Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle

Editor's Notes

• #2 - Why we need information and statistics in waste management industry? Canadians need reliable environmental statistics in order to make informed decisions regarding their own patterns of consumption. As well, waste statistics can be used by researchers and policy makers to analyze industry trends and implement appropriate policy mechanisms. - Hazardous waste: Includes materials or substances that given their corrosive, inflammable, infectious, reactive and toxic characteristics, may present a real or potential harm to human health or the environment. Due to their hazardous Nature they require special handling, storing, transportation, treatment and disposal. Most common way to dispose of waste in Canada is sending them to Landfills Other ways of disposing: Incinerating, Recycling, Composting, Exporting, and changing to energy
• #3 Often opportunities to reduce waste are greatest at the point-of-purchase. Packaging makes up about half of our garbage by volume and one third by weight By eliminating waste at its source, that waste does not end up in landfill and no extra energy is required to reuse or recycle it Reducing the amount of waste you produce does not mean having to live with less. It just takes some planning. Reuse means Borrow, Repair, and Reuse Reuse saves money, resources, energy and landfill space. Manufacturing with recycled materials, with very few exceptions, saves energy and water and produces less air and water pollution than manufacturing with virgin materials. Recycling creates four jobs for every one job created in the waste management and disposal industries.
• #4 Given the Council approved rebate changes and fee increases for Garbage Bins effective April 1, 2015, it's time to think about how you can recycle more and upsize your Blue Bin. Then, you can downsize your Garbage Bin and your fee Small: $10.63, Medium: $88.73, Large: $247.39, Extra-large: $343.60 Also, methane gas that is not captured at landfills adds to the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere (cause of climate change).
• #5 If Recycled: - It would take 60 days to make a new can from an aluminium can and replace it to the grocer’s shelf For a glass container: 8-12 weeks Paper is hydro-pulped into new paper products Recycled plastic is made into fiber to make new bottles and other products
• #6 So by recycling 1 ton of paper we will be able to save 24 trees Plastic bags and other plastic garbage thrown into the ocean kill as many as 1,000,000 sea creatures every year! On average, it costs $30 per ton to recycle trash, $50 to send it to the landfill, and $65 to $75 to incinerate it. Out of every $10 spent buying things, $1 (10%) goes for packaging that is thrown away. Packaging represents about 65% of household trash.
• #7 In 2007 Just 52% of Canadian households recycled all materials they were able to recycle Unspecified reasons: they did not recycle due to some problem with the recycling options that were available to them: for example, that there was no curbside pickup available, that the drop-off depot was too far, or that the facility or program in their area was inadequate. Another common explanation was that that they did not produce enough waste to make recycling worthwhile.
• #9 Plastic accounts for a much smaller proportion of diversion overall (it composes 9% of our solid waste)
• #11 Other programs: leaf/yard waste and Christmas trees, backyard composting, Community Environment Days, household hazardous waste depots, grass cycling, large appliance/scrap metal pick up and electronics pick-up. Some programs to increase multi-unit diversion : providing assistance to property managers in developing waste reduction plans and presentations to residents on how to recycle and participate in the green bin program Additionally city staff are developing a Long Term Waste Management Strategy for Toronto to provide a framework for solid waste management policy decisions over the next 30 to 50 years. The City is committed to continuing to improve our waste diversion efforts, reducing our dependence on landfill and moving closer to the goal of 70% waste diversion, in addition to preserving the long term capacity of our Green Lane Landfill
• #13 Plastic bags, wrap and film get caught in our equipment, resulting in the equipment shutting down and the possible risk of fire. Plastic wrap is also a source of contamination in the final sorted products. It is easy to recycle plastic bags: Turn your plastic shopping bags inside out Stuff your plastic shopping bags into one bag Drop them off at a Take-Back bin at a participating store Shredded paper can be placed in your backyard composter in small amounts in your green bin, or it can be dropped off in clear plastic bags at the Elgin Mills Community Environmental Centre or the McCleary Court Community Environmental Centre.
• #14 The easiest and most efficient way to manage waste is not to create it in the first place. Buy only what you need Packaging makes up about half of our garbage by volume and one third by weight Items that rarely get used can be borrowed or shared with others. Reduce paper waste by cancelling unwanted mail You can unsubscribe to many national mailing lists by contacting the Direct Marketing Association
• #15 The cost may be higher initially, but in the long run you can save money. Get the longest warranty with the best repair service possible There are a lot of non-profit agencies that participate in the reuse business and You can support these organizations in two ways: donate reusable items and shop at their retail operations. Keep in mind that Your trash could be someone else's treasure. There are places in Toronto where you can become a member and as a member you can borrow appliances, tools, etc.
• #16 Recycle just when you can't reduce or reuse. Because recycling still needs energy and water Compost your food and yard waste. Up to ½ of your household waste is compostable. It's a simple way to reduce waste and produce a nutrient-rich conditioner for your lawn, garden and houseplants Take all of your Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) to a depot. Try to purchase cleaners that are less harmful to the environment or make your own. Canada's Environmental Choice™ Program official Eco-Logo symbol which means: made or offered in a way that improves energy efficiency, reduces hazardous by-products, uses recycled materials or the product itself can be reused.