BETTER PUBLIC RECYCLING CAN BOOST SUSTAINABILITY
As the ‘greenest city,’ Vancouver must start with basics, Kaylee Royce says.
Imagine yourself walking down the street in Vancouver holding a newspaper, an empty bottle and a banana peel. You look for an appropriate place to dispose of your waste, yet all you see are bins labelled trash. It is these experiences that make us realize how surprisingly difficult it is to properly dispose of waste in public space.
The City of Vancouver needs a better system for public space waste management. If it is to label itself the “greenest city,” shouldn’t it start with the basics? In 2016, Vancouver residents, businesses and institutions threw away approximately 371,000 tonnes of garbage — however, most of this waste could have been reused, recycled or composted.
Waste management is well established within the private sphere. Metro Vancouver regulates solid waste at the regional level, prescribing guidelines for garbage, recycling and organic disposal. Cities under this jurisdiction provide waste-collection services, ensuring that waste is collected from homes, businesses and other private spaces. But what about public space? Why are we limited to throwing our waste in consolidated bins destined for the landfill?
Zero waste is a waste-management approach that aims to divert waste from landfills. The goal is to redefine and restructure our current “take-make-dispose” system in which materials are consumed and then discarded. The zero-waste movement advocates for circular economy principles in order to minimize waste and convert discarded materials into valuable resources. A critical objective of zero waste is to support economic, social and ecological sustainability. This ensures that both current and future generations have the ability to meet their needs without compromising the state of our natural environment.
But, you might ask, why does it matter? You see, minimizing waste has many benefits. It mitigates environmental risks by conserving scarce resources, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and preserving valuable landfill space. Less waste also means cost savings for everyone since reusing and recycling materials reduce the cost of buying and replacing shortlived consumer goods.
As awareness of environmental concerns and climate change has increased, more places have started to incorporate zero-waste principles into their policies and practices. Advocacy for zero waste involves multiple scales and sectors. While government has a large role in regulating and progressing the policy, high pressure is frequently placed at the individual level to support this goal. Minimizing waste begins with a change in individual mindset, yet encouraging a behaviour becomes difficult when public policy restricts us. Burdening individuals with this responsibility is difficult due to the barriers involved in participation. Therefore Vancouver should support the zero-waste movement within public spaces by providing the necessary infrastructure for responsible waste management.
Multi-stream recycling, often called a “zero-waste station,” is a simple solution to this problem. This system involves a set of colour-coded bins that help individuals sort their waste. Typically, the stations include separate bins for food scraps and compostables, mixed paper, mixed recyclables and landfill garbage. Zero-waste stations are relatively common nowadays, yet they are generally only found within private spaces. In Vancouver, these stations are established primarily in busy areas or city facilities such as offices, theatres and libraries.
In 2016, Recycle B.C. initiated a nine-month pilot project in partnership with the City of Vancouver, which tested the feasibility of multi-stream recycling systems in public spaces. Recycling stations were installed along densely populated areas of Vancouver, including West End, Second Beach (Stanley Park) and downtown Vancouver. The pilot project was considered successful in supporting the zero-waste movement in Vancouver; however, permanent installation has yet to occur.
Incorporating zero-waste principles into public space waste management is entirely possible, it just requires a good framework to begin. It is important to recognize the challenges that might prevent cities from improving public space waste management.
For instance: funding. An increased size and quantity of waste receptacles will require an investment in both time and money. Maintenance and waste pickup require both of these resources.
Another challenge is food scraps and compostables. The addition of “green” bins in public spaces might attract unwanted wildlife through the emission of putrid smells.
Yet beyond these challenges lies the potential for change and innovation. Results from the pilot project indicate that investment into education, promotion and operational design could easily improve the feasibility of resident participation and accurate sorting.
Interest and investment from the City of Vancouver will be necessary to advance the implementation of this project in public spaces beyond busy streets and city facilities. Increasing the presence of these stations in public spaces will encourage individuals to think about their environmental impact and support Vancouver toward its goal of zero waste.
Until then, I’ll be looking for a place to put my banana peel.
In 2016, Vancouver residents, businesses and institutions threw away approximately 371,000 tonnes of garbage; however, most of this waste could have been reused, recycled or composted. Kaylee Royce, student at Simon Fraser University
It is important to recognize the challenges that might prevent cities from improving public space waste management.