pRRRdy Says .....

Lawn Care

“Judge a man by the quality of his character, not by the character of his lawn.”

Following this advice could make for a much more relaxed summer for many people—why? To start with, most of the grass that we seed our lawns with is Kentucky Bluegrass, a species that is very far from home. This grass would never grow in the Peace Region naturally, which is why it takes so much work to keep a lawn looking lush, full and weed free. Using chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides helps, but excess amounts wash into storm drains, leading straight back into the water supply. Most lawns only really require 2.5 cm (1 inch) or water per week to stay healthy, but many lawns are over-watered. In the summer months, both our water consumption and the amount of materials sent to landfills increase dramatically—mostly because of our lawns.

Luckily, there is a simple, easy process that helps take care of all of these issues: Grasscycling! Grasscycling is just what it sounds like: recycling the nutrients in grass again and again by keepingthem on your lawn. It’s simple, easy and works in five easy steps!

1. Let it Grow! Keeping your grass at least 6cm long helps retain moisture and protects the roots from overheating.

2. Let it Lie! Easiest. Step. Ever. Leave clippings on the lawn to filter back into the soil, releasing nutrients and shading the roots. No bagging, no raking, no hauling!

3. Mow it Dry! Mowing dry grass helps prevent clumping, so the grass will have an easier time settling. Try to mow in a different direction every time.

4. Keep it Sharp! Using sharp blades (or better, mulching blades) chops the clippings smaller for faster decomposition.

5. Cut it Often! Okay, so this system does require a little bit of work, but it’s worth it. Cutting more often (every 4-5 days in the peak season) helps keep the grass at the optimal length, and keeps up the supply of small grass clippings to fertilize the lawn.

Still not convinced? Have some concerns? Well, there are a few myths we can bust right away:

1. Thatching is not caused by grass clippings, but by dead roots and stems that take much longer to break down.

2. Unsightliness shouldn’t be an issue if the lawn is cut properly. Making sure to followthe five steps, especially mowing when dry and keeping the clippings short, will make clipping virtually unnoticeable until they break down.

3. Special equipment is not needed. Mulching mowers may help speed the process along, but all mowers can be used to successfully grasscycle.

Of course, you could consider axing the grass altogether—consider xeriscaping your yard or garden, planting native and drought-resistant grasses and plants. Just a thought—Bluegrass is great on stage, but maybe isn’t such a great choice for our lawns.

Great tips on grasscycling, natural garden care and more are available in NEAT’s 2009 Waste Reduction calendar. Call NEAT to receive a copy, or visit our website for information on any of our programs.

You are welcome to contact NEAT’s Waste Reduction Office at 1-888-689-6328 (toll-free to Fort St. John) or check out pRRRdy’s website (www.prrrdy.com) for more information.

www.prrrdy.com or www.neat.bc.ca

Information provided by pRRRdy's.

Solid Waste Management Plan
Review

Planning for the Future
of our Garbage

The Peace River Regional District is updating its Regional Solid Waste Management Plan as required by the Ministry of Environment. The plan will look at ways we can implement new programs to meet the growing demand to provide more recycling and service, to reduce the amount of garbage going into our local landfills, and make our region more sustainable. With a booming construction industry and continued
economic growth, the need to manage our landfill space and protect our environment is more important than ever.

Three Advisory Committees have been recruited to start the process being led by consultants Earth Tech Canada. The Solid Waste Management Plan is a regional plan, representing the regional district electoral areas and the member municipalities. For more information visit:

http://www.prrd.bc.ca/quick_links/SWMgmt/index.php

The Environmental Advisory Committee

Did you know that you can recycle your CFC light bulbs, old cell phones and
any rechargeable batteries at the District Office?

We have now also started a new program and have a wooden box where you can now drop off any non-rechargeable batteries!

Instead of throwing these items in the trash, why don’t you bring them
down to the District office for recycling?

