While eyebrows may have been raised by Canmore council members when it was revealed the town’s recycled plastics are being shipped all the way to China, our eyebrows were raised when we noted the relatively low waste diversion numbers.
It’s difficult to imagine the only place accepting plastics is China (page 1), and it makes one wonder whether trucking to the coast, then shipping to the east, is in any way cost effective, but when Western overconsumption societies demand ever more, we suppose Chinese manufacturers of stuff we don’t really need – need materials to work with.
Clearly, consumption and overconsumption is a key ingredient in the fact that, while Canmore recycling numbers have gone up some, so has the total amount of garbage.
With blue bins placed right in communities (about as handy as it can get in Canmore), it’s a little embarrassing that usage isn’t at a higher level.
We don’t condone dumpster diving, but as Mayor John Borrowman pointed out, even the quickest of glimpses into an animal proof bin will reveal a large amount of garbage that should have been placed in blue bins; some of which are very conveniently located adjacent to the brown garbage bins.
Has the feel-good glow of community recycling worn off? Much like those who dump large items like old appliances or mattresses at brown bins, knowing full well it’s not allowed, are people feeling that recycling affects them less and opting instead for the ease of just throwing their crap in a brown bin?
One would hope that in a community that generally prides itself on being green, more citizens would take advantage of recycling options. With the collection of organics already proposed for the future, will a stumbling block to its effectiveness appear in the fact that people are just too lazy to separate food waste, as it appears they are with recycling waste?
In both cases, Bow Valley residents might want to look at Halifax and Vancouver for inspiration.
Halifax, like the Bow Valley, decided long ago it did not want to be home to landfills. As a small province surrounded by ocean, Nova Scotians realized there had to be a better way than just throwing crap in the garbage.
By getting on the recycling bandwagon early, and making it easy for citizens to sort and recycle (can you picture a fast food restaurant in Alberta complete with recycling bins inside?) the city claims (in 2012) a 68 per cent residential diversion rate for recyclables and organics.
... kind of puts Canmore’s less than 30 per cent rate to shame.
Meanwhile, in Vancouver, another location critically short of space to dump garbage and bordered by ocean, as of Jan. 1 it’s actually illegal to put organic waste and food scraps into the garbage stream.
For Vancouverites, that means grass clippings, fall leaves, coffee grounds, egg shells and potato peelings can no longer simply be chucked in the garbage; they have to be dealt with.
Vancouverites are getting a six-month grace period to get used to the idea, but as of July 1, those caught dumping excessive amounts of food waste will be subject to surcharges, similar to if caught dumping paint cans, cardboard oil or electronics in the garbage.
The new rules in Vancouver include not only single family residences, but those in multi-family and highrise buildings, businesses, schools and public facilities. In recent years, green bins at Vancouver homes have resulted in large increases in food waste diversion, but the new law puts the onus on virtually everyone.
Get on board, Canmorites, before recycling and organics diversion needs to be backed by laws.
