As our planet’s population continues to increase, we continue to hear more and more about environmental responsibility and living “green”.  This generation of children is probably more aware than ever of this increasing need to pay attention to how our lifestyle choices affect our environment and what we can do to minimize the impact.

We are lucky enough to live in or near a major city that has taken the Green Initiative to heart and put its money where its mouth is in creating programs to support this vision.  This is just one of the many reasons Vancouver, BC is such a great place to buy real estate.  There are copious recycling locations and options for just about anything you can imagine – reducing landfill waste.  For homeowners, the city has created incentives and rebates to go solar and make your home more energy efficient.  As a city, Vancouver has the goal of being the Greenest City by 2020.

Listed below is information and links to help you do your part to support that goal.

Recycling

What can you recycle in Surrey?  Plastic and Glass Bottles & Jars, Food & Beverage Cans, Tetra Pak Containers & Milk Cartons, Boxboard & Mixed Paper, NewsPaper & Inserts, Corrugated Cardboard, Plastic Bags

Visit www.metrovancouverrecycles.org for more information on what and where you can donate or recycle just about anything in Metro Vancouver.

Energy Efficiency

Oneday is an innovative City of Vancouver program for residents. Its purpose is to make it easy for you to take action to reduce energy use. The home page has links to the LiveSmart BC: Efficiency Inventive Program and ecoENERGY Retrofit – Home Programs.

The Government of Canada has renewed the popular ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes program. From June 6, 2011, until March 31, 2012, homeowners are eligible to receive grants of up to $5,000 to make their homes more energy-efficient. Homeowners who participated in the program to date have saved 20 percent on their energy bills.

Only products purchased on or after June 6, 2011, and installed after a pre-retrofit evaluation are eligible for an ecoENERGY grant. Funds are limited and all energy retrofits and post-retrofit evaluations must be completed by March 31, 2012. The homeowner must also sign the grant application by this date.

When you are buying new appliances, electronics, equipment, etc. be sure the look for the ENERGY STAR symbol, which can be found on about 50 types of products, including major appliances; electronics; heating, cooling and ventilating equipment (residential); lighting; office equipment; windows doors and skylights; and commercial products.

To get the scoop on how your current costs compare to more energy efficient options, check out the Home Heating System Cost Calculator

LiveSmart BC Incentive Programs

Solar for Homes

Thinking of going solar? Here is the link for information on the City of Vancouver Solar Homes Pilot.