The Blue Barrel

A blue barrel is simply a 50 gallon rain barrel similar to the ones found on many of the farms across Dufferin County or at the end of the downspout in your backyard. Reduce the Juice has given these barrels a new meaning. Carbon dioxide (CO2) -the most important gas contributing to global warming- is invisible. We use our blue barrels to show people just how much carbon dioxide they produce in their day-to-day lives and more importantly how much carbon dioxide they can stop from going into the atmosphere by conserving energy in a variety of forms.

On a economy-wide per capita basis each Canadian produces 24 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year which amounts to 60 000 barrels!!! At Reduce the Juice we are asking you to reduce your greenhouse gas emissions by 5% or 3000 blue barrels. This can be accomplished by conserving electricity (see our conservation tips here) or by reducing the use of your personal vehicle (carpooling, combining trips, using public transport). There are many other ways to reduce your personal carbon emissions, for more information on this topic please see the World Wildlife Fund's Save Our Climate site. Another great online tool is the Zerofootprint calculator that allows you to calculate your own personal emissions so you can target your reductions in the right area.

For more details on our Blue Barrel download our blue barrel brochure.