great. Our recycling bin has been rejected because people aren't following the guidelines, but if they're coming from other provinces or countries, they might have been able to recycle more. Let's upgrade what we can recycle and educate everyone on what we can do. Am I the only one who still takes the plastic windows out of the envelopes and do we still need to do it?

    1 vote

    Vote Vote Vote

    Vote

    We're glad you're here

    Please sign in to leave feedback

    Signed in as (Sign out)

    Close

    Close

    1 vote 2 votes 3 votes Remove votes

    You have left! (?) (thinking…)
    0 comments  ·  Reduce waste  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →

11. Extend food waste collection program to include apartments and condos

    While the curbside food waste program is terrific, detached homeowners already have the option of composting in their yards. Extending the program to include apartments dramatically reduce municipal waste and will finally make composting available to the growing number of Vancouverites living in high-density buildings (which is also great for the environment).

    770 votes

    Vote Vote Vote

    Vote

    We're glad you're here

    Please sign in to leave feedback

    Signed in as (Sign out)

    Close

    Close

    1 vote 2 votes 3 votes Remove votes

    You have left! (?) (thinking…)
    25 comments  ·  Reduce waste  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →
    under review  ·  AdminGreenest City Planning Team (Admin, CG2020) responded

    The City supports Metro Vancouver’s plans to ban food scraps from the incinerator and landfills by 2015. The City will collaborate with Metro Vancouver to develop and implement a plan to ensure apartments, condos, businesses and institutions have access to food scraps collection programs before the ban comes into effect.

12. Reuse centres in every neighbourhood and at Waste Disposal Sites and Transfer Stations

    Hornby Island does it, so can we! The idea is simple - create a designated place for people to drop off useful items for other people to take home, for free. Yes, it requires a little bit of management to make sure our community spaces don't get over run with old computers, but this can be a great way for people to get stuff they need, and to reduce waste going to landfill.

    Fernwood, in Victoria, has a little gazebo in their neighbourhood square to drop stuff off. Montreal has the legendary ongoing, city wide, garage sale. And Hornby Island has the free store - a thrift store, run by community volunteers, where everything is free!

    Hornby Island does it, so can we! The idea is simple - create a designated place for people to drop off useful items for other people to take home, for free. Yes, it requires a little bit of management to make sure our community spaces don't get over run with old computers, but this can be a great way for people to get stuff they need, and to reduce waste going to landfill.

    Fernwood, in Victoria, has a little gazebo in their neighbourhood square to drop stuff off. Montreal has the legendary ongoing, city wide, garage sale. And Hornby Island… more

    20 votes

    Vote Vote Vote

    Vote

    We're glad you're here

    Please sign in to leave feedback

    Signed in as (Sign out)

    Close

    Close

    1 vote 2 votes 3 votes Remove votes

    You have left! (?) (thinking…)
    8 comments  ·  Reduce waste  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →
    under review  ·  AdminGreenest City Planning Team (Admin, CG2020) responded

    The draft Greenest City Action Plan includes an action to develop reuse centres.

13. Zero waste

    Create a Zero Waste Plan as has been done in other cities to reduce waste on a timeline of progress

    64 votes

    Vote Vote Vote

    Vote

    We're glad you're here

    Please sign in to leave feedback

    Signed in as (Sign out)

    Close

    Close

    1 vote 2 votes 3 votes Remove votes

    You have left! (?) (thinking…)
    12 comments  ·  Reduce waste  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →
    started  ·  AdminGreenest City Planning Team (Admin, CG2020) responded

    The Draft Greenest City Action Plan includes a Zero Waste Action Plan.

14. Illustrate how individuals can make the City a 'self-cleaning oven' via creative waste diversion.

    We need a showcase of repurposed goods and ideas that can either travel to schools or be visited by the public. Environmental issues align with savings indices issues in a bold, creative way.

