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

​Our recent survey showed that people are not sure about recycling televisions and computers.  

A wide variety of electronic items including televisions and computers and their parts are accepted by the Recycling Centre at 9 Timber Lane.

A complete list can be found at www.recycleMYelectronics.ca/mb. Be sure the item is on the list before bringing it to the Centre.

The ewaste is packaged and shipped to Exner  Ewaste, a Manitoba company that meets high safety standards for recycling electronics.  Almost 28 metric tons was shipped from Flin Flon in 2015.

The Recycling Centre has been involved with electronics recycling since 2009. It was a summer program only for the first three years and funded by Green Manitoba which is part of government.  

Manufacturers and retailers of electronic products took over responsibility through a non-profit organization called Electronic Products Recycling Association (EPRA) in August 2012. It is required by law to ensure electronics are recycled responsibly in a way that is safe for the workers and the environment.

The electronics don’t end up in landfills or shipped overseas. 

Electronics recycling conserves resources as the plastics, glass and metals including precious metals are recovered and sold to make new materials.

An environmental handling fee (EHF) is added to eligible electronic items  at the store to fund the program.  It is not a tax collected by government or a deposit that will be returned.

The EPRA uses this money to cover the cost of recycling electronics.  They pay the Recycling Centre for collecting and storing electronics and shipping costs.

Items can be dropped off at the Recycling Centre at any time. Centre staff can assist weekdays between 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. 

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

Subsidies to help communities remove items from the waste stream  by recycling have been available since the early 1990’s in Manitoba.

When the program was introduced it subsidized five materials: newsprint, tin cans, aluminium cans, #1 plastic (beverage containers) and glass. Communities are required to recycle all these materials to be eligible for the subsidy.

Glass has been a challenge.

As a material, glass can be recycled quite easily into new glass. Less energy is required to recycle glass than to make it from scratch.  It is also used in the manufacture of fiberglass.

 It must be clean which doesn’t refer to dirt which is easily removed by washing.

Problems arise when ceramics (like dishes) and other materials are mixed in. There are machines which detect and remove ceramics.

Very little glass from Manitoba is recycled. It is reused for other purposes such as sandblasting or aggregate for road building and ground cover.

The main reason is location.

The only glass recycling plant in Canada is in Ontario. There is a plant in Minnesota. A fibreglass manufacturer in Alberta uses recycled glass.

The cost of shipping is the problem.

The Recycling Centre is currently looking at a couple of options for glass which will require that our glass is ‘cleaner’.

Cleaner means does not refer to washing. It means the lids need to be removed. There cannot be any dishes, light bulbs, mirrors, or anything that is not a glass jar or bottle. We will need to make sure glass items are removed from the bags or boxes they arrive in.
 
Please send only glass jars and bottles to the Recycling Centre and remove the lids. It will be greatly appreciated. 

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

The Recycling Centre conducted a survey at the Leisure Show in April and two days at the Coop. Everyone who completed the survey was entered in a draw for a Samsung Tablet and a $100.00 grocery gift card from the Coop.

There were 429 usable surveys completed. Eighty of those surveyed are currently not recycling.

There were several things we wanted to know including if people had enough information about what was recyclable and if their information was correct.

Computers, televisions and tires were the three recyclable items that a majority of people did not know they could recycle.

Non-recyclable items that the majority thought they could recycle or weren’t sure about were photographs, paper towels, disposable coffee cups, and Styrofoam.

We also wanted to know where people get their information about recycling. Most people (52%) got their information from other people. The other sources from most to least used were pamphlets, Recycling Centre, Facebook and the website.

The survey asked those who are not recycling why they did not recycle. The most common reason at 19% was ‘I just haven’t gotten around to it yet.’ Ten percent said they plan to start soon.

The second most common reason at 17% was ‘I don’t have space.’ Eleven percent indicated that ‘It makes too much clutter’ is related.
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Nine percent needed indicated they were too lazy and eight percent needed more information.

No one indicated that recycling isn’t necessary or important.  

Creighton residents are very happy with their pickup service although some still drop their recyclables off. 

We would like to thank everyone who completed the survey. Linda Eryou won the tablet. Hillary Scully won the grocery card. 

June  total – 38,848 kg
        Newsprint – 1,467 kg
        Co-mingled* - 10,806 kg
        Office Paper – 2,833 kg
        Cardboard – 19,726 kg
        Glass – 3,466 kg
        Books -  550
       

Total for 2016 – 213,453 kg
Total for 2015 (June)  – 214,450 kg
Difference -  -997 kg

Batteries - 40 kg

E – waste – 10.81 MT shipped on June 16, 2016  

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


Comments –  June was another month where we recycled less than last year. it was only about one metric ton (MT _ 1000 kg, 2,200 lbs) less, but we are almost a MT behind last year. 
 
We have been very busy since the beginning of July. Hopefully we will catch up with last year. 

Originally published June 29/16   The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

The Recycling Centre processes a wide variety of materials that are shipped to mills all over North America to be made into something new.

We collect packaging, paper, batteries, computers and parts like printers, monitors, etc. We collect old paint and fluorescent bulbs and tubes from homes for proper disposal.

Here is the list to clip and save. Our survey indicated that most people get their information from others so please share this information widely. The list is also available on our website and on Facebook Flin Flon Recycling.

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Recyclable
 
      Newspapers, fliers, catalogues, phone books
     Office paper, envelopes - coloured or white (shredded in separate bag)
     Books
     Boxboard (i.e. cereal boxes), milk cartons, juice boxes
     Plastics Containers- #1 (PETE), #2(HDPE) #3(PVC) #4(LDPE) #5(PP) #7 (other)
     Glass containers
     Tin cans
     Aluminium cans
     Corrugated Cardboard
     Household Batteries (in a sealed plastic bag)
*nothing can be drippy, sticky, or gooey.
*remove lids from glass containers. No glass dishes.

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We receive a variety of items that are not recyclable.  There are the usual things like Styrofoam, plastic bags, disposable coffee cups, photographs, disposable paper products like paper towel.
 
We also receive vacuum cleaners, BBQ’s, window blinds, siding, toys, clothes, coffee makers, power tools, hot water tanks, propane tanks,  weed eaters to name a few.  
 
If something is reusable we may use it, or advertise it. We sometimes take items to the second hand stores or the Re-Store. Finding the time and space to manage reusable items is challenging. It is best that everyone takes care of their items.
 
If it is on the list, recycle it. If it is not, it’s garbage.