Editor:
It's been some time since the first Earth Day took place in the United States.
Each year, with a little bit more fanfare, communities acknowledge this day by putting on special events (see what Delta is doing on its website).
What good are the speakers and the music, I wonder, if people in attendance are not educated on making changes in their daily lives? Here are some simple ones that I recommend:
1. Give up single-use disposable water bottles. Buy a good stainless steel bottle (local stores have good choices) and fill it up with the best drinking water in the world (from your own tap). We pay for this water so why pay again for water in a bottle?
2. Give up buying coffee or other beverages in single-use paper cups. I'm dismayed when I go by the waste bins in the mall only to see the bins overflowing with paper coffee cups (especially the Roll up the Rim ones). What a needless waste of trees. Reusable ceramic cups are my favourite.
3. For those who are not yet doing so, put your food waste, which includes paper towels if not heavily soiled, in a green bin for composting. If every resident and eventually every business were to do this, Delta could eliminate the weekly garbage truck (as Vancouver is now doing). Perhaps our utility bills could be reduced next year, instead of going higher as they have done for several years.
4. Do note that in Delta all plastics are recyclable, including plastic food wrap. However, everything must be cleaned before placing in your blue bin and all plastic must be bundled. It's easy and just takes a few minutes.
If all residents undertook these small measures, we would have a cleaner community (with less litter in our parks and streets especially) and would have less garbage being trucked to the landfill. Perhaps the need for an incinerator could be eliminated, but that's another burning issue.
Jean Wightman
