DIY Natural Home Cleaning Products

Posted on February 17, 2012

Walking down the cleaning aisle of any grocery or specialty store can be an overwhelming experience for both your shopping list and your sinuses! The options seem to be endless and there is a specialty product for almost any surface in your home.

The unfortunate fact is many of these items, even those marked ‘green’ are the furthest thing from eco-friendly. To ensure your cleaning products are free from harmful chemicals and are friendly on mother nature, we encourage Green Coast Rubbish clients to make their own cleaning products. We promise it is easier than baking a cake, and can save hundreds of dollars annually. Here are a few of our favourite cleaning product recipes courtesy of local cleaning company Aspen Clean and Mr. Environment himself, David Suzuki:

All-Purpose Cleaner

▪   Mix 30ml (2 tbsp-tablespoons) pure soap (such as Dr. Bronner’s Castile Soap) with 1 liter warm water. Add 60 ml (1/4 cup) lemon juice to help cut grease.

Or

▪   Mix 60 ml (1/4 cup) baking soda (or Borax) with 1 liter (4 cups) warm water. Add 60 ml (1/4 cup) lemon juice to help cut grease.

Glass Cleaner

▪   Mix 60 ml (1/4 cup) vinegar or 15 ml (1 tbsp-tablespoon) lemon juice with 1 liter warm water.

Disinfectant

▪   In 1 liter spray bottle, add 2.5 ml (1/2 tsp-teaspoons) citric acid powder, 1.2 ml (1/4 tsp) borax, 250 ml (1 cup) vodka, 25 drops Grapefruit Seed Extract, and 750 ml (3 cups) purified water.

▪   It is safe to use on carpets, bed linens, etc.

Air Freshener-Lavender Mist

Add 30 drops of lavender essential oil to a 150 ml glass mister bottle filled with warm distilled water. Shake well before spraying. Enjoy the aromatherapy.

Lastly, taken from the David Suzuki site here is a quick video showing you How to Make Laundry Soap.

With spring just around the corner we encourage all GCR fans to use natural products to keep your homes clean and green!

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Green Your Way Through a Demolition Project

Posted on February 5, 2012

The amount of waste that is produced during a demolition project is astronomical. In fact, Construction Specification Canada estimates that demolition and construction waste makes up 23% of all waste sent to the landfills. According to the Greenest City 2020 Action Plan, in 2008 the City of Vancouver sent approximately 480,000 tonnes to the landfill and 97,000 tonnes of that was from the demolition and construction sector.

However, over half of all demolition and construction waste can actually be diverted from the landfill, and one way to ensure this happens is through a process called deconstruction. The main objective of deconstruction is to recycle, re-use, or salvage materials from demolition or construction projects that are more often than not taken to the landfill.  A process that is simple in theory and execution, but rarely practiced.

Green Coast Rubbish advocates demolition done the green way. Recently, our team were called in for a large deconstruction job for a single family, 3 story, 4500 square foot, detached house in North Vancouver, BC. The owners wanted their newly purchased home completely gutted so they could have a blank canvas for the slated renovations.

To achieve this starting point we had to strip the house down to its bare studs, which involved tearing down the large chimney that ran straight through the house, removing all stairs, flooring, cabinets, drywall, insulation, plumbing, and wiring. In total, we removed 33.65 tonnes of material. All from just one home!


As Green Coast is fully supportive of Vancouver’s Greenest City initiative and Metro Vancouver’s Zero Waste Challenge this project was a great opportunity to use deconstruction to divert from the landfill.  As seen below, our overall diversion rate for this project was 91.3%, and we managed to divert a total of 29.78 tonnes from the landfill. Additionally, all kitchen cabinets were donated for re-use to New Leaf Interior Design.

A recent article in the Globe and Mail, ‘A growing green gap in the construction waste market’ suggests that the “future of construction-waste disposal is definitely green” and we couldn’t agree more. In our day to day business, everything we can divert from the landfills is a step in the right direction.

If you’re considering a deconstruction or renovation project of your own, contact us to discuss how we can ensure it is done the green way!

