There is no doubt that the environment is a key issue for many Canadians.
It is hard to not offer up some level of concern when you see ocean life imperilled by the barge loads of garbage humankind has dumped in the water, as if it sinking under the waves deals with the problems of our refuse.
That is only one rather stark example of the impact we have on the environment that is negative.
There are too many examples of humankind’s largess in terms negatively impacting the natural world; gone are the passenger pigeon and dozens of other species we could list here, and dozens of other environmental disasters.
While we can’t change everything overnight, we can start to be better at protecting our environment because this mud ball we call earth is the only world we have.
The question of course is how best to protect our environment?
There are the big issues that governments must deal with, from ending ocean dumping of garbage, to finding better options to one use plastic products.
But, what about here in Yorkton?
Well one step is to focus some attention on things through Waste Reduction Week which was declared Monday by Yorkton Council.
“Waste Reduction Week in Canada is annually held in October to build awareness around issues of sustainable and responsible consumption, encourage choice for more environmentally responsible products, and promote actions that dispose of wastes in an environmentally friendly manner,” explained Aron Hershmiller, Assistant Director of Environmental Services with the City at the regular meeting of Council Monday.
But the program goes farther this year locally.
A new initiative for Waste Reduction Week 2019 by the Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council (SWRC) is the hosting of a Repair Café on October 26, 2019. The event will be held at the Yorkton Victory Church on 38 Bradbrooke Drive.
“A Repair Café is an event where the public is encouraged to bring broken items to be repaired by an experienced volunteer. This encourages people to reduce the amount of waste they are putting in the landfill and an opportunity to have them fixed,” explained Hershmiller.
“These items might include small electrical items such as a lamp that may need some soldering or a new electrical end.”
Repairing, repurposing, and reusing of items is one of the simplest ways to divert refuse from our landfill. The idea of the cafe is a brilliant one in its simplicity, and shows a small step we can take as individuals that collectively can still make a difference.
