Toronto Tourism Magazine 2009 - (Page 50) As OMEONE Let’s be clear, there are loads of ways Toronto could become a much greener city, starting with highway tolls, a lot more bicycle paths and improved public transit. But there is so much that this city is doing right, mostly by making it more manageable for residents and visitors alike to make greener choices. As a result, as the much overused muppet phraseology goes, in Toronto it really is “easy being green.” Perhaps it is a hold-over from Toronto’s days as the bastion of Victorian morality — when it first earned the label “Toronto the Good” — but there seems to be a general acceptance here of policies and infrastructure that force constituents to do the right thing. Torontonians are not only encouraged to ‘put litter in its place’ with an abundance of public garbage bins, but to reduce their ultimate impact on landfill by putting it in the right place. Public waste bins are designed with clearly marked deposit slots, forcing you to consider how that waste should be disposed of. Paper? Recycle it here. Cans or bottles? Recycle them here. Only one of those receptacles will be trucked to landfill. Apparently our commitment to reducing waste in this city is earning us an international reputation. A friend visiting New York City recently asked at her hotel’s reception desk if it had a recycling bin for her cardboard snack packaging. The wry New Yorker behind the desk simply looked at her and said, “You must be from Toronto.” Yes, we do a bang-up job of sorting and separating our waste, on the street and at home. Since 2005, Toronto residents have been separating the compostable food waste out of their garbage and into the household Green Bin. The Green Bin Program is a city-wide initiative, with more than 500,000 single family households putting organic waste into a municipal composting program. One-third of the average household’s garbage is organic material, which can be processed into soil-enriching compost. Tree huggers have been advocating backyard who makes a living trying to change minds and recruit troops for the battle to save the Earth, I have to say I am glad I live in Toronto. 50 | www.SeeTorontoNow.com http://www.seetorontonow.com
Contributors
Welcome
Cityscapes
Toast of the Town
In the Night Garden
Gooooal!
Take a Moment
Faces of Toronto
Red Rocket
Past Perfection
Water Lust
The Artist’s City
Living the Green Dream
York Region and North Toronto
Mississauga Marvels
Vine Country
Discovery Walks
Neighbourhoods of Greater Toronto
Listings
Visitor Resources
2009 Event Calendar
Parting Shot
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