Waste Reduction Week: sharing economy

Reduce, reuse, recycle and recover! Throughout Waste Reduction Week, celebrated until Sunday, Oct. 24, the City of Vaughan is providing tips on how residents can reduce their household waste, apply many new and simple waste-less habits and learn about our shared responsibility to the planet to cut down on waste.

Today’s Waste Reduction Week topic is the sharing economy. The sharing economy is when citizens pool, loan and share their resources. It has become even more popular through the use of technology, allowing citizens to share transportation, space and accommodations, lifestyle and household items – even skills and education. By participating, you can help reduce the amount of money spent on new things, consume less and ultimately reduce waste.

Here are actions to consider adopting:

• Local libraries are the original sharing economy. Borrowing books and other items from libraries reduces waste, clears up space in your home and saves you the money it would cost to buy new. In partnership with York Region, Vaughan Public Libraries has a Lendery at Pierre Berton Resource Library. A Lendery is a library of items you can borrow, like tools, kitchen gadgets, sports gear and more. The Lendery can save you money, space and time. Visit the Lendery at Pierre Berton Resource Library or check out the online catalogue to see the full list of items. You can also view VPL’s Zero Waste reading list for some great books on waste reduction.
• Help the environment by taking public transit or participating in ridesharing or bicycle-sharing services.
• Looking for a new outfit for an event? Try using a rental service for clothing such as dresses and tuxedos instead of buying new for one-time use.

Unsure what items go where? Check first by downloading the Recycle Coach App through the Apple App Store or Google Play for information on sorting your items. The app provides waste-less tips and a personalized collection schedule with optional alerts on what to put to the curb each week. The City also offers an online sorting tool to quickly and easily check what item goes where using the search bar. Citizens can register online at any time to purchase garbage tags, blue boxes and green bins and exchange damaged or broken City-branded bins through Service Vaughan.

Zero waste starts now. The City of Vaughan challenges you to share your waste reduction efforts with a selfie or another picture or video using the hashtag #VaughanWastesLess on social media. For more information on waste services in Vaughan, visit vaughan.ca/waste.

The City of Vaughan has proclaimed Monday, Oct. 18 to Sunday, Oct. 24, 2021 as Waste Reduction Week to further its commitment to protecting the environment and fostering a more sustainable future – a priority outlined in the 2018-2022 Term of Council Service Excellence Strategic Plan. The week’s primary purpose is to celebrate the City’s environmental efforts and achievements while encouraging new innovative ideas and solutions for citizens to reduce their waste and conserve the environment.

The City of Vaughan is a leader in waste management. Vaughan’s early commitment to York Region’s SM4RT Living Plan (Waste Management Master Plan) further strengthens that leadership. This plan identifies initiatives that set the stage for waste management to 2059 and beyond, focusing on the four Rs: reduce, reuse, recycle and recover – working toward building a circular economy and a “world in which nothing goes to waste.”

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