WEST ISLANDERS ARE SINGING THE RECYCLING BIN BLUES
We must all try and consume only what we need in an effort to reduce our waste
SUZANNE KORF Ever stand in front of the recycling bins at the food court, trying to figure out which of your leftovers from a meal goes into which bin? Do I put the plastic fork I used in with the plastics? Is that napkin considered paper waste? Or is there a smudge of grease on it that makes it garbage? And then you look in the bin and see that there’s no rhyme or reason to what’s in there. It’s just a jumble of paper, garbage and cans. So why bother? I’m not sure what the answer is. I would like to think that we’re doing our part to make the world a better place, but I’m not sure we are. One of my close friends insists it’s all a waste of time and that most of what we put in the recycling bin ends up in landfill. She points to China’s new ban on recyclables to prove that the situation is getting worse instead of better. Is this true? For decades, China has purchased recyclables from around the world to fuel its manufacturing boom. But starting in 2018, China has started to ban solid wastes which it says includes too many other non-recyclable materials. These include things like linoleum, gas cans, clothing, frozen food cartons and plastic food wrap that many people might think are recyclable, but are not. China used to sort through all this, but no longer wants to, perhaps because it now has a good supply of domestic recyclables. So my friend is right. As a result of China’s new policy, some parts of the country are stockpiling garbage in landfills. What are we to do? Perhaps we can follow the example of British Columbia, which has stricter rules for recycling, such as separating glass from plastic. Their deal with Recycle BC, which has the contract for recycling in the province, doesn’t allow blue bin contamination to exceed three per cent. As a result, they have cleaner recyclables that meet China’s new guidelines. People need to know what’s recyclable and what isn’t, and they need to recycle responsibly. With the reduction in garbage pickup, some people are deciding to put items including Styrofoam, PVC pipes, paper with food waste and old pots and pans into the recycling bin, which increases the amount of contamination, as do food containers that haven’t been rinsed out. Education is key in knowing what to do. I only found out last time I dropped off paint cans on one of the hazardous household waste collection days, that there is a permanent drop off for Styrofoam containers at the public works in Pointe-Claire. I thought that glossy material wasn’t recyclable, but it is. Check your municipal website if you’re not sure, or call and ask. We don’t want to end up going the route of audits and fines for those who cheat and put garbage in the blue bin. In the end, I fear that if we do nothing to reduce the amount of contamination in our recycling, we risk losing this privilege. There’s no point to continuing if everything ends up in a landfill. Most importantly, we should try to reduce what we consume and only buy what we need.
Suzanne Korf, a mother of two and a resident of Pointe-Claire since 1991, is a professional fundraiser who has worked for non-profit organizations for more than 25 years. She’s a director of development for the Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation.