Episode 2
How many times have you been sitting in the bathroom, noticed the toilet paper roll needs changed, and just tossed the old roll into the bathroom garbage? It's something we do often and most of us never really think about - but here's one idea you can do to help the environment, one toilet paper roll at a time.
Keep reading this article for even more interesting information after the video, including how to recycle the rolls in your region.
How to Recycle Toilet Rolls in Your Area
Did you know that toilet paper rolls can be recycled? They are, after all, just cardboard. We checked with Toronto, Durham Region, York Region and Peel Region - and all will accept toilet paper rolls in the Blue Box. In Halton Region, the rolls can go in your GreenCart.
Seriously - How Big a Problem Could Toilet Paper Rolls Be?
As of 2006, there were around 5.5 million people living in the GTA, and it's a good bet that most of us use toilet paper.
If each of us uses one roll every 2 days, that means we in the GTA throw out over a billion toilet paper rolls a year!
Check for yourself:
365 / 2 = 182.5 * 5.5M = 1,003,750,000 toilet paper rolls!
How Does Recycling Toilet Paper Rolls Help?
City of Toronto Solid Waste Management Services gives us some pretty interesting information about recycling paper products on their website:
- Making paper with recycled paper instead of raw wood uses 75% less energy and 50% less water
- With 70 % diversion (to recycling), Toronto will save 4.5 million trees a year
- From January to August 2007, on average, 74 truck loads per day of solid waste went to Michigan landfill
York Region tells us that
The Canadian Pulp and Paper Association states that approximately 71% of the fibre used in making Canadian pulp and paper now comes from recycled fibres that used to go into landfills.
How to Remember to Recycle
Tossing the rolls into the garbage is a well-worn habit for many of us, and it can be a bit hard at first to remember to recycle the rolls. One way you can help yourself remember to recyle is to put one of those extra-small recycling boxes in the bathroom. This will let you recycle those rolls while still working on your aim - like the rest of us. ;-)
The GTA Green Minute
The GTA Green Minute is a one-minute video series that help give people practical and easy ways we can help the environment.
