Doing the right thing involves a lot of Rrrrrrrrs!
(but, no, this is not the Pirate Code)
It used to be the 3 Rs, then there were 7, or 9, (and some of the words seemed to mean the same thing)... but this is our shot at bringing them up to date for us, here in PHP, in 2021.
Top tier: much more than a gold star - angels will ring a bell for you!
Rethink our wants and needs in light of their carbon footprint, ease and cost of repair (look at warranties) and lifecycle (how often will you have to buy this), and research the enviro-alternatives. Search online for "waste audit" processes. The biggest difference we can make to the world + our budgets is to rethink our transportation needs and car alternatives like: car rentals or sharing (eg. Communauto); small personal transit (increasingly, bikes and scooters are being electrified = perfect neighbourhood chore coverage); TTC; walking (free exercise!). If you "have to" buy a car, will it be electric, hybrid, new, used? Check environmental data on whether to keep an existing car running ,+ which new cars have the lowest footprint considering their manufacture, fuel source and lifespan: Consumer Reports, greencarreports, plugndrive.ca, caa.ca, environmental defence.ca
Refuse to buy stuff we don't need - it ends up owning us. Ask for unpackaged/bulk items, i.e. educate your sources/retailers. We need to bring our own reusable bags (former store plastic bags, or cloth storage bag for the small stuff, totes/backpacks for the whole load) and say 'no thanks' to the store bags that are plastic (= fossil oil), paper (= dead trees/fewer carbon sinks) or bio-plastic (= municipally unrecyclable). Reject single use items even when free, whether it's the store branded bag, extra napkins, packaged samples, or the plastic straw.
Repair/renovate everything we can, and keep it out of our gigantic streams of (locally stored or expensively exported) garbage. We already spent the $$ on it, so 'buying it again' is probably going to take as much research + time as, but more money than, repair. If we make a point of buying only good quality items, we will be glad to repair them (it can be hard to find anything as good again at the old price). Look into Repair Cafe´ , keep a list of local repair shops handy + consider barter/freeconomy sites which list services: swapcity, kijiji. Would a DIY-type neighbour do carpentry for muffins or sewing repairs? But the big-ticket item is house renovation, which can either really hurt or really help the environment. Here's just one of many overviews: https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/eco-friendly-ways-renovate-home.php and a deeper resource dive: https://researchguides.georgebrown.ca/COMM1113buildingrenovation
Second Tier: pretty good for the pocketbook and planet, and opportunities for fun/satisfaction.
"Every dollar you spend or don't spend is a vote you cast for the world you want to live in." (L.N.Smith)
Reduce - great to see we have enough kitchen waste websites! Ikea has also created The Scrapsbook- A Waste-less Cookbook As just one of many other opportunities: Water Day (March 22) can be every day! We can reduce the frequency of doing the laundry (just buy enough underwear!), running the dishwasher, and even showering, without compromising on health. Clothes/body parts can be spot cleaned. New jeans apparently say "wash once a year"! Other City of Toronto advice
Repurpose - Do you like DIY? have a child for whom a project could be a teachable moment? want an Etsy income stream? The internet is full of upcycling projects (end-of-life + often unrecycleable): the 80 top upcycling blogs. A simple example is the old T-shirt that transforms into a reusable cleaning rag, face mask, produce bag, strainer, seed-sprouting jar cover, etc. And then there's re-gifting (although maybe we could just re-think multi-gift commercial holidays altogether...?)
Reuse/Rent - Consider starting a club with trusted neighbours to share tools and implements (ladders, rakes, sewing machines, small kitchen appliances, carpet cleaners, shopvac) and other items that otherwise largely sit idle. Have a summer swap meet on your block for books, household items, etc. Looking for second-hand clothes, pots/ pans, housewares can be a lot of fun in Value Village + other thrift stores; also see Free Geek for used electronics.
Rot: compost! Or at least we can be careful to do our Organic Recycling according to Toronto's rules and not add stuff that spoils the process. No-go's include compostable and biodegradeable plastic, coffee pods, coffee cups and cutlery; hair, pet fur, cotton balls/swabs, feathers, nail clippings, gum, wax, wine corks, contents of vaccuum bags, ashes, chewing gum... The full list
Tier 3 (or the third circle of Hell): Recycling - you do it, right?
Of course we should still recycle, but with the knowledge that it is not an answer to the problems posed by plastics. Recycling of glass + metals can reduce the manufacturing need for raw materials and energy, reducing greenhouse gases. But plastics, not so much (understatement!). Canada recycles less than 10% of its plastics, which are often exported + dumped to degrade in sensitive eco-systems. Only 2% of plastic is recyclable. 99% of plastic comes from burning fossil fuels. Plastic particles travel globally in our water, threatening our health + the seas/seafood. See The Story of Plastic for more. A large proportion of the actual usages of plastics in fast food, grocery stores and coffee shops are not recyclable in Toronto: black packaging and cutlery (sorters can't see them); filmy plastic; coffee lids, plastic cutlery, coffee pods; all biodegradable/ compostable plastics; zippered stand-up bags (frozen fruit + many pantry items), because the system can't handle their multiple layers of materials. (That doesn't even count the plastic items that end up in the garbage can like broken toys, electronics, housewares, toothbrushes etc..)
So this final "R" should probably be a "B" for: Ban all widely-used single-use plastics (except essential medical products) and find beneficial alternatives to create a circular economy. Check out GreenBiz's Circularity weekly if you want to see how some big businesses are moving towards this idea. PHP4C is working with all 3 levels of government during regular meetings with our representatives to make single use plastics, and plastic waste, a political priority.
Respond? Feel free to contact us if you wish to get involved, have a story or some info to share!