How do I…?

Becoming more environmentally friendly at home is easy. Be sure to review the resources and tips listed on this page, but to get you started here are some quick actions you can take at home:

• Relocate your workspace around natural light to avoid the use of artificial lighting
• Reduce plastic consumption by opting out of single-use plastic utensils, plates and extra sauce packets from your takeout order
• Talk to your car insurer or mortgage lender to see if they have a “green” discount or program
• Reduce food waste by storing your food properly to avoid early spoilage. Visit the City’s Local Food and Agriculture page for more resources on how to freeze and store food.
• During summer months, take advantage of grass clippings by letting them decompose on your lawn instead of raking them up. Grass clippings act as a natural (and free) fertilizer for your lawn.

• Be a Leader. There are some simple ways to reduce your environmental footprint in your workplace - from how you travle to and from meetings to making your office equipment more energy efficient. Greening at work is about leadership and encouraging your colleagues to take actions in their own lives. Consider your options for working with building managers and professionals who can help to make significant environmental improvements to your workplace.
• Buy Sustainably. Make the move towards purchasing environmentally and socially friendly products. Technological advancements and innovations have improved the environmental and social footprint of many products and have made them cost competitive with more traditional products. Switch to more sustainable corporate gifts and prizes. Items such as travel mugs, reusable water bottles and bags, and refillable pens can be printed with your company's logo to send the right message.
• Be Smart with Your Commute. Encourage staff members and colleagues to choose a sustainable means of transport to and from work - walk, cycle, transit, carpool! Choose the most direct route to work and if driving, make sure to forgo idling! Check out Smart Commute for tips and programs for the public and workplaces.
• Go Green with Your Fleet. If your workplace has a fleet of vehicles, encourage the purchase of electric, biodiesel, natural gas, or hybrid vehicles. The collective gasoline savings will be substantial and worth the effort.
• Green the Company Kitchen. Stock the office kitchen with reusable cutlery, plates and mugs and when ordering catering, make sure you ask for reusable utensils.

• Start an Environment Club. Be an environmental leader and advocate at your school. Encourage your classmates, friends and teachers to get involved, learn about environmental issues and work to make your school a more environmentally friendly place to learn and grow.
• Commit to Waste-Free Lunches. Pack lunches in reusable containers. It is easy to do and a great way to make sure you are having a nutritious home-made lunch.
• Walk, Bike, Rollerblade or Carpool to School. It is a great way to catch up with friends, get some exercise and help the environment.
• Plant a Pollinator or Community Garden. Growing vegetables, herbs and flowers at your school not only helps to beautifythe community but provides habitat and food for our pollinators, and is a local source of nutritious food.

Find out how much heat your home is losing

Your home may be losing heat without you even realizing it! MyHEAT, in partnership with Enbridge Gas, has conducted aerial infrared heat loss mapping in Vaughan to help homeowners identify energy-saving opportunities. Enter your address online to receive a free home heat loss report, including a heat map, rating and energy efficiency tools. This initiative supports sustainability efforts by providing homeowners with valuable information to reduce energy costs and improve efficiency. Learn more at enbridgegas.com/heat-map.

Financial incentives for home energy retrofits

The City of Vaughan is partnering with the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) to help Vaughan homeowners improve their homes’ energy efficiency and climate resilience through the Thornhill Sustainable Neighborhood Action Program (SNAP) Home Retrofit Pilot. 

If you’re a homeowner in the Thornhill SNAP area – located east of Bathurst Street, west of Yonge Street, north of Steeles Avenue and south of Highway 407 – you may qualify for:

• free home retrofit coaching
• up to $3,800 in rebates for energy-saving and climate-friendly home upgrades such as:
  • air sealing
  • backwater valve, heat pump or rain barrel installation
  • eco-landscaping
  • window or door replacement
  • and more

Apply today! Spaces are limited and offered on a first-come, first-served basis – applicants must meet eligibility requirements. Full details, including what to expect and how to apply, are available online in the Thornhill SNAP Participant Guide (PDF). If you are feeling unsure about taking the leap and need more information, free consultations are also being offered through the Climate Ready Homes Program and can be booked online.

Live outside of the Thornhill SNAP boundaries? No problem. Through Save on Energy's and Enbridge Gas' Home Renovation Savings program, residents can receive financial rebates for a number of energy retrofit measures including:

• Heat pumps
• Solar panels and battery energy storage
• Smart thermostats
• Air sealing
• Insulation
• New windows and doors
• Heat pump water heaters

Residents who need additional financial assistance are encouraged to check out the Enbridge Gas' Home Winterproofing Program and Save on Energy Affordability Program which provide free energy upgrades for homes in need.

Tap into interest-free loans

Through Natural Resource Canada, the Canada Greener Homes Loan offers interest-free financing to help Canadians make their homes more energy efficient and comfortable. Eligible homeowners can receive loans of up to $40,000 with interest-free repayment terms of up to 10 years to finance eligible retrofits.

Air pollutants are emitted from a variety of sources, including energy production and consumption, industrial and manufacturing activities, transportation and products like aerosols and sealants. Air pollution also includes wildfire smoke, and due to climate change, wildfire seasons are more severe and lasting longer. We have seen that Ontario can be affected by wildfire smoke originating from as far away as Quebec and the Canadian west coast.

To improve air quality inside the home, residents can:

•  replace gas stoves and fireplaces
• undergo upgrades to remove mold and dampness such as improving ventilation, air tightness and using a dehumidifier.
• retrofit to improve thermal comfort through replacing old leaky windows and doors, air sealing, and insulating your walls and attic.
• optimize energy use and reduce GHG emissions.
• remove products from the home that can emit fumes and other harmful particles such as paints, and building products.
• test for radon by using a DIY kit or hiring a professional.
• consider adding houseplants which can help filter air pollutants.
• use fewer scented cleaning products.
• change furnace air filters regularly and keep your vents clean.
• reduce dust in the home by vacuuming regularly, especially your rugs and carpets, and wiping down dusty surfaces with a microfibre cloth. 

