April is Earth Month! Join Dufferin County in celebrating Earth Month and do your part to take action for the planet and help address the climate crisis.

Climate Action in Dufferin, in collaboration with the Orangeville Library, will host a community gardening workshop on April 27 with feature guest Mark Eastman of Weathered Rock Farm.

Learn the principles of building healthy soil and discover the regenerative techniques you can implement to create a bountiful and climate-friendly garden! Receive a free compost bag to help you get started.

Visit www.orangevillelibrary.ca to register. A minimum of five participants are required to run the program.

The Museum of Dufferin and Climate Action in Dufferin will celebrate Earth Week by launching a new in classroom program for Grade 7 students. The program, focused on imagining complete, climate-friendly communities will be available to book through the Museum starting Earth Week. For more information visit www.dufferinmuseum.com.

The average Canadian buys 70 new pieces of clothing annually. Only half of what is bought is used, while the rest is left unused or thrown out. Textiles contribute to over 10 million tonnes of waste in landfill in North America, of which 95 per cent could be reused or recycled.

Keep textiles out of landfill by donating unwanted clothing, shoes, bedding and more! Check out the Clothes’ing the Loop Map Tool to find businesses, donation bins and organizations accepting donations near you.

A fun way to work towards Clothes’ing the Loop on Textiles is to host a clothing swap party. Here are five tips to get started:

1. Choose an appropriate location
2. Set rules
3. Send out invites/promote your event
4. Create an organization system
5. Have a plan for the leftover items, such as donations

Check out the Swap It Toolkit from the Circular Innovation Council for more information.

Need to get rid of old paint? Recycle it responsibly at a Household Hazardous and Electronic Waste event! Last year, residents helped keep over 120 tonnes of hazardous and electronic waste out of the landfill! Attend the next event on Saturday, April 20 at the Grand Valley Agricultural Society Lands (beside arena) from 8 am to 3 pm!

Visit www.dufferincounty.ca/waste for a list of acceptable items and limitations and a list of additional events in the spring and summer!

If you participate in the green bin and yard waste programs, enjoy the end result by getting free compost! Your garden will thank you. The first event of the season will be on Saturday, April 20 from 9 am to 2 pm at the Horning’s Mills Community Hall located at 114 Mill Street in Melancthon. Click here for guidelines, and additional events in May!

If you visit Alder Recreation Centre during Earth Week from April 22 to 26, make sure to stop by the Dufferin Waste booth to pick up information on waste reduction in Dufferin County! There will be resources available, such as Green Bin Guides, Take It Back Directories, educational material on food waste reduction and Clothes’ing the Loop on Textiles postcards to help you donate your unwanted textiles. Sign up for a chance to win one of five Zero Waste kits!

Grand Valley Public Library

Dufferin Waste staff will do a reading of Plastic Bag’s Journey by Lola Usupova during the Cocoa Club program with Grand Valley Public Library on Tuesday, April 23. The program will begin at 3:15 pm.

Orangeville Public Library
Bring your kids to a reading of Let’s Save the Earth by Jacelyn Augustin during the Every Child Ready to Read Storytime Program with Orangeville Public Library at the Mill Street location on Thursday, April 25 at 10:30 am.

Learn more ways to help reduce waste during Earth Month by following Dufferin Waste on Facebook and X and download the Dufferin Waste App on your Apple or Android device!

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MEDIA CONTACT:
Megan Ball, Manager of Communications
mball@dufferincounty.ca