Nadia Scott | Contributed
With a fast-paced life full of activities, sometimes sustainability isn’t always on our minds. Some easy, convenient ways to be environmentally friendly are available in Sooke.
Recycling Waste – According to the District of Sooke website, fats, oils, and grease (FOG) should not be disposed of in the sink.
Instead, they suggest letting it out to solidify and then disposing of the waste in the garbage. Landfills are better for (FOG) waste due to the better deterioration rates in landfill circumstances; in water systems, they pose a higher environmental risk.
The Hartland landfill offers a public drop-off location accepting recycling, hazardous house materials, kitchen scraps and garbage. For more information on what Hartland can recycle the B.C. Recycles search tool is available at bcrecycles.ca.
Being a Conscious Customer – When buying everyday items, it’s important to consider your options.
Switching from one-time-use plastic bags to eco-friendly reusable options is a sustainable alternative. Cloth bags, reusable produce bags and beeswax wraps can often be found in Sooke.
Meal planning is an effective way to reduce wasting food and lessen your carbon footprint. Using leftovers in new meals and planning your groceries based on your household’s average consumption needs can reduce the number of kitchen scraps overall.
Thrift shopping is a great way to give your old clothes a new purpose. Just as buying secondhand significantly helps reduce the carbon footprint you create. The SFRS Community Thrift Store is a great place to shop.
Making Eco-Friendly Choices for Your Home – Making sustainable choices is a helpful first step. Knowing how your home affects your environment can inspire those around you to start the steps of sustainability.
Switching from traditional light bulbs to LEDs is shown to have a longer lifespan, creating less waste within households. Native.eco states: “LEDs can also last as much as 20 times longer than an incandescent bulb and three times longer than a CFL.”
With the rise in greenhouse gases and gas prices, many are considering switching to electric vehicles. “Transportation accounts for more than half of our community’s greenhouse gas emissions,” states crd.bc.ca. Long-term electric vehicles are shown to be more cost-efficient than the average fossil-fueled ride.
Being sustainable isn’t easy; however, every effort helps to better your carbon footprint. These are just a few suggestions on how anyone can start being sustainable in Sooke. With a sustainable mindset and further curiosity on how to help the ecosystem, our community can lessen the overall impact on our environment.
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Nadia Scott is a Grade 12 student at Edward Milne Community School. This is her first story for the Sooke News Mirror.
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editor@sookenewsmirror.com
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