    1 vote

    Vote Vote Vote

    Vote

    We're glad you're here

    Please sign in to leave feedback

    Signed in as (Sign out)

    Close

    Close

    1 vote 2 votes 3 votes Remove votes

    You have left! (?) (thinking…)
    0 comments  ·  Reduce waste  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →

15. Simplify, Synchronize, and Rationalize the Collection of Recyclable Materials.

    Simplify: Have one large blue bin - the same capacity as the City’s largest Green Bin currently used for single family dwelling yard waste collection. The current residential recycling program is too little and too complex. Most residents do not understand what can go into one of three distinct containers and they don’t understand that they can request additional containers. Miss-mixed containers and stacks of cardboard not broken down to the requisite 12”x12” sheets are routinely left curbside to rot and eventually be discarded in the larger waste containers. The current fact that the blue box is tiny and waste containers massive sends a very clear visual message as to priority and options. Requiring separation of materials at point of drop off merely serves to diminish participation and increase contamination. Most everyone would participate if they could include all recyclable material in one large container, which was then separated at the City’s waste management level. This is the type of system used in Toronto, which has a more successful waste reclamation program than ours.

    Synchronize: Use the same Blue Bin and the same collection and separation waste management system for business, residential, recreational, streets, and educational public facilities. It’s irrational that we can collect recycling at the residential level but not use the same equipment and staff to collect at our Parks, Civic Centers, Schools, and on commercial streets. Currently, if schools want to recycle the PAC pays for it!! And the Parks! For goodness sakes, the Provincial Parks have been collecting recyclable materials in separate bins for a decade, how can it be that our Parks board and Metro Vancouver Parks can lag THAT far behind? We require one public-wide system, for every public and residential private facility. Aside from the cost advantage - once fleet of collection vehicles and trained staff - a higher participation and reclamation program means more revenue from the collection and resale of the raw materials. Having one standard container also contributes to the publics acceptance and understanding of the program. With the wide range of container variants in the City, there remains a great deal of confusion among users as to what can go where. It is very common to see recyclable non-reuseable plastic cups, for instance, in the City’s paltry returnable container trays affixed to the litter receptacles. This happenstance points to the fact that people do NOT want to put the recyclables into the litter containers but have limited choice of alternatives.

    Through the business licencing and regulation powers, require the mandatory participation of waste producing businesses, such as fast food and drive through, in the program. These businesses - the ones contributing to the waste containers volume in our consumption stream - should have to lease the Blue Bins from the City annually. The lease rates set on a cost recovery basis. They would have to demonstrate a Zero waste system (via a licencing audit) before they could opt out of the Blue Bin program.

    Rationalize: In the first year of the program there should be a 1:1 ratio of blue bins to garbage receptacles in parks, schools, civic centers and at Bus Stops. A 2:1 ratio to residents (weekly pick up of the blue bin, bimonthly pick up of the garbage bin). By the third year of the program, the ratio should shift to 2:1 in public facilities, 4:1 in residential facilities(weekly pick up of the blue bin, once a month of the garbage bin - with compost in the yard waste container, there is no reason garbage collection couldn’t be decreased to once monthly given a generous and simplified recycling collection system). The mandatory commercial Blue Bin participants would be permitted to shift their ratio from 1:1 on applying for and passing the requirements of a waste inspection audit. As their ratio shifts (more reclamation, less waste), their annual fee would go down.

    One Blue Bin, One System, Universal Participation!

    Simplify: Have one large blue bin - the same capacity as the City’s largest Green Bin currently used for single family dwelling yard waste collection. The current residential recycling program is too little and too complex. Most residents do not understand what can go into one of three distinct containers and they don’t understand that they can request additional containers. Miss-mixed containers and stacks of cardboard not broken down to the requisite 12”x12” sheets are routinely left curbside to rot and eventually be discarded in the larger waste containers. The current fact that the blue box is tiny and waste… more

    7 votes

    Vote Vote Vote

    Vote

    We're glad you're here

    Please sign in to leave feedback

    Signed in as (Sign out)

    Close

    Close

    1 vote 2 votes 3 votes Remove votes

    You have left! (?) (thinking…)
    4 comments  ·  Reduce waste  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →

16. Lets recycle the burnt out light bulbs from street lights and traffic signals. This would reduce was

    The city should look into a recycling program for the burnt out lights that are removed from street lights and traffic signals.

