Originally published Aug 24/16 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

The highest percentage of revenue for the Recycling Centre comes from the Recycling Support Grants paid by Flin Flon and Creighton.  The grant formula is $11.40 per person.

The money is used only to cover the costs of processing and shipping recyclables. There is a fee for all pickup services.

The Recycling Centre serves the whole community including Denare Beach and people living outside Flin Flon and Creighton.  Everyone can drop their recyclables off at the Centre at 9 Timber Lane or the trailer by Canadian Tire.

The Recycling Centre has tried to work out a way for Recycling Support grants to be paid on behalf of residents outside of Flin Flon and Creighton.  

Denare Beach Village Council has been asked to support recycling like Creighton and Flin Flon. They have decided to go to the people on the issue with a plebiscite being this fall with the municipal election.

Payments on behalf of lake residents are more challenging as there is no local tax base.

Discussions with the Department of Conservation which is responsible for the lakes areas in Manitoba have shown that it is not a simple matter. The fees they collect and the payments they make for residents are governed by regulations and legislation that is not easily changed.

There has been some discussion with individuals on the executives of the cottager’s associations. This may provide a way for recycling support from lake residents.

Some residents living outside of Flin Flon and Creighton have made recycling support payments to the Recycling Centre beginning in 2013 based on the same per person formula. The average paid each year is $650.00, equal to 57 people.  

Guest post by summer student Crystal Hiebert, originally published Aug 17/16 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop

In any debate, there are two sides, each with valid arguments to support its claim. So, why act like there is only one side when deciding whether to ban plastic bags?
 
The City of Flin Flon has asked that we weigh in on the decision to ban single-use plastic bags, following Thompson and The Pas who has mandated such by-laws in 2010 and 2016, respectively.
 
As a self-proclaimed eco-friendly organization, this should be an easy decision for the Recycling Centre, right? The issue is not black and white, but much more controversial than rooting for one side.
 
Why ban the plastic bag when they’re convenient, reusable, and take up less space and energy than the replacement, the paper bag. A ban requires sacrifice, a change in habit, and more expenses. But, are these arguments significant in comparison to the opposition?
 
There is a good reason why the ban is implemented in other locations across Canada. If we ignored this issue from now on, the environment would continue to decline. Plastic would keep crawling up the food chain from our oceans and wildlife, travel through wind and water systems from our static landfills, and remain indigestible for as long as the Earth turns.
 
The reality is people have other concerns to worry about.
 
When deciding yes or no, it comes down to the bigger picture. Will a ban make a big enough of a change in the long run? Or is this somewhere we can put our foot down and stop something we can control. We started it and we can stop it. Weigh the pros and cons of each side and see where your decision lies in banning plastic bags.
 

Originally published Aug 10/16 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

At this point in the year, it is easy to see some definite changes in recycling in our community.

First, the good news.  The amount of co-mingled materials processed is up from the end of July last year. These are the recyclables sent to Winnipeg for sorting.

Last year 67,637 kg of co-mingled materials had been processed.  This year we have processed 73,597 kg, an increase of 5,960 kg or almost six metric tons (MT).

These materials reflect what is happening in people’s homes. It means more people are recycling.

Office paper recycling is also up by just over two MT.

Now for the bad news. Overall recycling has fallen by just over 10 metric tons.

Glass and newspaper have dropped a little more than 2 MT. The biggest drop is in corrugated cardboard, the boxes that everything comes to town in. It is down by 9,263 kg, or just over 9 MT.

This seems to reflect a slowdown our community. Regular business customers who call when they need a pick up are calling less often.  Much of the cardboard is dropped off on the dock after hours, so it is hard to monitor, but the lower weight overall tells the story.

It is highly unlikely we will reach the goal of 500 metric tons this year. We processed 460 in 2015.

One load of electronics weighing just over 10 MT was shipped in June. This is the same as last year.

Battery recycling is up slightly from last year.

Recycling stats are posted monthly on our website. 

In other news, lids must be removed from glass jars and bottles as it is crushed locally and used for industrial purposes.

Guest post by summer student Crystal Hiebert, originally published Aug 3/16 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

If I can pass along some insider tips from my experience at the Recycling Centre, it would be to keep yourself up to speed on recycling information or ditch the excuses if you aren’t recycling yet.
 
Both recyclers and non-recyclers can learn something.
 
The loyal recyclers, who may be making it harder for themselves by continuing to sort, can re-educate themselves about recycling. What was recyclable in the past may not be acceptable anymore and new materials are continuously added.
 
Information is always changing so stay up to date by visiting our Website, www.flinflonrecycling.org, and Facebook Page. Watch our sign located by the Armouries or call us at 204 687-6169.
 
Opposite to the loyal recyclers are the lazy ones; they see the blue bin and everything goes in. Garbage comes along for a ride to the Recycling Centre and the recycling process is much more difficult.
 
