Environmental Action

• Please ensure you wear gloves and thoroughly wash your hands after the clean up.
• Wear brightly colored or reflective clothing so drivers can see you clearly.
• If you encounter sharp items (needles and syringes), please leave them in place and report the items immediately to Customer Service who will dispatch Town staff who are trained in their safe handling and disposal.
• Share your clean up photos with us by emailing the environment team, or post them on social media with the hashtag #EGCleanup.
• You can also borrow signs for during and after your cleanup event, visibility vests and pickers.
• Please note regional roads require permission and coordination from York Region.
• If you are organizing a large group event, please include that in your email.

Burning fossil fuels such as natural gas, coal, oil and gasoline raises the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and carbon dioxide is a major contributor to the greenhouse effect and global warming. You can help to reduce the demand for fossil fuels, which in turn reduces global warming, by using energy more wisely.
The following is a list of steps you can take to reduce greenhouse gas emissions:

• Reduce, reuse, recycle
• Use less heat and air conditioning
• Replace lightbulbs with LEDs
• Drive less and drive smart (keep tires inflated, carpool, etc.)
• Buy energy-efficient products
• Use less hot water
• Turn lights off when not in use
• Plant trees
• Encourage others to conserve energy

Water is perhaps our most valuable resource; it is essential that water conservation be foremost in our minds to sustain supplies during periods of reduced rainfall and peak demand.  Essential water reserves must be maintained to provide unrestricted water use for activities of necessity associated with indoor water use and fire protection.

During the summer months, the Town's Outdoor Water Use By-law limits the use of municipally supplied water for outdoor activities, like watering lawns and gardens, washing vehicles, or filling swimming pools to specific days.

Tips to conserve water

• Wash clothes in cold water
• Scape dishes instead of rinsing before placing them in the dishwasher
• Repair leaks in fixtures and pipes
• Replace high-volume toilets with newer energy efficient ones
• Use rain barrels to collect and water gardens
• Water lawns and gardens early in the morning to reduce evaporation

Helpful links

• Outdoor Water Use By-Law 2002-100

• York Region Water Conservation Strategy

Did you know:

• Children breathe 2x as much air as adults, making them more susceptible to airborne pollutants such as those made by idling.
• New vehicles emit about 99% less CAC (Criteria Air Contaminants) emissions than vehicles built in the 1970's. Vehicles today still release carbon dioxide, which is the principal greenhouse gas linked to climate change.
• For the average vehicle (3-litre engine), 10 minutes of idling costs over one quarter of a litre (over 1 cup) in wasted fuel. Every litre of gasoline you use produces about 2.3 kilograms of carbon dioxide.
• Warming up the vehicle means more than warming the engine. The tires, transmission, wheel bearings and other moving parts also need to be warmed up for the vehicle to perform well. Most of these parts do not begin to warm up until you drive the vehicle.
• Excessive idling is not an effective way to warm up your vehicle, even in cold weather. The best way to warm it up is to drive it. With today's computer-controlled engines, even on cold winter days, no more than two to three minutes of idling is usually enough warm-up time before starting to drive. This also reduces fuel consumption and GHG emissions.
• A 1998 survey on driving habits suggests that in the peak of winter, Canadians voluntarily idle their vehicles for a combined total of more than 75 million minutes a day – equal to one vehicle idling for 144 years. We idle about 40 percent less in summer, but Canadian motorists still waste a significant amount of fuel and emit unnecessary greenhouse gas emissions.
• The more fuel you use, the more carbon dioxide your vehicle produces– an easy way to cut fuel consumption is to avoid unnecessary idling.

Visit the Government of Canada, Natural Resources website for more information on idling.

Disposal of all invasive species should be done by:

• Placing all plant material in heavy duty, construction grade black garbage bags. Seal the bags tightly, and cover any holes in the bag (e.g. with tape). When bagging root material, minimize the amount of soil being disposed of.
• Garbage bags with plant material may be left in direct sunlight for a week or longer, to help kill plant material.
• Care should be taken to not rip or otherwise put holes in the garbage bags so that the plant material remains contained.
• Garbage bags with invasive species should be disposed through the local collection general garbage system.
• Please note that invasive species can easily spread, they should not be composted.

Learn more about invasive species on the Ontario Parks website or the Ontario Invasive Plants website.

Please note that some plants (e.g. hogweed) need special treatment to avoid harm. If you are unsure of how to manage them, please visit the Species list at the Ontario Invasive Plant Council for detailed information.

Residents can help prevent its spread by cleaning, draining, and drying boats and equipment before moving between waterbodies, and by reporting suspected sightings. Learn more about identification and prevention through the Lake Simcoe Water Soldier Working Group and help protect our shared aquatic environment. 

Residents can help reduce infestations by regularly inspecting plants, hand-picking beetles and placing them in a container of soapy water, and removing heavily damaged plant material. Keeping lawns healthy through proper watering and maintenance can also help reduce grub damage. Early detection and control are key to protecting local gardens and landscapes.

Learn more about identification and management through the Invasive Species Centre.

To fight the spread of the EAB, it is important for private landowners to be aware and consider the treatment and removal methods above. Many local private nurseries and arborists can assist you in this process. The Town will treat and/or remove trees on public property.

Helpful links

• Canadian Food Inspection Agency Pest Control sheet 
• York Region's EAB page
• EAB Tree Rebate Program 
• York Region Woodlot Owners, Emerald Ash Borer Advisory Services Program

Property owners are responsible for managing trees (and pests) on their property. Residents are encouraged to inspect their trees and take action to remove LDD in any life cycle stage, which will help reduce the level of infestation.

Residents should wear gloves and long sleeves while removing pupae/cocoons and egg masses. Caterpillars secure themselves to leaves and bark then form a cocoon using their hairs as protection, and these hairs can cause dermatological reactions.

Helpful links

• York Region’s webpage about LDDs 
• Province of Ontario’s webpage about LDDs 
• Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Area