BU S I N P A R T Y E S S UP F RO N T I N T HE B A C K

P A T I 0 O P E N

Thinking Outside The Blue Box

My last name always reminds me I was born, “one starry night”, in the Netherlands. However I am proud to call Canada my home!

The Netherlands produce a high average of 2500 kg per person of waste, (720 kg in Canada), but the Dutch also recycle 1700 kg, (75%) of that total. They also use the highest % of recycled materials in their manufacturing processes. In Canada we only recycle 30% of our waste.

They say a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. Consider this please. I am always gobsmacked at how many receipts I’m presented with when I shop locally. If I want them or not, they get printed and if I refuse to take them, they end up in the landfill.

Imagine no receipts. How many trees could be saved? How much less CO2 would be produced? How much landfill saved? An error made by a salesclerk two days ago produced, for me, a receipt of nearly TWO FEET!!

Of the three R’s please remember that REDUCE is the most important.