We have found that waste reduction and recycling has been the fastest and easiest way to minimize our impact on the environment. We are taking steps to ensure that the majority of the waste product from our offices and work sites makes it into a recycling program.

Paper, cardboard, plastics, electronics, batteries and copper cable make up the bulk of our waste products. We recycle or reuse all these items wherever possible.

Over 40 billion ‘single-use’ batteries were disposed of worldwide last year. We have been using rechargeable batteries for years now and our battery waste has been reduced greatly because of this. Even rechargeable batteries are recycled at their end of life.

A shift to electronic media such as manuals and instructional material has allowed us to reduce our paper usage a lot. We are taking steps to utilize these changes wherever possible.

Some quick facts about recycling.

•An estimated eight million tons of hazardous waste are generated in Canada every year.

•Canadians produce more garbage per person than just about any other country in the world. The average person generates a whole ton of trash per year.

•It takes 19 full grown trees to make one ton of paper. By recycling 119 pounds of newspapers, you can save the equivalent of one tree from being cut down. Canadians are among the world's largest consumers of paper products.

•Each Canadian throws away about one pound of packaging per day.

•Many Canadians with access to recycling facilities use them: almost 85 percent of Canadians recycle.

•17 million Canadians (nearly 2/3 of us) have access to recycling.