Did you realize that, if you are like the average Canadian, you produce 2.7 kg of waste every single day? It’s true! And when you multiply that by the number of people in the country, it amounts to around 31 million tons of garbage each year. That’s a lot of garbage!

 There are many benefits to keeping garbage at bay. If every person in Canada were to reduce the amount of garbage they produce by just 7 percent, it would add up to saving 22,000 tons of garbage from being added to landfills. That’s enough to fill over 2,600 transport trucks!

 When you keep garbage out of Ottawa landfills you help the city and country save money on garbage collection. It is estimated that the cost of recycling is half of what it costs to collect garbage! Plus, the city of Ottawa made $8 million in just 2005, from the recycling efforts of area residents. In addition, it is also good for the environment and for the planet.

 Even if you already participate in your local recycling program, you may find yourself with items each year that you don’t know how to dispose of properly. In the case of such …

Each New Year’s Eve, people make resolutions for a variety of ways in which they want to make improvements or changes in their lives. But there is one goal you can set, this year, that will be easy to achieve and will leave you feeling great, once you do.

This New Year, resolve to go green! By deciding to make green living choices, you will not only be helping to earn good karma points, but will also be helping all of Ottawa and beyond! Let’s face it, we only have one planet, and we need to do all we can to keep it in the best possible condition.

Not sure how to begin? No problem! Here are a few things you can do to get started with your resolution to live in an environmentally friendly way:

• Reduce. Make a goal to reduce the amount of resources you use, this year. Buying less will keep more money in your pocket and will create less junk for our landfills. Only buy what you really need, and avoid impulse buying (you know, those things you buy and never end up using).
• Recycle. Make a commitment to recycle as much as you can. You

…