Canadian Immigration focus on Canadian immigrant life: It is inevitable that people generate waste in their daily lives. Canadian women Kaitlyn LeBlanc and Tara Smith-Atkins are leading by example, adopting a "Zero Waste Living" lifestyle. Inspired by an online video of an American family that produced almost no waste, LeBlanc donated her unwanted household items to charity and changed her shopping habits while decluttering. Consequently, she began buying only second-hand clothing and replacing disposable items with reusable ones, such as using cloth towels instead of paper towels. She discovered that by doing so, her household expenses were reduced by at least 20 percent. Influenced by LeBlanc, the Smith-Atkins family of five also began looking for ways to reduce waste. For example, Tara uses cloth diapers for her 6-week-old son, Hugo, and makes her own baby cream, using cornstarch as a substitute for baby powder. She admits that while challenging, it is feasible. Since starting their "Zero Waste Living" in April of this year, the waste produced by both families over five months, when compressed, fit into 1.5-liter jars each. They also created a dedicated website, Paredownhome.com, to share the 5R principles of waste management: Refuse what you do not need; Reduce what you do need; Reuse what you can; Recycle what you cannot reuse; and Rot (compost) the rest.
