At Home
- Properly dispose of products, such as cleaners that contain toxic chemicals, pesticides, paints, solvents, gasoline and flammable liquids. Do not dump these products into sewers, the ground, the toilet or the garbage. Take them to your local household hazardous waste depot. Call your city or municipality to find out where your household hazardous waste depot is.
- Properly dispose of pharmaceutical drugs at your local drugstore that usually have programs to collect unused medications. Do not dispose of pharmaceutical drugs in sewers, the ground, toilets or the garbage.
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Use non-toxic cleaning products - look for the Environmental Choice EcoLogo to find environmentally friendly products. Products bearing this label have been tested and certified by the Canadian Standards Association. The logo identifies the products that maximize energy efficiency and the use of recycled or recyclable materials and minimize the use of environmentally hazardous substances. Take your car to a commercial car wash designed to prevent pollutant runoff from entering storm sewers. Check with your city or municipality to see if they have banned driveway car washes, such as in the City of Toronto.
- Pick up after your pets and do not allow animal waste to wash into storm sewers or collect in surface waters.
Natural Detergents - Minimize or eliminate the use of road salts in the winter.
- Disconnect your eaves through downspout from the sewer and catch the water in a rain barrel, and use it to water your garden. Or allow it to slowly flow to an area where it can soak into the ground and replenish the groundwater
- Lay a permeable driveway surface, and remove as much as possible any impermeable surfaces around your house.
- Reduce or remove your lawn and plant a low water garden or work towards minimizing your pesticide and herbicide use. You can also use your lawn clippings as fertilizer.