Westville Heritage Group hears about landfill science

Facing the Canada flag, members sang O Canada, Heritage song and recited the Heritage prayer before Westville Heritage Group’s meeting.

President Nellie Bruton brought the meeting to order and welcomed all. Nellie celebrated her 85th this month. Everyone sang the birthday song.

A thank you card was received from a member who is not well.

Mary Livingstone read the minutes from the previous meeting and Mary Morris presented the financial report. Both were approved as given. Mary Livingstone also read a letter regarding affordable housing needs and guaranteed income supplement.

Activities: Art Class has a few more members. Bowling needs more members. Line Dancing has not started yet. Ukulele going strong.

Old Business: Mary L. gave a report from a meeting previously she attended earlier in the month.

Special guest speaker, Marla Cameron, Pictou County Solid Waste educator, arrived with samples of garbage, compost and recycles. Members were asked how long items would last in the landfill. She presented six different items. Plastic bags – 500 to 1,000 years; glass – 1,000,000 years and in lots of cases glass will never go away; cans – 200 to 250 years; clothing (T-shirts, etc.) 30 to 40 years; Styrofoam – 500 years and sometimes indefinite; diapers – 250 to 500 years.

On the plus side, every year 290 pounds of textiles are saved and repurposed.

Our oceans are becoming polluted with plastic. Fish eat the plastic or become tangled and die. And, food for thought: 3,000 pieces of paper equals one tree. In Pictou County coffee cups can be put in compost (green container).

Cat litter and feces is also an item for the green cart. Marla mentioned that we here in Pictou County are doing much better, but there is a long way to go if we want to have a greener Pictou County and Nova Scotia.

President Nellie thanked Marla for sharing the valuable information. If you have any questions for Pictou County Solid Waste regarding rules and regulations please call 902-396-1496.

Members prize bingo is April 23.