To improve air quality outside, residents can:

• plant trees on their property
• optimize energy use and reduce GHG emissions from HVAC systems and appliances

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG's) are a set of social and environmental goals that were adopted by all the United Nations member states in 2015. Green Directions Vaughan has aligned 13 of its objectives with one or more SDG's to guide the City towards sustainable decisions and actions. Find out more about the Sustainable Development Goals.

Electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming more and more popular and for good reason. EVs are zero emission vehicles, require less maintenance, and can cost less to refuel than gasoline vehicles. There are currently more than 28, 000 electric cars on the road in Canada with over 23 models available. Is an EV right for you?

Learn more about EVs with Plug N' Drive and sign up for a test drive at their EV Discovery Centre.

Water is a precious resource, so it’s important to work together to protect and conserve it. Simple water conservation practices not only save money on your bill, but also help preserve our natural environment. Here are a few tips to get you started:

• Low-flow toilets, faucets and shower heads could help you save thousands of gallons a year over traditional fixtures. Upgrade to save water, and your bill!
• Be cautious of your use. Do you really need half a kettle to make one cup of tea? Measure up the amount of water needed for the cup you are using as opposed to estimating.
• Ensure to water your lawn early in the morning, or after sunset to minimize evaporation. If you have a sprinkler system, ensure it is free of leaks and on a timer. Better yet, purchase a rain barrel to catch rainwater and use it to water your garden or lawn in the summer, especially when there is a drought.
• Instead of dumping water that was used to boil or steam food, set it aside to cool and use it to water your plants.
• Plant a rain garden to mitigate flooding, limit pollutants from entering our waterways and restore and recharge our groundwater. Visit trca.ca for more information on rain gardens and rain barrels.

For more information on becoming water wise, check out the City’s Be Water Wise brochure.

• Refrain from using harmful chemicals on your lawn. The City’s Pesticide Bylaw (88-2008) regulates the use of pesticides on public and private property.
• Use a rainwater collection system (i.e. rain barrel) to water lawn and plants.
• Plant a rain garden or pollinator garden to conserve water and support ecosystems. Visit trca.ca for more information on rain gardens and rain barrels. Visit the City’s Pollinator Projects website for guidance on planting a pollinator garden.
• Plant trees! For information and assistance with private tree plantings, visit the Local Enhancement and Appreciation of Urban Forests (LEAF), a third-party planting program.
• Implement phosphorous management best practices, which can include properly disposing of pet waste, reducing car-washing detergents, composting lawn and garden waste, and avoiding soil erosion.
• Need inspiration for eco-landscapes? Visit trca.ca for sources of inspiration and more information.

Taking transit is a sustainable mode of transportation and includes buses, streetcars, subways, and trains. Did you know we have three transit systems available in Vaughan?

York Region Transit (YRT)/Viva

Toronto Transit Commission (TTC)

GO Transit

Cycling and walking are great ways to keep fit, enjoy time outdoors, and are low-carbon mobility options. Learn more about cycling and walking in Vaughan with these resources:

Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan

Great Walks of Vaughan (explore parks and trails)

Cycling Safety

My carbon what? A carbon footprint measures the amount of carbon emitted by an individual based on their lifestyle choices. Our methods of energy, transportation, even our diet and the clothes we wear influence how many tonnes of carbon we (in)directly emit annually. Here's how you can start minimizing your footprint today:

• Avoid plastic altogether - use reusable shopping and produce bags for all your shopping trips, purchase items that are minimally wrapped, or in cardboard/paper, invest in metal straws and water bottles for your home, workplace and car.
• Go meatless. Experiment with a more plant-based diet, as animal agriculture contributes mass amount of carbon emissions, and are packaged in non-recyclable packaging.
• Be an informed buyer. Purchasing quality, versatile clothing should be your primary decision-maker, rather than what's currently trendy. Fast fashion is often quickly disregarded and ends up in our landfills, producing CO2 as it decomposes. Consider repairing or sewing clothing (and other household items) instead of throwing them away.
• Compost and Recycle properly. Thoroughly rinse recyclables before tossing them in the bin. Ensure kitchen scraps are placed into compostable bags before placing in the green bin. Not sure what goes where? Use the City's "What Goes Where" Tool.

The City of Vaughan sells blue boxes, green bins, kitchen composters, garbage tags, and backyard composters. Find out more about these products and how to purchase them. You may exchange your damaged blue or green bin at the Joint Operations Centre free of cost.

Some items, such as hazardous waste, electronics, scrap metals, cooking oil, tires, even nail polish need to be dropped off at specific locations as they require special handling. You can bring these items to one of York Region's waste drop-off depots as they cannot be picked up through regular curbside collection.

Remember: oils, liquids and fats are never to be poured down the drain. This creates build-up in our pipes, making it difficult for wastewater to pass through. Keep the pipes clean by cooling grease in containers, then place the cooled grease in your green bin.

Community gardens are places where residents and Vaughan businesses can meet to grow and care for fruits, vegetables, herbs, flowers, and ornamental plants. Community gardens support environmental sustainability while creating a vibrant community for nurturing a connection to nature and to each other. Find out more about Vaughan's community gardens.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), such as latex gloves and single-use face masks, are not recyclable and are to be disposed in the garbage. Remember: cut the ear loops on your single-use mask prior to disposal.