Transition Brockville / 15 June 2019
Can you imagine reducing your household waste from one trash barrel to a single 250 ml Mason jar every two weeks?
It can be done. Michelle Dunford, of Kemptville, will show how during her talk, “Practical Zero Waste Living,” at the next Transition Brockville presentation, Sunday, June 23, 2 p.m., at the Brockville Public Library’s program room.
Dunford, 32, her husband, 40, and their 2-year-old son have been using the 5 R’s (Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Rot) to achieve a ‘zero waste’ lifestyle this past year, while both work 8 a.m to 5 p.m. jobs. In the last 6 months, they have thrown out only one curbside can of garbage.
Space cooling and heating can account for up to 45 percent of your total home energy use every year, but there are numerous strategies you can employ to reduce cooling costs. For instance, a ceiling fan used in conjunction with air conditioning lets you raise the thermostat by as much as 4 degrees while maintaining the same comfort level in a room. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that each degree below 78 degrees on your thermostat will increase your air conditioning bill by 8 percent. You also can use natural ventilation to capture and create breezes, or to help you take advantage of nighttime drops in temperature.
