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

‘Recycle and Save the Future’ was the positive message on our entry in the Trout Festival Parade. The negative one stated ‘Don’t throw your future away, Recycle.’

These are quite simplistic statements. While the health of our planet is more complex than just recycling, it is a big part of the solution .

Our parade entry also featured a semitrailer to symbolize the 26 semi loads of recyclables kept out of landfills in 2014.

People have told us the image of 26 trailer loads was quite impressive.

Here is another image. The garbage truck in Flin Flon takes ten loads of garbage to the landfill every week. Imagine 520 garbage trucks in a row in 2014. 

I would like to change the picture to 52 semi loads recycled and 260 garbage trucks to the landfill.

So what can be recycled in our community?

The following items are collected at the Recycling Centre:

- newspapers, fliers, magazines, catalogues, books, box board (cereal boxes, etc) beverage containers, plastic containers with the numbers inside a recycling symbol with the exception of #6, tins cans, aluminium cans, office paper, glass containers,  corrugated cardboard, electronics and household batteries. 

Recyclables can be dropped off anytime at the Recycling Centre at 9 Timber Lane or in the trailer by Canadian Tire. Residential pickup is available in Flin Flon and Creighton.

The following items are recycled from local landfills:

-          Used motor oil, metal items, car batteries, and tires (Flin Flon only).

This information is available at grocery stores, on the Flin Flon Recycling facebook page or on the web at www.flinflonrecycling.org.

Questions can also be answered by calling the Recycling Centre at 204 687 6169.

Originally published July 8/15  The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

When I arrived at the Trout Festival BBQ in Pioneer Square on Thursday evening there were several barrels for garbage and only the two resident recycling bins available. Soft drinks and water bottles were on the menu.

We are told the best way to get beverage containers into recycling bins in public spaces is to have a recycling bin beside every garbage container. This makes it easy for people to choose to recycle. It also keeps most of the garbage out of the recycling.

We placed a recycling bin beside every garbage container in the Square Thursday evening.

It worked.

When we collected the bags Friday morning there were lots of beverage containers and very little garbage in the recycling bins. There were almost no beverage containers in the garbage.

We put new bags in the recycling bins and paired them with all the garbage bins on Main Street for Trout Festival Main St Days. We placed the garbage bins from Pioneer Square beside the lonely recycling bins.

 It had worked again. The recycling bins had mostly beverage containers. Very few were in the garbage bins beside them.

I picked up several beverage containers that were lying around on the street and sidewalks so we still have some work to do.

People seem to choose to recycle in public spaces when it is easy to make the right choice.

I wish everyone would make the same choice at home. Several friends admitted they don’t recycle after I noticed an aluminium can in the garbage.  

It can’t get much easier to recycle at home with curbside pickup available in Flin Flon and Creighton and a trailer for recyclables parked at Extra Foods.

Deciding to change habits is the hard part. 

June Total:  39,742 kgs

    Newsprint -  2,145 kg
    *Co-mingled –  9,668 kg
    Office paper –  1,835 kg
    Cardboard –  21,158 kg
    Glass –  3,222 kg
    Books –  1,714 kg

Total for 2015 –  214,450 Kg

Total for 2014 at the end of June –   195,752 kg

  Batteries – 50 kg

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

Comments: June was busy although not as much as May. It was 2 metric tons or tonnes more than last year in June. 

We are 19 tonnes more than last year at this time. That is a bigger increase than all of last year. There was 17 tonnes difference between 2013 and 2014.

It looks like we are on our way to a very good year. 

Originally published July 3/15   The Reminder, Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

 I was thinking about the ongoing issue of why we don’t give money for beverage containers that are recycled. And then I thought about the grocery carts at the Coop.

What is the connection?

The focus of this discussion is usually on how much money a person gets for returning drink containers.  It is rare that anyone thinks about where that money comes from.

It isn’t government or businesses giving you their money.

They are just giving you your money back. It is like getting the loonie out of the grocery cart that you put in when you started.

In Saskatchewan, you will pay a ten cent deposit when you purchase an average sized beverage. It is more for larger drinks. That is the ten cents you get back.

There is also a six cent recycling levy that is not returned. It pays the costs of the deposit system.

The Manitoba system has a two cent environment levy that is not returned.

It is illegal to take beverage containers from our community to Saskatchewan with the exception of liquor containers.

It is illegal because you have not given them any of your money for them to give back to you. You are taking money from the system that does not belong to you.

Many believe getting money back would result in less litter. However, our experience with beer containers contradicts that argument.

A ten cent deposit is returned for empty beer containers in Manitoba. Beer containers are the majority of beverage containers littering our roadsides and a large number of them can be found at the landfill.

I won’t pick the best system.  We just need to follow the system we have. 

Originally published June 24/15 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

I was challenged once by a young person when I picked up some garbage. “Why? It’s not your garbage.”  “But it is my community.”

It has been obvious a lot of people in our community feel this way. There was great support for the Shoreline cleanup and 20 Minutes of Magic initiatives. Some picked up garbage without any program just to keep our community looking great.

The big challenge is preventing littering in the first place.

More garbage/recycling bins would make a difference.  Disney’s parks have bins every 30 steps after Walt Disney spent time at another amusement park observing how often people dropped litter on the ground.

Businesses could place bins in spots close by where garbage tends to collect. Municipal governments and schools could put out more bins in parks and school yards.

Litter bugs need to change their habits. If there is no garbage can or recycling bin available, people should put it in a pocket, leave it in a vehicle or hold on to it until it can be placed in a garbage can or recycling bin.

Passenger truck drivers should remove small light weight items from an uncovered box.

Understanding why people litter is challenging. Where do they think it will go?

Litter does not break down very quickly.

Here are some examples of how long it takes.

Banana peels – 1 month

Corn based plastic – 45 days

Cigarette butts – up to 10 years

Aluminium cans – 200 to 500 years

Plastic bag – up to 1,000 years

Styrofoam cup – 1 million years

There is a proper place for these items. Banana peels can be composted. Aluminium cans should be recycled. The rest go in a garbage bin. 

Originally published June 17/15 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

Fundraising has always been a reality for the Recycling Centre.

In past years it was an important part of making sure recycling had the financial resources to continue. As the program has evolved it is not as critical, but still necessary.

Two traditional events are planned for June 27.

The Sixth Annual Voyageur Canoe Challenge will take place on Ross Lake by Stittco at 1:30, or after the Family Canoe event. Teams of six to ten paddle a course in a historic 25 foot Voyageur Canoe. Each team’s time is recorded.

The prize is lots of fun and bragging rights. Last year the Flin Flon School Division took the title from the Denare Beach Yacht and Cattleman’s Association who had held the title since the event began.

The entry fee is $100.00 per team. Teams should have at least 2 members with some experience in a canoe. Most teams have 10 people. The race is about 5 minutes of reasonably strenuous exertion.  Paddles and life jackets are provided.

To register a team, call Greg at 204 687 0754.

The Cabar-eh! will end the day with great music. This year Alan Gerber and his daughter Hannah from Montreal will start the show. Their energetic show was a real hit the last time they were in town.

Local talent will be featured in the second half of the evening with the Basic Blues Band. Performers include Jen Hanson, John Bettger, Krazz, Chris Freeman, Brent Lethbridge and friends.  Rumour has it there will be dancing.

Tables of 8 are available for $200.00. Call Greg at 204 687 0754 to reserve yours.

The Recycling program greatly appreciates the community support.