A quick browse of Facebook’s local marketplace reveals scores of beautiful pieces that have been salvaged and lovingly transformed into something functional and beautiful. With their sanding, sawing, spackling, spraying and sealing, our local upcyclers are breathing new life into tired pieces that might otherwise clutter the landfill. Thanks to talent and elbow grease, they are reusing existing resources and contributing to the local drive for more sustainable practices.
Dresser: My Vintage Soul. Accessories: Echo Trends.
Other eco-efforts are underway, too. Some local businesses like Schnitzels, Sheep’s Head Bistro, and Love Love Food have joined the #byebyestraws movement and are investigating other ways to keep their waste down. “My customers have asked for better choices,” said Love Love owner Tony Lacroix who now offers paper takeout boxes for hot meals and who spent a month sourcing paper straws that didn’t easily disintegrate.
Then, there’s Transition Cornwall+. The local grassroots group continues its march on the trail towards sustainability. Along with establishing action groups dedicated to helping people face challenges like the rising cost of energy and food, they launched the Waste Reduction Action Group in November 2017.
“Our goal is to help people transition into lower waste options in their everyday lives,” says Carilyne Hébert, who spearheaded the group and who herself embraces the low-impact lifestyle. She carries a kit in her purse (cloth hankie, cutlery, and a metal straw), uses low-waste bathroom essentials (metal razor and shampoo bar) and also makes a point of avoiding plastic and unsustainable packaging when she shops.
For its part, Cornwall’s Waste Management department introduced initiatives to divert materials from the landfill. Events include a Paint Reuse Centre, the Give A Shirt Program (donating used clothes on collection day) and Trash to Treasure Day (placing household items at the curb for others to collect and use) and the popular Waste Reduction Week. Supervisor for the department, Danielle Watson, says, “We’re always trying to identify programs that can be implemented for everyone to participate.”
As the news continues to remind us of our impact on our environment and our health, is it time for us all to practice an expanded definition of waste reduction—refuse, reduce, reuse, repair, recycle, and rot? Absolutely!
Feature photo by Sarah Dorweiler, Evano Community .
