Category: Blog Posts

If you’re looking to learn how to make old deck boards look new, you can easily extend the life of a grey cedar deck by pressure washing and staining. Restoring a weathered cedar deck easily, step by step 
Cedar decking boards turn gray in a few short years if untreated, and can make your deck look much older and…

Feel good about your Spring cleaning by taking a sustainable approach to de-cluttering. Not sure what to do with burnt-out light bulbs and used paint cans that are piling up around the house? These items, as well as household hazardous waste items like pesticides, flammable liquids and gasoline can be recycled! With hundreds of drop-off locations across Canada, Product Care Recycling is a non-profit organization that allows you to get rid of items you didn’t know you could recycle — without the hassle. Here’s how you can reorganize your home and feel good about protecting the planet.

How Produce Care Recycling Works 

It’s FREE! Drop off your items in their original containers (they must also have a sealed lid and original labels) at any one of Product Care’s 1,300 locations in Canada. Click here to find one closest to you and learn which products each site accepts.

It gives back. Paint is either recycled as new paint, used in the manufacturing process of other materials, or donated to the public.

It responsibly manages materials. Lights are broken down in a safe environment, and any hazardous components are responsibly managed. For example, radioactive components from smoke alarms are processed by licensed technicians. 

It repurposes. Some HHW (Household Hazardous Waste) such as flammable liquids, gasoline, and some solvent-based paints are used for energy recovery, while metal and plastic from smoke alarms, lights and paint containers are recycled.

It responsibly disposes. Smoke Alarms are disassembled, and radioactive elements are shipped to a licensed radioactive waste facility. Pesticides are sent to licensed facilities for incineration, and corrosives are chemically treated prior to being disposed of. 

Yes, They Can Be Recycled!

Lights & Light Fixtures
Program available in B.C., Manitoba, Quebec, and P.E.I. 

Do you have patio lights that have seen better days? Don’t throw away burnt-out bulbs. Some light bulbs may contain mercury. Mercury can seep into the water, harming marine life and contaminating our water supply. Product Care’s program repurposes glass, metal, and other materials from old bulbs, giving them a second life. Note: light fixtures, string lights and ballasts can be recycled in B.C. only. Check here to see what other lights are accepted in your area.  

Fun Fact: 9.5 million lightbulbs were prevented from reaching the landfill in 2020. That’s almost enough to light every street in the country twice. 

HHW (Household Hazardous Waste)
Program available in B.C., Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario 

Don’t pour HHW products like gasoline, pesticides, and other flammable liquids down the drain or into the garbage. These items can enter sewage systems and landfills, posing a hazard to both human health and marine life. Product Care collects, recycles or responsibly manages these items to prevent toxins from impacting the environment. 

Fun Fact: Depending on where you live, you can recycle a wide range of HHW products, from paint thinner to pesticides, and even gasoline. 

Paint
Program available in B.C., Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, P.E.I., Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador 

It’s on rare occasions that you buy the exact amount of paint you need for a project; there always seems to be some paint left over! With that in mind, why not gather those half-empty paint cans taking up space in your basement or garage, and them put to good use?  A wide range of leftover paints — are accepted. Check here to see which types are accepted in your area. Some reusable paints are offered free to the public, through the PaintShare program.

Fun Fact: Product Care recovered approximately 10 million litres of paint in 2021. 

Smoke and CO Alarms
Program available in B.C. 

Although smoke alarms can last up to 10 years, once they’ve been replaced you still need to dispose of the old ones. Whether you bring in one or keep a collection and deposit them all at once, Product Care Recycling has found an environmentally friendly way to safely recycle almost everything, even smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.  

Fun Fact: In 2021, 121,000 alarms were collected — more than three times the height of Mount Robson, B.C. when stacked. 

For more information, visit productcare.org. 

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There is little more unnerving that losing heat in our homes during winter. Having a reliable heating system, and even a backup heating system, can help you rest easier at night so if your furnace isn’t working, try this. There are a few things that will cause an electric furnace to either stop running, or only…

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Chalk room:

 LR: A close-up of chalk artist Rajiv Surendru’s hand drawn mouldings in Garrow Kedigian’s sitting room.

AT: Garrow Kedigian’s sitting room blends class, creativity and contemporary furniture, including a close-up of Rajiv Surendru’s hand drawn mouldings.

Dining room:

 LR: We love the painted floor in Alex Papachristidis’ glamorous salon.

AT: Alex Papachristidis’ salon is both elegant and refined, with a soft colour palette and stunning gold accents. A subtle floral theme breathes life into the room and adds visual interest.

Ladies room 

LR: Favourite view of the settee niche.

AT: The settee is a must-have piece in any ladies dressing room, and this elegant, blush-tinted piece is no exception!

Ladies room

LR: Details of the Lady’s Dressing Room by Les Ensembliers (the jewelry was glued down!) in the drawers of an exquisite custom dressing table.

Ladies room

AT: The Lady’s Dressing Room by Les Ensembliers was designed to look like a traditional closet before opening up into a grand and glamorous space.

Master Bathroom

 LR: Groves & Co.’s master bath was graphic and gorgeous.

AT: Groves & Co.’s master bath is graphic and gorgeous, with a classic black and white palette and textural accents that lend a zen-like feel to the space.

Bathroom

 LR: Harry Heissmann’s powder room and the “Queen of the Mälaven” panel mosaic by Eric Foreth is circa 1923, Sweden.

AT: Harry Heissmann’s powder room is eye-catching with unlacquered brass accents and a panel mosaic that dates back to circa 1923 Sweden.

Family Room

 LR: N/A

AT: Done in creamy shades with pops of pastel, Suzanne Kasler’s family room is the perfect space to sit back and relax.

Family Room

AT: Kasler chose a peaceful palette for the room, which is done up entirely in linens, velvets, and neutrals.

Red Fireplace:

 LR: Victoria Hagen’s dazzling red lacquered fireplace chimney.

AT: Victoria Hagen’s bold red lacquered fireplace is eye-catching against the room’s otherwise neutral colour scheme.

Library 

LR: David Kleinberg’s library was restful and luxurious.

AT: David Kleinberg’s library is restful and luxurious, with a calming earth-toned palette and a symmetrical design.

Salon

LR: Sawyer/ Berson’s Petit Salon was dark and dreamy with a futuristic mosaic door.

AT: The Petit Salon features moody blue walls that are complemented by tan accents. Graphic floors add visual interest to the room’s otherwise refined lines.

Lady Lair:

 LR: The Lady Lair by Phillip Thomas with its colourful “graffiti” walls.

AT: The Lady Lair, designed by Phillip Thomas, is a glamorous room that offsets classic furniture pieces with mod graffiti walls.

Blue Room

 LR: N/A

AT: Blue pattered wallpaper and twin canopied beds give the room an airy feel and invoke feelings of calm and serenity.

Urban Oasis

LR: Hollander Design’s Urban Oasis on the roof with the amazing wall of potted orchids which was remodeled after the building was affected by the dangers of storm chasers.

AT: The urban oasis by Hollander Design brings nature to the rooftops of New York with a sleek dining table that doesn’t detract from the stunning wall of potted orchids.

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From December 2021, Quebec banned oil heating in new homes, and as of 2023 it will even be prohibited to replace or repair oil furnaces. Looked at in detail the new provincial regulations potentially also go for gas heating. Adopted on November 17, 2021 in Quebec, the regulations for banning oil-fired heating…