Many people think of switching to environmentally friendly practices as a big, overwhelming life change. But you don’t have to change up everything you do all at once! The best way to adopt a greener lifestyle is to gradually introduce new habits into your daily, weekly, and monthly routines.
At McSteel, we’re all about embracing environmental responsibility via our metal salvage and recycling services, and there are plenty of other things you can do to get your foot in the green door. Here are five easy ways you can embrace an eco-conscious lifestyle, from reusable shopping bags to electric motor recycling!
Switch to Reusable Shopping and Produce Bags
Across Canada, many grocery and retail stores are abandoning plastic bags in favour of recyclable brown paper or reusable fabric shopping bags.
While this change has been rampant across the country, plastic produce bags still seem to be the norm. You can make a simple swap in your grocery shopping routine by purchasing reusable produce bags from your local supermarket.
You can find these bags made from fabrics like muslin, nylon/polyester mesh, cotton, or recycled plastic. You can also opt for alternatives like mesh laundry bags or pillowcases if you don’t want to buy anything new right away.
This simple switch can help cut down on your unrecyclable plastic intake during shopping trips and also ensure you always have enough produce bags when you need them!
Start a Composting Routine
If you want to help reduce landfill waste and greenhouse gases, composting is a great way to do your part—and you’ll personally benefit from it, too!
Composting turns your food scraps into nutrient-rich soil to help feed your plants and grow healthy vegetables. It’s also super easy to do. If you have a larger garden and get a lot of plant waste each year, you can keep a compost bin in your yard and add to it every week.
If you don’t have a yard, many cities in Canada are now participating in residential compost programs. If your municipality is taking part in a similar program, see if you can add a small compost bin to your regular trash and recycling runs!
Invest in Sustainable Cleaning Products
While good cleaning products get the grease off the countertops and mud off the floor, they aren’t always amazing for the environment. Many cleaning products contain microplastics and harsh and potent chemicals that can be bad for our health and for the environment.
Switching to eco-friendly options like vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice, essential oils, and plant-derived surfactants is affordable and environmentally safe. These alternatives will keep your home and, in effect, the surrounding ecosystem free of harmful substances!
Upgrade to Energy-Efficient Appliances
Are your current appliances pulling a lot of energy? Are your utility bills skyrocketing as a result? Switching to energy-efficient appliances will not only lower your personal costs but also reduce your carbon footprint.
You can further help the environment by recycling your old appliances with McSteel! We accept nearly all appliance types, old to new, and will handle all the disassembly for an easy hand-off. Old appliances like fridges and stoves contain plenty of metal that is eligible for the scrap yard!
Recycle Scrap Metal Around Your Property
Scrap metal recycling is an excellent way for landowners, industrial plants, and commercial sites to do their bit for the environment!
Whether you have old, rusted metal lying around your farmyard, a large bin of metal scrap, or need to get rid of your electric motor, recycling with McSteel Salvage & Clean-Up is a great way to keep these precious metals and their harmful chemicals out of landfills. It’s also a great way to add a few extra dollars to your pocket! We pay for all scrap metal we receive, so you can help the environment and supplement your income at the same time.
Choose McSteel for Appliance and Electric Motor Recycling
If you’re ready to go green in 2025, take your first step towards an eco-conscious lifestyle with McSteel! We have two scrap yard locations in High Prairie and Wainwright, AB, where you can transport small to large loads of old appliances, broken tools, rusted car parts, and other metal scrap. We also offer large site clean-ups and demolition services for landowners who need a bit more scrap removal than a truck bed can handle.
Contact us today to learn more about our services!