Originally published Jan 20/16  The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

The Recycling Centre is the place that usually comes to mind when thinking about recycling in our community. However, landfills are also recycling places.

Metal recycling is a decades old practice. Scrap metal companies pick it up and reprocess it into new metal.  It is sold to manufacturers at current market value based on world metal prices at the time of sale.

There are metal piles at the Flin Flon, Creighton and Denare Beach landfills. Placing metal items in the metal pile instead of household garbage ensures it will be recycled instead of being buried for centuries.

Car batteries are also recycled from local landfills. They contain valuable materials which are sold for more than the cost of recycling. The Flin Flon Lions Club collects the batteries from the Flin Flon landfill as a fundraiser.

Local landfills also collect used motor oil, filters, automotive antifreeze and containers from households for recycling. The motor oil is used as fuel in environmentally safe burners at Tolko in The Pas. Antifreeze and containers are recycled.

All used tires are recycled from the Flin Flon Landfill only. Rims must be removed.
Tires are shipped to Reliable Tire in Winnipeg. They make a variety of products including sidewalk blocks, hockey rink mats, blasting mats and a paving material that is very durable especially for cold weather. 

Tipping fees are not charged for recyclable items.

Many items in landfills are very usable. Instead of taking them to the landfill, have a garage sale, take them to second hand stores or a local charity that can use them, or give them away.

Everything we have comes from the earth.
Reduce, reuse and recycle. 

Originally published Jan 13/16   The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

There is much to celebrate for recycling in our community for the year just ended.

Four hundred sixty tonnes (metric tons) of recyclables were processed in 2015. This is a 47 tonne increase over 2014 or 11 percent.  It is the third highest yearly tonnage in our 23 year history.

Almost half of the material was corrugated cardboard at 49%. Commingled materials shipped to Winnipeg for sorting made up 25%. Glass was 8%, office paper; 9%, newspaper; 6%, and other materials (mostly books) was 3%.

Thirty-two tonnes (three loads) of electronics were shipped for recycling. This includes televisions, computers equipment, sound systems, telephones, and microwaves. A complete list of eligible materials is available at www.recycleMYelectronics.ca/mb.

This is the first year we recorded the weight of household batteries sent for recycling. Four hundred fifty kilograms were sent which is almost half a tonne.

The 11% increase was handled by the same number of employees with some help from two volunteers and a summer student who was with us for four months. We have a great team.

The Board of Directors is also a big part of the success.

We were able to purchase a newer vehicle this year. The reliability and better mirrors have been a real asset to the recycling pickup program.

In March the pickup schedule for the red bag residential curbside recycling program in Flin Flon was changed to every Wednesday to remove the confusion about which was recycling week. 

The Recycling Centre coordinated the 20 Minutes of Magic spring cleanup in May.

Thank you to everyone who is recycling at home and at work. Your efforts have big benefits for the environment. 

Originally published Jan 6/16  The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

There is a picture on the wall in my office of me loading paper for recycling into a semi-trailer from the November 16, 1992 edition of the The Reminder.

It is a picture of the humble beginnings of recycling in our community. I called other recyclers in the province to find places to ship recyclables and to get information on what could be done to make recycling work.

The Environment Committee used the information to make decisions that kept recycling going.

A one-time capitalization grant from the City of Flin Flon in 1996 allowed us to buy the machinery need to establish the recycling program in our community. 

I had no idea in those early days what recycling would look like in 23 years.

The Environment Committee became a non-profit corporation; the Flin Flon & District Environment Council, Inc.

 We own a building, two vehicles, a baler and a forklift. We have 10 employees.

Batteries and electronics have been added to the program.
We have our own website.   

Twenty-three years later we have recycled 6,691 metric tonnes.

And I am still here. I got involved because I wanted to do something locally to protect the environment.  I had time as I was working part time and had no children.

Life changed and I had less time to volunteer.  I was a very involved Board member while others managed daily operations at the Recycling Centre.  

In 2013, I began working full time at the Recycling Centre. I am privileged to have a job working for a cause I believe in.  

Many people have contributed to the success of recycling in our community.  It has been a great journey leading the way. 

Here is a picture of the tonnes (metric tons)  recycled each year for 23 years. The total is 6,691 tonnes. 

Originally published Dec 30/15   The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

The holidays and the new year are a time when we think about what has been and what could be.

Good things have happened this year.

The amount of materials recycled is up about ten percent. This is double the year to year increase from 2014.

A survey this summer indicated that half of the households in Creighton are taking advantage of weekly recycling pickup.

Recycling is a habit for many people. More businesses are have their recycling picked up or drop it off at the Recycling Centre. The green trailer by Canadian Tire is emptied at least twice a week.  

The Recycling Centre is receiving many calls about what can be recycled and what is the best way to dispose of items.

Here is my wish list for in the new year:

• Every household in our community would recycle.
• More people would take advantage of the curbside pickup in Creighton and Flin Flon.
• All aluminium cans would be recycled.
• All garbage containers in public spaces would be paired with recycling bins.
• All beverage containers from our community would be recycled at our Recycling Centre.
• Only recyclable items would be dropped off at the Recycling Centre.
• All batteries and eligible electronics would be recycled.

Things planned for 2016 include:

• A full time Hazardous waste depot at the Flin Flon landfill.
• Dual garbage/recycling bins for Flin Flon Main St.
• On site recycling for Green St and Adams St apartments.

More statistics about 2015 will be available in the new year. Check our website: flinflonrecycling.org. (See the post below)

The Board of Directors and Staff of the Flin Flon Recycling Centre wish everyone a Happy New Year. 

Multi material recycling – 460.5 metric tons (tonnes)
Cardboard – 49%
Co mingled materials – 25%
Glass – 8%
Newspaper – 6%
Office paper – 9%
Other – 3%
 
47 tonnes more than last year which is an 11% increase.
Third highest total in our 23 year history.
 
32 metric tons of ewaste – an increase of 4 tonnes from 2014.
450 kg of batteries.

2015 was a very successful year. The percentages of materials remain about the same which indicates (contrary to previous comments) that both residential and business recycling is increasing. 

This year there were 5  months with more than 40 tonnes. May was the highest at 47.8 tonnes. May was the highest month last year with 43 tonnes, the only month over 40 tonnes in 2014.

We are hoping (planning) to break the 500 tonne mark in 2016.

December total – 38,128 kg
        Newsprint – 2,535 kg
        Co-mingled* - 10,966 kg
        Office Paper – 2,621 kg
        Cardboard – 19,629 kg
        Glass – 1,892 kg
        Books - 485 kg
       

Total for 2015 – 460,584 kg
Total for 2014 – 413,700 kg

* Co-mingled is unsorted materials sent to Winnipeg for sorting.

Batteries - 36 kg
E – waste –The trailer shipped in November was 10.3 tonnes.

These weights do not include most of the mountains of materials that have arrived since Christmas. That happens every year. I am hoping for 40 tonnes in January. That would be the first time ever January was over 40 tonnes.