When you first walk into the District Office, before going up the stairs, you will see a plastic garbage can where you can drop off the light bulbs, a cardboard box that you can drop off the rechargeable batteries and cell phones, and a wooden box where you can drop off the non-rechargeable batteries.  These drop boxes are all labelled for your convenience.

  REDUCE   REUSE   RECYCLE

QUESTIONS ON RECYCLING

Q. Can I put empty 1 or 4 litre plastic oil containers in the plastic bins at the recycling center.
A. No, these go up to the dump site. Leave them in the area just to the left past the caretaker's shed.

Q. Which bin do I use for styrofoam?
A. NONE. Styrofoam cannot be recycled so put it in with your household garbage.

Q Do I need to remove the staples from the cardboard boxes?
A. No. When the cardboard is recycled the staples will sink to the bottom of the slurry. Just break down the box so it fits into the cardboard bin.

Q. What about milk cartons?
A. They go in the last bin on the right. Please take the time to give them a rinse.

Q. Can I recycle pizza boxes?
A. Yes, but please remove the pizza. (Seems like a no-brainer, but some forget.)

Q. Should I leave the plastic lids on the plastic bottles?
A. No. All lids need to be removed and put into the regular household garbage. If you have a tin lid, put the lid in the tin recycling bin.

Q. Can I still recycle glass?
A. Yes! Sally Paquette is still accepting glass and is storing it for future pickup.

Q. What should I do with small cardboard items like toilet paper rolls?
A. Put them all into a cereal size box. That reduces the mess when it is being picked up as the small stuff tends to fall out onto the ground.

If you have any other questions, give me a call at 783-5733 and I'll answer them in the next Bulletin.

Thanks to all of you who are recycling. According to Sally Paquette, Hudson's Hope has the best record for sorting recyclables!

Terry Webster
Environmental Advisory Committee

Save Your MONEY and Spare Our AIR

We understand that at times the weather can get quite cold and idling your vehicle is the only way to keep warm while waiting in your vehicle, but please remember that unnecessary idling wastes fuel and results in emission that degrade local air quality and contribute to health problems. Unnecessary vehicle idling is a big problem in Canada – it wastes fuel and money, and damages the environment. But small actions can have a big impact – and one person can make a difference. For example, if every driver of a light-duty vehicle in Canada stopped idling for just five minutes a day, collectively, over the year, we would save over 680 million liters of fuel and prevent more than 1.6 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions from entering the atmosphere. Did you know that schools are highest pollution areas in a community at certain times of the day. According to the Lung Association, children are especially vulnerable to air pollution because they breathe more quickly than adults and inhale more air per kilogram of body weight. Although idling alone does not cause deaths and illnesses, it does contribute to health problems.

Remember to Save Your MONEY and Spare Our AIR!

Information provided by Idle Free BC.  

Return-It Electronics Program

Do you have old desktop or laptop computers, computer periphery,printers, fax machines, monitors or televisions? Don’t know what to do with them? Well, BC's Return-It Electronics is a province-wide, end-of-life electronics recycling program available to all consumers and businesses in British Columbia. You can drop off any of the regulated products at designated collection locations without charge, and be assured they will be recycled responsibly. Electronic waste contains valuable resources such as metals that can and should be recycled. In addition they can contain hazardous materials that could pose environmental problems in our landfill sites. The nearest location to drop off electronic items is in Fort St. John at the:

Eco-Depot Recycling Centre
Plastics – Tin – Paper – Glass – Cardboard – Electronics – Batteries
Call No Charge: 1-866-913-3760
10107 – 94th Avenue, Fort St. John

For more information visit electronicsrecycling.bc.ca

Reginald Shaw, better know as Uncle Dudley, arrived in Hudson’s Hope in 1907. Our present day town mascot “Dudley The Dinosaur” is named after Dudley Shaw.

The Peace River begins in Hudson’s Hope and flows north to eventually drain into the Arctic Ocean.