Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Let it all hang out and "Go Bagless" by MCR Awa D.

Awa D. is a new MCR, who is chronicling her waste journey online. She's been sharing her knowledge and thoughts on everything from how she came to the MCR program, to the age old debate of Reuse vs. Recycle.

Check out this excerpt from a recent post about the City of Edmonton's Grassycling Campaign, or visit Awa's blog, From Within to the World for the full article.

Read the rest at From Within to the World.

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Simple Suggestion #232...Make your own yogurt! by MCR Maria K.

My sisters always tease me for having a strange capacity for odd memories. Well, here's another one...

I remember the first time I tasted yogurt. I was 14, and our family was waiting for a ferry on the BC coast to take us to Vancouver Island. Everyone went to the snack shop for treats, and mine was the most exotic of the group's -- peach yogurt. For whatever reason, we hadn't been yogurt people up to that point. At first, I wasn't sure I liked the sour milk undertone, but by the time the little container was empty, I was wishing for more. I was a convert.

I still love yogurt, but I have two major issues with the stuff you buy at the store:

1) The packaging. Every time you bring a container of yogurt home, you're stuck with a plastic container. I know, I know, they can be reused for all sorts of things -- kids' crayons, dog food, plants, you-name-it, but most of us have only so many places we'll employ them before they start piling up. Fortunately, in Edmonton, our Reuse Centre takes certain sizes of containers to be reused by daycares and playschools and people who need them.

They're also recyclable, especially here in Edmonton with our state of the art recycling facilities. But as with most recycling processes, plastic recycling requires a lot of energy, and every time it's recycled, the original product tends to lose quality. Better not to have those containers at all!

2) I have juvenile diabetes, and store-bought yogurt contains way too much sugar -- or sweetener related chemicals -- for my liking.

Fortunately, I have learned a better way to get my yogurt fix, thanks to my friends, awesome MCR and tweeter SuperSu, and her neighbour, Diane, who both taught me a few tricks at our Simplicity Study Circle last year. Making yogurt is easier than I would have believed...

Visit Simple Moodlings to read the rest and learn how Maria makes her yogurt!

Or visit her list of 200+ Simple Suggestions for more tips and tricks on how to simplify your life.

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Update: Alternative Access Route to Edmonton's Waste Management Centre

Due to construction of the Anthony Henday in northeast Edmonton, residents are asked to use an alternative route to access the Edmonton Waste Management Centre.

Meridian street from north of the Yellowhead to south of the train tracks is expected to remain closed until the end of June.

Please use Hayter Road/17 Street instead and follow the detour signs as you approach the site.

The Edmonton Waste Management Centre is a unique collection of advanced waste processing and research facilities. Owned and operated by the City of Edmonton Waste Management Services, the EWMC is an integral part of Edmonton's sustainable approach to waste management.



For more information:

Visit edmonton.ca/ewmc