New Years is an “interesting” time. People make resolutions based on past experiences and future goals. Often these resolutions center around personal goals such as losing weight, practicing patience and learning a new skill. Sometimes resolutions are made as teams or in groups; think dragon boat racing, triathlons or healthy meal planning. Families are also working together to set group resolutions and group goals. Discussing important topics and current events together is both an educational experience and a way to get the children to develop as outward thinkers.

Globally, the concept of sustainability and sustainable practices is at the top of most lists or resolutions on both personal and corporate levels.

Adapting to include sustainable practices and “green” alternatives impact not only the individual but also the surrounding community. There are so many ways our current lives can be adapted to include sustainable alternatives that one of the greatest challenges is to determine where to start. Often, we choose what is closest to our hearts. Perhaps we are passionate about energy conservation, perhaps we are passionate about protecting the natural water bodies. Maybe we read an article about green roofs that we found very intriguing and maybe your local school body is interested in joining the Eco Schools movement. It could be the discussions about Climate Change that have piqued our interest or maybe it is the increasing use of EV cars and solar energy.

There is no shortage of causes that need both our attention, and our support.

Even with the best of intentions, change can be hard and often costly. There are wonderful programs available throughout North America that help to either subsidize or provide grants or tax incentives for greening initiatives. These incentives are available on national, provincial/state and/or municipal levels. Help to offset the extra costs needed to retrofit or rehabilitate areas with green infrastructure and sustainable alternatives is often the only push needed to help the client take the next step.

Alternative & Sustainable Paving | Government Funding Available

Currently there are financial incentive programs for green roofs, EV vehicles and storm water management infrastructure, such as permeable paving and rain gardens, available throughout Ontario and much of North America. These types of programs are ever changing and expanding to help people take the steps to include sustainable alternatives. The best way to explore these options in further detail is to connect with your local municipality and/or greening groups. There are a lot of funds available and the application process is usually quite straight forward and easy.

Incentives are available on all levels; residential, commercial and industrial.

Companies are focusing on sustainable practices as well not only to green their facilities and daily activities but also to demonstrate to their clients that they are committed to ensuring they do their part to keep the earth healthy for generations to come. Green infrastructure and sustainable alternatives do not have to be more costly than traditional practices. Often these new products are price competitive and offer a very quick ROI and longer life cycle than traditional products. Added to that are the tax incentives and/or grants available and thus, choosing to go “sustainable” becomes very attractive.

Make 2018 the Most Sustainable Year Yet!

As we begin 2018, the year of the dog and the year that is known by some as 20 “Chai”, or “to life”, take a moment to decide as an individual, as a family and within your business, what you are going to do to ensure that 2018 is the most sustainable year yet.

About LID Permeable Paving Canada

LID Permeable Paving Canada is the exclusive distributor of Ecoraster in Ontario, Canada. For further information call us or fill out our contact form to learn more. We would be pleased to schedule a time for an informational presentation or arrange to have you visit our different installation sites.