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How to be Greener in 2012

Posted on January 15, 2012

With a new year upon us, a great way of starting it off right is to make a committment to be greener in 2012. Here are 5 tips which are simple and easy to do:

  • Think Resuable: Help reduce landfill waste by using resuable products such as water bottles and shopping bags. Vancouver’s Greenest City Action Plan wants to reduce landfill waste 50% by 2020 and the only way we’re going to get there is if families starting thinking about what stuff they can throw away and what stuff they can re-use.
  • Get Creative: Start thinking outside of the box. Make your own shampoos and bath products using do-it-yourself recipes found online. Host swaps with your friends to trade clothes, books, electronics etc. There are so many possibilities so get your thinking caps on.
  • Use Transit: We’ve been blessed with a great public transit infrastructure which means that you can get virtually anywhere in Vancouver using a bus, skytrain or seabus. Plus, you can get up to 15% back on your federal tax return if you buy monthly transit passes.
  • Buy Local: By buying local, you’ll support small businesses that have smaller environmental footprints. Consider visiting farmer’s markets or even the Public Market at Granville Island to find local, delicious food goodies.
  • Go Meatless: We’re not advocating becoming vegetarian or vegan, but limiting your meat consumption by even 1 meal can go a long way to reducing human-caused greenhouse gas emissions. Meatless Monday has several delicious vegetarian recipes that are healthy for both you and the environment.

Make a choice to promote sustainable lifestyle choices by being greener for 2012.

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Think Recycle and Help Us Tackle E-Waste

Posted on December 20, 2011

Green Coast Rubbish is excited to be partnering with e-waste organization Think Recycle. In 2010, we were able to divert 50.80 tonnes of e-waste and other materials from the landfills. In a time of the year when many new electronic powered toys, TV’s, computers and other presents are sure to be unwrapped from the tree it is important to think about what happens to electronics when they need to be recycled.

Think Recycle is an innovative environmental fund raising program that takes unwanted and old electronics and disposes of them properly through refurbishment, recycling or reuse. They take electronics such as laptops, tablets, blue-tooths, cell phones, digital cameras, inkjet cartridges and more.

A full list of electronics and the rebates can be found here. Green Coast Rubbish is encouraging everyone to join Think Recycle.

Signing up is easy:

  1. Register to become a member on the Think Recycle website.
  2. Collect a minimum of 10 electronics and pack them in a cardboard box.
  3. Request a pre-paid shipping label, attach to your box and drop in the mail!

The funds you earn can be used for whatever your organization needs or given to the charity arm of your choice.  All funds generated by Green Coast Rubbish will be donated to the David Suzuki Foundation.

Together we can create a positive environmental impact.  Call us today to properly dispose of your old, unused electronics and help us raise funds for a great organization!

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Create Memories, Not Garbage

Posted on December 3, 2011

This holiday season, Metro Vancouver is encouraging people to become ‘green angels’ by creating memories, not garbage. In other words, help reduce the amount of garbage this season by giving high quality and meaningful gifts such as experiences or home-made goods.

Create Memories, Not Garbage!

Metro Vancouver’s Create Memories, Not Garbage campaign is one that we at Green Coast Rubbish fully endorse and support. It’s just one step in many towards creating a Zero Waste Vancouver by 2020.

And to get into the holiday spirit, here are some of our green gift ideas …

  • Treat friends and loved ones to a spa treatment such as haircuts, pedicures, manicures and massages.
  • Purchase cooking classes for the aspiring cooks in your life.
  • Book those much needed dance lessons for that ‘dancing impaired’ friend.
  • Buy toys that are high in quality and durable. That way you can pass them along to others.
  • Take your significant other zip-lining or skiing at Whistler.

Visit the Create Memories, Not Garbage website for fantastic green gift ideas (many submitted by readers), e-Cards, videos, and information about our waste issues.

Create Memories, Not Garbage!

Help reduce the impact holiday-related garbage will have on the environment by joining us in becoming green angels this season. Happy holidays from everyone here at Green Coast Rubbish!

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Win up to $1500 to Cobre Restaurant!

Posted on November 9, 2011

Who doesn’t “like” a free meal now and again? Green Coast Rubbish wants to treat you to dinner; thanking you for supporting us in our drive to win Small Business BC’s Successful You Awards, ‘Best Green Business’ of 2012.

Hungry? Here are 3 quick n’ easy steps to getting your hands on $50 gift certificates to Cobre Restaurant (we promise, it’s quick and easy):

That’s it! Every 24 hours we will be giving away up to $100.00 worth of Cobre Restaurant gift certificates. The more you ‘Share’ our post on your Facebook (FB) page or with your FB buds, the better your chances are that you get to eat and drink for free at Cobre!

