Thinking “Green” at the cottage

By Geoff Peach of the Lake Huron Centre for Coastal Conservation

It’s time to start thinking about summer, and time start thinking about ‘greening’ the cottage. Below are some tips that cottage residents in lakeshore communities can use to do their share to help out the environment.

A toilet tank leaking into the bowl adds a lot of water to the septic system.

To test for leaks put a few drops of food colouring into the tank behind the toilet. If the colouring appears in the bowl without being flushed, you have a leak.

A toilet dam or displacement device in the tank reduces the amount of water being flushed. The toilet dam is a simple tool that holds back water from the flapper valve. Displacement devices can be as simple as a full plastic water bottle in the tank (don’t use a brick; it can disintegrate, ruining the valves).

Install a low-flow showerhead, especially if long-showering teenagers hang out at your cottage. A low-flow aerator can cut the water flow by 50 per cent without lessening the spray. You can even try the occasional "military" shower: Turn the shower off when you soap up, then back on while you rinse.

Brushing your teeth for two minutes with the tap running loses about 11 litres of water down the drain; a mug of water for brushing and rinsing does the job with much less waste.

Lawn’s are nice back in the city. Not-so-good for the lake environment.

About 50 per cent of rainfall rolls right over short manicured grass to the water, carrying with it fertilizers (many are loaded with phosphorus) or pesticides (poisonous to aquatic life).

In sandy soiled areas, most of it goes to the shallow groundwater table and out to the lake. Aside from water pollution, grass is high maintenance requiring some form of energy (including yours!) to keep it looking presentable. It’s better to replace a lawn with no-maintenance native plants. It's good for the environment, your pocket book and your leisure time.

Buy a rain barrel for your place. It reduces the amount of storm water that runs off your property. And if you save that runoff and use it to water your plants, lawn or garden, you will be conserving a valuable resource.

When sealing up cracks in the cottage, keep an eye out for spider webs. Spiders like to weave them in the path of airflow (a.k.a. air leaks) to catch insects.

Make your leftover paint last longer. Tip cans of unused paint upside down (make sure the lids are on tight) and it will keep for years; the paint creates an inner seal around the lids, so air can't seep in and dry it up.

If you have an automatic dishwasher at the cottage, be aware that many automatic dishwasher detergent brands still contain phosphorus, the chemical that causes algae blooms.

While phosphate is restricted in laundry soaps and hand dishwashing detergent, it is still used in automatic dishwasher detergents. Switch to brands that say phosphate or phosphorus free. (Note: by 2010, the federal government will set a limit of 0.5% of Phosphorous by weight for laundry and dishwasher detergents - in the meantime, you'll have to seek out the eco-friendly products).

Oh, and while you're getting green for the summer, you or a loved one might want to be the first on your beach to fashion a solar powered bikini.

See also: Pollution Prevention for Everyone (Environment Canada site)

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