Whistler is Making BIG MOVES for our Climate. When we act together, small steps become BIG MOVES
Whistler’s Climate Action BIG MOVES Strategy identifies the six most impactful action areas we need to focus on as a community to reduce emissions and make Whistler a more climate resilient community. You have a role to play! The RMOW, in partnership with Whistler’s environmental charity AWARE, has created Small Steps for BIG MOVES: 12 months of climate actions we can each take to support Whistler’s six BIG MOVES.
TAKE ACTION! This April, let’s:
Choose to reuse
Reducing our consumption puts us well on the path to BIG MOVE #6: Close the loop and shift toward lower carbon consumption.
From big brands to individual actions, the world is waking up to the damaging effects of single use items and working to reduce the amount of disposable items in our waste systems. Reducing and re-using is a grassroots call to action that stands the test of time and is more needed than ever.
From asking for that to-go meal in your reusable container to the travel mug from your favourite coffee shop, making choices to use and re-use what we already have in our day to day lives is a shift that designs out waste before we have to think about landfill.
Ready to take action? Let’s try one (or some) of these Small Steps for BIG MOVES:
Keep these items close at hand for regular use.
Get more tips:
- From AWARE on Plastic Free Living
- From the Plastic Action Centre on How to Have a Plastic Free Summer
If you’re buying your lunch out, sit to enjoy your meal at the restaurant. If it’s a quick to-go, ask them to put the meal in your clean reusable container and bring your own reusable utensils.
Filling your pantry with reusable containers keeps things organized and helps avoid food waste. Bulk snacks can be easily portioned into reusable containers or bags to take with you on outings, road trips, or to work and school.
Build a tradition by reusing decorations and baskets year after year, and buying local candy!
As the snow melts each spring, we often see the result of what happens when we choose not to reuse as snow piles give way to litter piles. So each year community members come together to pitch in and clean it up together in support of local charities.
- FInd Pitch In Day in the Events Calendar
What We Heard ~ Stories Shared
Thank you for sharing your stories!
Check out these small steps for BIG MOVES that some of our community members have taken:
- Cheeying’s family uses reusable containers, bags and wraps of all kinds. They do use some plastic ziplock bags but mostly compostable ones that they wash out and re-use over and over – otherwise they use beeswax wraps and containers. They don’t use bags for produce or fruit at the grocery store, they just pack them loose. They purchase their cleaning supplies from a local refillery, which provides everything in re-usable mason jars that they collect and re-use. These small choices make a big difference in waste reduction!
- Lauren loves to upcycle old items from the reuse it centre into art – for example, she used an unfixable skateboard as a canvas… so cool!
We invite you to share your stories about your small steps for BIG MOVES every month. There’s a chance to win some great prizes if you submit a story! Have a look at our May theme: whistler.ca/GoByBike.