There aren’t any hidden rules but in case you’re still wondering, here are the terms of our delicious giveaway:

All you have to do is vote for Green Coast to win Best Green Business of 2012, ‘like’ our FB page, and ‘share’ this post on your FB page or with your buds, and you automatically get a chance to win $50.00 gift certificates to Cobre Restaurant -Vancouver’s renowned destination for “Nuevo Latino” cuisine.

Up to $1500.00 in gift certificates available. Every 24 hours we will pick one lucky winner. Unlimited likes and shares! The more buds that you get to like our page and vote for us, the better your chances are to eat and drink at Cobre.

Disclaimer:  You can only use $100.00 worth of Cobre gift certificate per individual per sitting. Cobre gift certificates are not cash redeemable. To be eligible, you must  like our FB page, cast your vote for Green Coast and share this post on your FB page in order for you to win gift certificates. The give-a-away ends when we give away $1500.00 worth of Cobre gift certificates.

Not a fan? Not a problem.  As soon as you ‘like’ our FB page and vote for us you become automatically eligible.

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Think We’re Green? Vote for us!

Posted on October 20, 2011

Every so often awards are handed out to businesses who live, work and sustain environmentally conscious practices.  This year, Small Business BC is handing out such an award for ‘Best Green Business’ of 2012.

When we heard about this category at the Successful You Awards – we were quick to think, “That’s so us!” Naturally, we are now nominated and in the running, alongside other great green-thinking businesses, to win the Best Green Business Award of 2012.

The category recognizes businesses in B.C.  who best demonstrate an outstanding commitment to energy and sustainability. To be considered as one of the best in the green category, businesses must proactively influence, and practice green actions with evidence of long-term commitment to energy conservation as well as waste reduction.

We take environmental consciousness seriously at Green Coast Rubbish, and this is reflected in our day-to-day business practices including:

How are we going to win? Your votes! Winners are chosen based on public votes; therefore we encourage you to click “vote” and help us win.  Thank you in advance for supporting Green Coast Rubbish become a finalist in the Successful You Awards and ultimately get one step closer to winning such a meaningful award.

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Couch Recycling: Achieving a Responsible End of Product Life Cycle

Posted on September 27, 2011

For many, the end of the month will mean moving day, so we thought now would be a good time to highlight a service that might be useful to those who are relocating, or just simply looking to downsize, and who want to ensure that their discarded items don’t end up in the landfill.

We’ve wrote before about the great work that the team over at www.mattressrecycling.ca do, but did you know that they recycle more than just mattresses?  Mattressrecycling.ca now also recycles couches, and Green Coast Rubbish has teamed up with this great local organization to prevent discarded couches from ending up in BC landfills.

Couch Recycling. Junk Removal Vancouver. Green Coast Rubbish.

Because of their size and the amount of wear they are subjected to, couches are often placed on the chopping block when it comes time to move or downsize. But have you ever considered what happens to your couch after throw it away? The average weight of a 4 person couch can range from 100 to 200 pounds, and the weight of a sofa bed can easily tip the scales at over 300 pounds. In terms of volume, that translates to approximately 2 yards of solid waste per couch.  Now multiply that figure by the hundreds (even thousands) of couches that are tossed away each year, and you begin to see the impact that not recycling your unwanted couch can have on the environment.

Couch Recycling. Junk Removal Vancouver. Green Coast Rubbish.

The recycling process for couches is more intensive and takes longer than it is for mattresses, however the payoff is well worth the effort. From the couches they receive, Mattress Recycling.ca is able to reclaim and recycle all wood and metal components. Because the wood used in the construction of couches is untreated, it has great composting potential. The remaining parts of the couch, namely the foam, cardboard and textile components are either recycled by contracted third parties or reused within the organization itself.

Green Coast Rubbish is excited to be partnering with MattressRecycling.ca to divert as many used couches as possible from landfills. Although currently the volume of couches coming through their doors is low, that is likely to change in coming years, as the federal government plans to implement a Canada-wide Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policy, which will include all building products, carpet, furniture and textiles by 2017.

Green Coast Rubbish is happy to partnering with MattressRecycling.ca on this endeavor, because we believe that creating practical solutions to everyday waste management challenges will be a key driver for Vancouver’s green future.  So think twice next time you think to throw out your used or unwanted couch, and call Green Coast Rubbish to have your unwanted items picked up hassle-free.