    2 votes

    Vote Vote Vote

    Vote

    We're glad you're here

    Please sign in to leave feedback

    Signed in as (Sign out)

    Close

    Close

    1 vote 2 votes 3 votes Remove votes

    You have left! (?) (thinking…)
    2 comments  ·  Reduce waste  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →

17. Comprehensive Food Waste Collection

    Why not collect all food waste? Seattle does it. UBC does it. Why limit it to uncooked fruits and veggies and eggshells? This makes some people not bother. More would use the service if it didn't require any discrimination and sorting.....

    37 votes

    Vote Vote Vote

    Vote

    We're glad you're here

    Please sign in to leave feedback

    Signed in as (Sign out)

    Close

    Close

    1 vote 2 votes 3 votes Remove votes

    You have left! (?) (thinking…)
    8 comments  ·  Reduce waste  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →
    planned  ·  AdminGreenest City Planning Team (Admin, CG2020) responded

    This is planned for Phase 2 of the food scraps recycling program.

18. Mandatory 25¢ fee for plastic shopping bags

    Encourage shoppers to bring their own bags, and create a shift in retail practices, by requiring a payment for every disposable shopping bag.

    334 votes

    Vote Vote Vote

    Vote

    We're glad you're here

    Please sign in to leave feedback

    Signed in as (Sign out)

    Close

    Close

    1 vote 2 votes 3 votes Remove votes

    You have left! (?) (thinking…)
    28 comments  ·  Reduce waste  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →

19. Don't Incinerate -- Reduce!!

    Incineration is a controversial method of waste disposal. If we want to be the Greenest city, we will not get there by incinerating ANY waste. A more comprehensive plan to encourage reduction not only of household waste, but also restaurant and other business waste. Extended food waste collection, consumer education and pay-to-throw programs would all be part of this.

    27 votes

    Vote Vote Vote

    Vote

    We're glad you're here

    Please sign in to leave feedback

    Signed in as (Sign out)

    Close

    Close

    1 vote 2 votes 3 votes Remove votes

    You have left! (?) (thinking…)
    3 comments  ·  Reduce waste  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →

20. Standard office supply changes

    Our goal is to push for the betterment of our society, by providing sustainable products that cause the least harm to the eco-systems of the world we live, work and play in. We are of the mind that 5 cent’s more for a cup of coffee, or 2 cent’s more for a pen is well worth the peace of mind that we are making a difference, and that we are making the world a better, healthier place.

    The choices made in today’s market place will profoundly affect the world of tomorrow, along with the need for the diversification and an understanding of how to make a business Eco-Friendly, we are also ambassadors of the green revolution, and it is up to us to fuel this desire for the marketplace, by being creative and using are imaginations to expand our position within this new field of business.

    It is our greatest hope to be able to leave a Green Legacy that will live on for generations. With good people, hard work, and determination, we will succeed in this. The time for the change is now, the people to do this is us, and the legacy is ours.

    By making a few changes to the way we run our business today, such as the use of bio-degradable pens or products such as stone paper, and switching the standard disposable coffee cup to a fully compostable disposable coffee cup, we can start to effect the dire conditions we have put our Eco-systems into, much the same way the reusable grocery and retail bags have stared to effect a change in the way we shop

    Our goal is to push for the betterment of our society, by providing sustainable products that cause the least harm to the eco-systems of the world we live, work and play in. We are of the mind that 5 cent’s more for a cup of coffee, or 2 cent’s more for a pen is well worth the peace of mind that we are making a difference, and that we are making the world a better, healthier place.

    The choices made in today’s market place will profoundly affect the world of tomorrow, along with the need for the diversification and an… more

    3 votes

    Vote Vote Vote

    Vote

    We're glad you're here

    Please sign in to leave feedback

    Signed in as (Sign out)

    Close

    Close

    1 vote 2 votes 3 votes Remove votes

    You have left! (?) (thinking…)
    0 comments  ·  Reduce waste  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →