How to cut down on food waste
Food waste is a big problem in Wrenford. When food rots in a landfill, it creates greenhouse gases and takes up valuable space. You can easily cut down on food waste at home with a few simple habits.
- Plan your meals: Look in your fridge and pantry before you shop. Make a list and only buy what you will eat this week.
- Store food correctly: Keep your fridge at 4°C or lower and your freezer at -18°C. Keep raw meat on the bottom shelf so drips do not touch other food.
- Understand dates: A "best before" date is about quality, not safety. If the food looks and smells fine after the date, it is usually safe to eat. An "expiry" date is for safety and you should not eat the product after it.
- Save leftovers: Cool leftovers quickly and freeze them if you will not eat them within two days. Label everything with the date so you know what to use first.
- Compost your scraps: Use your Green bin for food scraps. If you have a yard, you can buy a backyard composter and claim the $20 rebate through the Backyard composting guide.
Reducing construction and demolition waste
Building and renovating creates a lot of waste. In Wrenford, we encourage deconstruction over demolition. Deconstruction means carefully taking a building apart to save lumber, fixtures, and other materials for reuse.
- Salvage what you can: Keep old doors, cabinets, pipes, and hardwood floors. These materials can be used in new projects or sold to local makers.
- Donate and share: Check out the Mattress and furniture recycling programme or join the Wrenford Reuse Network pop-up events.
- Drop off responsibly: If you must dispose of construction materials, take them to the East Wrenford Waste Management Facility or the Northgate Drop-off Depot. Separate clean wood, drywall, and metal to keep recycling costs low.
Other diversion programmes
Beyond food and building materials, Wrenford offers several ways to keep everyday items out of the landfill.
- Electronics recycling: Drop off old phones, laptops, and cables at the Wrenford Electronics Recycling Programme depots. Make sure to remove your personal data first.
- Household hazardous waste: Paints, solvents, and batteries are not safe for the regular garbage. Bring them to the seasonal drop-off depot at East Wrenford from May to October.
- Mattress recycling: Mattresses take up a lot of space. Use the Mattress Recycling Voucher Programme for free drop-offs, or pay the standard $25.00 fee per mattress.
Not sure where a specific item goes? Use the Waste Wizard online tool to check. If you have questions about diversion or need help planning a reduction project, contact the Waste Programs team at [email protected] or call 519-555-0112.