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Sustainable Solutions for Commercial Rubbish Removal & Recycling

Posted on September 13, 2011

Key to the success of Vancouver’s Greenest City Action Plan will be a full commitment from local businesses to adopt waste reduction and diversion strategies. At Green Coast Rubbish, we offer a wide array of waste removal and recycling services to commercial clients, which makes it easy and hassle-free for local businesses to reduce the amount of waste they send to the landfill, as well as providing an easy way for them to increase the volume of materials they recycle.

Over the past 5 years, we have been fortunate enough to develop strong relationships with local businesses that are doing their part to make Vancouver the greenest city in the world by 2020.  One of these businesses, North Vancouver’s very own Ethical Kitchen, has been a client of ours for the past year and a half or so, and we wanted to highlight just a few of the great programs that owner Barbara Schellenberg and the team at Ethical Kitchen have implemented.

From the minute you step into Ethical Kitchen, it becomes apparent that this is not your run-of-the mill lunch spot. The first clue that Ethical Kitchen is not your typical eatery is the large enclosed garden space that sits right out front. This garden space is where Barbara grows many of her famous herbs and greens used in her tasty creations. Once inside, you’ll also notice the photos lining the walls, many of which  show Barbara’s family ranch in the interior of BC, which provides many of the meats served at Ethical Kitchen, all of which are grass-fed on certified organic land–a reflection of Barbara’s commitment to providing only the most sustainable foods to her customers. Hard to find nutritional supplements and natural health products round out Ethical Kitchen’s “Old Tyme Market”.

Operating sustainably doesn’t have to come at a price. Ethical Kitchen proves that businesses can choose to adopt environmentally-conscious business models  without having to sacrifice the quality of service or products that they offer their clients. It gives us great pleasure to be able to help the team at Ethical Kitchen maintain their commitment to sustainability by doing a weekly pickup of rubbish and recyclable materials. By recycling the majority of the restaurant’s waste, in addition to Ethical Kitchen’s composting efforts though a worm composting system, Barbara greatly reduces the amount  of rubbish that the restaurant sends to the landfill. Ethical Kitchen shows what an impact businesses can have by diverting their rubbish away from landfills and into recycling facilities. Green Coast Rubbish makes it simple for commercial clients to increase their waste diversion rates by creating waste removal solutions tailored to fit any business’ unique requirements.

Snapshot of Barbara's garden outside of Ethical Kitchen in North Vancouver, BC.

Call us today to learn more about how we can help your business reduce the amount of rubbish that ends up in the landfill.

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Partners in Recycling: North Shore Recycling Drop-off Depot

Posted on August 23, 2011

Green Coast Rubbish relies on local community partners in order to carry out our mandate of diverting as much waste as possible from BC landfills. One of these community partners is the North Shore Recycling Drop-off Depot. The depot, a vital aspect of the North Shore Recycling Program (NSRP) is located at 29 Riverside Drive in North Vancouver and open 7 days a week, the  offers cost effective, environmentally responsible and innovative programs to North Shore residents, in order to make it simple and easy to recycle their used and unwanted items.

The North Shore Drop-off Recycling Depot has some very impress stats for 2010. According to Kathleen O’Malley, Assistant Manager of the NSRP, they see an average of 300 cars each and every day, and the depot has been able to recycle a total of 1780.7 tonnes of material last year alone.  To put it in perspective, that’s nearly equivalent to the weight of 1000 midsized cars worth of recyclable material being diverted from our landfill—an impressive result indeed.

Corrugated cardboard (735.0 tonnes last year) and mixed waste paper and newspaper (517.0 and 387 tonnes, respectively) make up the bulk of what the North Shore Recycling Drop-off Depot recycles, though they also recycle aluminium, tins cans, glass, plastics, and magazines.

One of the more interesting programs that the drop-off depot is offering from now until July 1, 2012 is the toilet rebate program. According to the BC Housing code, and effective October 3, 2011, it will be mandatory for all BC residents to switch their current toilets to high-efficiency models which maintain a flush volume of 4.8 litres or less. To help accommodate this transition, the NSRP is offering a rebate program that will put $50 back in your pocket, just for bringing in your old toilet and recycling it at their drop-off depot. And, for those of you who are looking to up your green karma even more, why not use the money you save from returning your toilet to buy yourself a Garden Gourmet Backyard Composter—the drop-off depot sells them for $45 (taxes included).

Green Coast Rubbish is proud to be partner with the NSRP’s drop-off recycling depot, which not only has had some very impressive results to-date, but in our opinion is an excellent example of a municipal run initiative that is affecting some real change, and leading Metro Vancouver towards a zero waste future.

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