(Not-so) radical giving, day 8: Toronto Environmental Alliance

I am, admittedly, a bit of a pedant when it comes to trash: just ask my partner, family, colleagues. I’m the person separating the parts of your takeout coffee cup for proper disposal, ripping the plastic bag off the flyers that inevitably show up on my doorstep (the plastic and paper are recyclable, but not together), washing out the peanut butter jar you sort-of tried to recycle. #sorrynotsorry. Waste might seem trivial, but is a major factor in greenhouse gases, oil dependence, and the pollution of our oceans. For example, the creation of products and packaging that go to landfill “contributes 44 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions that drive global warming, more than any other carbon-spewing category.” That’s from Edward Humes’s essential Garbology: Our Dirty Love Affair with Trash. It’s a lively and eye-opening read, but as a warning, once you read it, there’s really no going back.
I’ve been stepping up my waste reduction game, carrying my own straw and cutlery, bringing jars to Bulk Barn to be refilled, refusing single-use items. And that’s great, it’s something ideally everyone would do. But when you’re wearing your garbage goggles, you’ll see that’s unlikely to happen, or that it’ll take far too long.
Enter political action. And for that I’m grateful to the Toronto Environmental Alliance for the great progress they’ve made on issues of waste, air quality, climate change, public transit, and protecting the Greenbelt. Most recently they’ve been meeting with city councillors and mobilizing supporters to convince council to reexamine how we use single-use plastics. (And, for those who may worry, the process will include those with disabilities that require single-use plastics.) In the past, TEA has convinced City Hall to shut down the last City-owned bio-solids incinerator in Toronto (a major polluter), ban pesticides, implement the green bin program, and focus on purchasing local food. They’ve fought to keep water and hydro public and to get businesses to disclose which toxic chemicals they use.
Personal habits and choices are great, and the way to my heart is certainly bringing your own coffee mug. But our environmental challenges are too urgent, too important to wait.
Donate directly to the Toronto Environmental Alliance here, or to an environmental advocacy group in your own city. (As an advocacy group, TEA cannot give you a tax receipt for your donation.) If you want to reach out to the Public Works Committee about single-use plastics, TEA has some guidelines here. And in the meantime, consider what single-use items you might be able to give up. Ones I’ve given up pretty painlessly, or reduced dramatically:
- plastic water bottles
- disposable coffee cups
- juice boxes
- single-serving yogurt cups and most other single-serve items (just portion it yourself like the adult you are)
- plastic cutlery & straws (I carry a fork and spoon and metal straw in my purse)
- plastic produce bags (still a work in progress, but I’ve cut these back by 90%)
- tampons & pads (I’m celebrating over a decade of Diva cup bliss)
- plastic wrap (there are great beeswax alternatives that work for most things)
Habits can take some time to shift, but I bet we all could use less of this without much pain — you’ll likely even end up with a few extra dollars in your pocket. Plus, next time we hang out, you won’t catch me pawing through your trash like a naughty raccoon.
