According to Stats Canada, there are approximately 3.5 million dogs in Canada and that equates to alot of doggie poop. The biggest carbon footprint from our best friend is their daily business. The plastic bags used in the cleanup afterwards will be around alot longer then the dogs themselves.

San Francisco, with 120,000 dogs (more than children), collects 6,500 tonnes of doggie waste. A waste management company Norcal, collects the dog poop and converts it into energy using an aerobic digester that converts it to methane gas. The remains from the "digestion process" is used as compost for agriculture and the methane gas can be burned to produce electricity.

What can we do if we don't have an aerobic digester? For starters, we can stop using plastic bags; they will sit in the landfill for the next million years. If you use newspaper or paper bags, they will decompose and you can supplement the paper with the Skooperbox which is completely biodegradable.

There's also the Doggie Dooley compost system. It's a miniature septic tank that is easy to install and you just need to add water and digester powder. They are available at most larger pet stores.

If you want to build your own composting system, City Farmer has step-by-step photos and video instructions. You just have to teach Fido to use the composter directly.

Source: Article in Green Living Online titled "Greening the Doggie Do"

Cherry Hill Coffee, based out of Kelowna is turning a deeper shade of green.

Cherry Hill is offering certified fair-trade (allows the growers to compete globally by offering better trading conditions), organic coffee (which is grown without using pesticides and chemicals). They have 3 delicious organic blends available for the holidays - Jack Frost, Gingerbread and Christmas Blend.

Cherry Hill also introduced a take-out coffee cup made from sustainable materials. The Ecotainer is made from a bio-plastic that is created from corn. These cups are 100% compostable and can decompose into water, organic matter and carbon dioxide.

Finally, they have partnered with a local compost and recycling company to establish a waste management program that takes care of the pickup of your compost. Every week, coffee grounds, ecotainer cups and other organic material can be picked up and converted into nutritious topsoil for local farms.

Source: Article by Natalia Hahn titled "Heard of Green Tea? How about Green Coffee?"

There will be 3 chances for residents to put yard waste on their curb for pickup. One pickup at the end of every month from September to November.

The collection dates are as follows:

Kelowna A and Westside

Sept 29 to Oct 3
Oct 27 to 31
Nov 24 to 28

Kelowna B and Peachland

Sept 22 to 26
Oct 20 to 24
Nov 17 to 21

Lake Country and Joe Rich/Ellison

Sept 15 to 19
Oct 6 to 10
Nov 3 to 7

Benefits of the program:

• residents avoid trips to the landfill
• less congestion and lineups at the landfill
• lowers the need for illegal dumpings
• yard waste is composted and reused as Glenmore Grow
• in 2007, 2200 tonnes of yard waste avoided the landfills

Waste Pickup reminders:

• 7 AM set out time on regular garbage day
• use clear bags or reusable containers
• residential yard waste only
• 23 kg per item (50 lbs)
  
• bundled prunings must be less than 1 metre long and 1/2 metre across; prunings must be 1/2 inch or smaller

For more information: Visit RegionalDistrict.com or call the office at 250-861-8788

The 3rd annual Organic Okanagan Festival takes place this Sunday September 21st at the Summerhill Pyramid Winery located at 4870 Chute Lake Road from 11 AM to 4 PM.

It's being called the Okanagan's Finest Green Living Expo and is organized by the Okanagan Green Society. There will be over 40 exhibitors talking about natural health and healing, sustainable energy, alternative education, recycling and composting. Samples of locally grown organic food will be given out as well.

Entertainment includes films such as The Story Of Stuff and Table Land and music by The Raging Grannies, The Treelight Room and Daybeats.

There will be kids activities, blind taste tests of organic versus non-organic foods (put on by Nature's Fare, a new sponsor). Nature's Fare will be handing out a goody bag filled with coupons, a green guide and organic food items.

Attendees will be given Taterware plates made from potato starch to sample some of the foods and after the event the plates will be composted. Solar power will be used to provide Vendors at the event with power.

Admission is $5 plus a Kelowna Food Bank donation. Funds raised at the event will support the Okanagan Green Society's projects including Local Food for Local Schools and the Kelowna Food Bank.

Source: Article by Lori-Anne Charlton in the Event Magazine titled "Keen on Green"