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Spring into Action: 3 ways to Live Green indoors

By not flushing unflushables or letting leaky taps drip, small steps can have a big impact
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Did you know that leaky toilets, faucets and showerheads can account for 14 per cent of indoor water use? Repairing leaky fixtures and switching to low-flow models can really help reduce waste – and save money!

With the Capital Region embracing the first weeks of spring, and Earth Day just around the corner, there’s no better time to consider a few easy but meaningful steps we can take to live a little lighter on the planet.

After all, the actions we take every day can impact our environment, whether it’s flushing “unflushables” or letting water run down the drain unnecessarily.

“We each play an important role when it comes to preserving our natural environment, and by being mindful of how our actions can impact our waterways, ecosystems and reservoir, you’ll help protect and conserve one of our most vital resources: water,” says Glenn Harris, Senior Manager, Environmental Protection.

How can you Live Green around your home? Here are a few simple solutions!

  1. Think before you flush – It all comes down to the easy-to-remember “3 Ps:” Pee, poo, and toilet Paper. Anything else is unflushable waste that can clog and damage the sanitary sewer system and potentially impact local waterways. Think wipes – even the “flushable” varieties – Q-tips, dental floss, feminine hygiene products, hair and more. After all, it’s a toilet, not a trash can.

Chemicals and pharmaceuticals must also be kept out of the drain, where they can cause safety issues in addition to environmental concerns.

Remember to “live green” and dispose of all these items responsibly – use environmentally friendly cleaning products to protect the beneficial bacteria in your septic system, and check out our Clean Green Recipes as an alternative to harsh chemicals.

  • Don’t waste water down the drain – It’s likely no surprise that the bathroom accounts for 65 per cent of household water use, but did you know that trimming shower time to five minutes could save up to 10,000 litres of water per year?! Other simple ways to reduce water waste include turning off the faucet while you’re lathering soap, brushing your teeth or shaving.
  • Choose high-efficiency fixtures for your bathroom​ – Taking shorter showers is a great step in the effort to Live Green, but you can easily build on that by increasing the efficiency of your fixtures. Leaky toilets, faucets and showerheads can account for 14 per cent of indoor water use, and older, outdated models will consume far more water than their modern counterparts. And it’s not only the environment that will benefit from replacing these water-wasters with efficient fixtures – you’ll save energy and money, while also contributing to the sustainability of our water supply.

    • To learn more about what you can do to Live Green around your home, visit www.crd.bc.ca/livegreen