- First TD Friends of the Environment Foundation 'How Green Are You?'
    Survey measures Canadians' level of environmental friendliness -

    TORONTO, June 25 /CNW/ - Some Canadians are willing to go to
extraordinary lengths in their commitment to environmental friendliness.
Results from the first TD Friends of the Environment Foundation 'How Green Are
You?' Survey revealed that 2% of Canadians ended a relationship with someone
who didn't care about the environment.
    While most won't go to those extremes, when it comes to being
environmentally responsible 96% of Canadians give themselves a passing grade.
In fact, when asked to grade their environmental friendliness, 25% gave
themselves an "A" and nearly 60% gave themselves a "B." Only 2% gave
themselves an "F" and said that they did not really care about the
environment.
    "Our survey was designed to identify how many Canadians 'walk the talk'
when it comes to being environmentally-friendly," says Matthew Fortier,
Regional Manager, TD Friends of the Environment Foundation. "The results
clearly demonstrate that Canadians are dedicated to making green choices as
part of their daily lives."
    Reduce, reuse, recycle has become common practice for almost all
Canadians, according to the survey. 94% of Canadians report that they recycle,
with 43% recycling everything and 51% recycling when convenient. When asked
which of the following environmentally friendly things people have done, the
top answers were "I purchase from 'green' companies when available" (59%) and
"I changed my mode of transportation to become more environmentally
responsible" (37%).
    "One way that Canadians can take their personal environmental commitment
to the next level is to donate or volunteer with an environmental organization
such as the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation," says Fortier. "The
survey showed that while 43% go out of their way to buy local grown products,
only 20% of Canadians donate to an environmental charity and just 12%
volunteer for environmental causes."
    TD Friends of the Environment Foundation (TD FEF) is a national
organization with a grassroots focus that supports local environmental
projects, and works with people who want to protect and preserve the
environment in their own backyard.
    There are several ways to get involved with TD FEF. Canadians can set up
an automated monthly donation from their TD Canada Trust account or make a
one-time contribution. They can also volunteer with their local TD FEF Chapter
or sign up to support an environmental project such as the TD Great Canadian
Shoreline Cleanup that launches every September.
    The TD Friends of the Environment Foundation 'How Green Are You?' Survey
also found:

    -   82% of Canadians reported that they use reduced energy light bulbs in
        their homes
    -   Close to one-third say that they regularly walk or bike to work or
        school
    -   64% report using energy efficient appliances in their homes
    -   One-half of respondents say they unplug appliances, like the toaster,
        when not in use
    -   42% say they save old batteries and drop them off in designated
        battery-recycling locations
    -   21% take public transportation regularly
    -   More than one-third (36%) grow some of their own food
    -   When asked to grade their family's and/or friends' environmental
        friendliness, 8% gave their friends and/or family an "A", 64% gave
        them a "B", 19% gave them a "C" and 3% gave them an "F"

    About the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation 'How Green Are You?'
    Survey

    The TD Friends of the Environment Foundation 'How Green Are You?' Survey
was conducted by Angus Reid Strategies on May 27 and 28, 2008. The online
survey polled a randomly selected, representative sample of 1,001 adult
Canadians. The maximum margin of error is +/-3.1 19 times out of 20.

    About TD Friends of the Environment Foundation:

    Since 1990, TD FEF has provided $45 million in funding to over 17,000
grassroots environment and wildlife projects across Canada. In 2007, FEF
provided $3 million in support of 830 projects. Thousands of TD customers and
employees donate to TD FEF on a monthly basis and TD Bank Financial Group
contributes in excess of $1 million annually. TD also covers the management
costs of running TD FEF; this ensures 100 percent of every dollar donated goes
directly to funding environment and wildlife projects in the community where
the donation was made. For more information please visit www.fef.ca.

For further information: Carolyn Abbass, Karen McCullough, Paradigm
Public Relations, (416) 203-2223, cabbass@paradigmpr.ca,
kmccullough@paradigmpr.ca