Environment

Don't flush it all away

The sewer is not a garbage can. Using your sinks toilets or the curb drain on the street to dispose of unwanted products is dangerous to the health of your family and neighbourhood.

Curb drains empty into local waters; whatever goes down the drain directly affects aquatic life, water quality, and the livability of your neighbourhood. Keep your neighbourhood clean by disposing of unwanted liquids properly.

Liquids from your sinks and toilets are conveyed to a local sewage treatment plant. About 95% of Vancouver's sewage is treated at the Iona Wastewater Treatment Plant. Here the sewage receives a primary level of treatment and is released into Georgia Strait. The treatment process screens out solids and breaks down some organic materials, it does not remove toxins.

Is using my garberator better than putting kitchen scraps in the garbage?

In-sink food waste disposers are not recommended. When food (or any biological material) enters the ocean it requires oxygen to decompose. The more food in the ocean, the less oxygen there is available for aquatic life (fish and other organisms). It is best to compost your kitchen scraps.

How should I dispose of my unwanted pharmaceuticals?

The best way to dispose of old or unwanted pharmaceuticals (drugs) is to return the unused portion to the pharmacy. Flushing them down the toilet is not a good practice. In many places around the world, trace levels of pharmaceuticals can be found in the water supply – let’s keep our water clean.

What should I do with cooking grease?

Pour grease into a container (tin can or drink carton) and let it solidify before disposing of it in the garbage. Pouring grease down the drain leads to clogged sewer pipes and can cause back-ups. Grease build-up in the sewer is costly for all Vancouverites.

How can I get rid of paint, used oil, batteries, and other chemical products?

For safe disposal of household products, suggestions and recipes for environmentally friendly alternatives to household cleaners and polishes, see Recycling Council of BC web site or Engineering Services Solid Waste.

What a hassle!

It’s true that properly disposing of chemical and other toxic products requires some effort. The best way to avoid this work is to not use the products in the first place. Most commonly used products (household cleaners, paints, and polishes) are available without heavy toxins. Read labels critically and ask for information at the store.

Labeled warnings to avoid:

• Caustic
• Corrosive

• Danger
• Explosive

• Flammable
• Poison

• Toxic
• Volatile

Washing your car on the driveway or road

Soap suds and grease and dirt from your car wash into the curb drain and enter our local waterways. The best way to avoid this is to wash your vehicle at a designated car wash station which have special drains, or to wash it on a non-paved surface so that the water can soak into the ground. Few people know that is against the law to wash vehicles on the street.

Using fertilizers and pesticides:

Get your yard off drugs! Rain washes fertilizers and pesticides into our local waterways. If you must use these products make sure you use organic products and give yourself a break – apply them less frequently. For more info see Grow Natural