Don’t know what to do with your empty pizza box? What about throwing out your Tims coffee cup after you enjoy your morning double-double? Questions about how to get rid of the toilet tank during your home renovations? The Malton Community Building Project Network hosted its first Earth Day event on Tuesday April 23. To recognize Earth Day which was on Monday April 22, the group wanted to educate Malton residents on how to recycle and dispose of garbage correctly and the larger environmental impact of improper waste disposal.
Families who attended the event viewed a Marketplace video clip on “Are These the Worst Over-Packaged Products?”, highlighting the importance of not purchasing products that are wrapped in layered plastics, reducing single-use plastic items and reducing plastics in our landfills. The Region of Peel’s presentation informed the audience on how to reduce their carbon footprint and what items should be placed in our garbage, recycling and compost bins. Following the presentation, people had a chance to take part in an interactive recycling sorting activity to learn how to correctly dispose of items at home, at school and in the workplace.
A Malton resident with a love for gardening led a compost making kit activity where parents and children took part. The Toronto Reservation Conservation Authority had a display showing the environmental impact of plastic, specifically nurdles which are plastic pellets on water ecosystems.
People who attended the event were happy to learn new information on recycling and the environment and how they can make changes to help and preserve their local communities and the global environment.
Special thanks to the MCBP Network’s Earth Day Planning Committee, student volunteer Gurmen Badyal, the City of Mississauga’s Recreation and Facilities Department and Waste Management, the Region of Peel-Public Works, Education Programs and Services and the TRCA for their contributions to the Earth Day event.