There is a recycling bin and a garbage can for a reason. Educate yourself on how to sort the recyclables from the garbage. For example, not all plastic is recyclable. Plastic containers, or rigid plastics, are acceptable whereas film plastics, such as cereal box liners or plastic bags are not.
 
Not everyone is as keen on recycling.  Non-recyclers have many reasons for not recycling according to our 2016 Recycling Survey. But the truth is, recycling does not take too much space, does not need extra “time” to get around to it, and is simple to do. It takes one bin and is as easy as throwing out the trash.
 
A little goes a long way in recycling. No matter what kind of recycler you are, take our advice and make a difference today.
 

* Note: This has been updated since first posted after a conversation with staff from the Village of Denare Beach. The vote in October is not a referendum which binds the Village Council to act on the decision of the vote. It is a plebiscite which is not binding. (Aug 9/16)

*Note 2: Further discussions with Denare Beach staff indicate the question is whether the Village should charge a new annual  fee to cover the costs of  Denare Beach's share of the the Recycling Centre's costs like Creighton and Flin Flon and the cost of curbside pickup.

I am disappointed the question is not a simple yes or no 'Should DB support recycling?'. If the outcome was positive, it would be another item paid from the tax base, not an extra levy.  I realize it all comes from the same place - the tax payers, but I am not very optimistic a majority of people will vote to pay another fee. It seems set up to fail.

I hope I am wrong.  ​
Here is the Recycling Centre's position:


There will be a plebiscite about recycling in Denare Beach with the municipal election in October.
Please vote yes.

Recycling is part of responsible waste management. It saves landfill space and costs. It helps the environment by saving resources.
 
The recycling service is available to everyone in the Flin Flon, Creighton, Denare Beach and surrounding areas. Recyclables can be dropped off in Flin Flon at the Recycling Centre or the trailer parked by Canadian Tire.
 
Municipal funding is needed to cover the Recycling Centre’s costs for processing and shipping recyclables.
1. - Recycling is part of waste disposal which is a municipal responsibility.
2. - Selling materials does not make enough money. For example, shipping costs in 2015 were $7,300.00 more than the sales of materials. Only corrugated cardboard, printers mix and newspaper are sold. Prices are very low. Most materials are not sold as it is cheaper to bale them all together and ship them to Winnipeg where they are sorted on a sort line at the cost of $45.00/metric ton.
 
Municipal grants do not pay for pickup services. Businesses are charged a fee for pickups.  Creighton pays for their residential pickup service.  Flin Flon residents buy a red bag which pays for the curbside service.
 
Flin Flon and Creighton have supported recycling financially since 1996. Their annual grant is based on population. Currently it is $11.40/person/year.
   The Village of Denare Beach contributed $500.00 in 2004, its only contribution. Some residents have contributed individually each year for the past three years. The total of these contributions is about $225.00 each year.
 
Voting ‘yes’ in the plebiscite will give the Village of Denare Beach the mandate to support recycling financially using the same population based calculation as Flin Flon and Creighton
 
Voting ‘yes’ will give the Council the mandate to consider offering a recycling service of some kind in the Village. There are a couple of options such as providing a trailer like the one parked by Canadian Tire in the village or a curbside pickup service like Creighton provides. There are pros and cons to each. The Recycling Centre would be pleased to provide information and support in making that decision.
 
We believe it only makes sense to vote in favour of Denare Beach supporting the community recycling program. Recycling is a necessary part of responsible waste management in the 21st century. It will save space and money at the landfill. The Village will be contributing its fair share and can consider ways to make recycling more convenient for residents.
 
For more information call the Recycling Centre at 204 687 6169.

July  total – 38,333 kg
        Newsprint – 1,410 kg
        Co-mingled* - 12,112 kg
        Office Paper – 4,319 kg
        Cardboard – 17,397 kg
        Glass – 1,958 kg
        Books -  1,140 kg
       

Total for 2016 – 251,786 kg
Total for 2015 (June)  – 262,024 kg
Difference - -10,238 kg
Batteries - 32 kg


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


Comments –  My goal of 500 MT (500,000 kg) for 2016 has officially been laid to rest. I crunched the numbers to see what is happening. 

The good news is that co-mingled weights are up by almost 6 MT. This means more households are recycling more. Office paper is also up by 2 MT.

​Corrugated cardboard and newspaper are the two categories where we have seen the biggest reduction. Cardboard is down 9 MT and news is down almost 3. 

Guest post by summer student Crystal Hiebert, originally published July 27/16 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

Who do you think is more inclined to recycle, the Baby Boomers or the Millennials? Despite the assumption that the younger generation is “greener”, they recycle less than the older generation.
 
Studies show that young people are more knowledgeable about what and how to recycle than the older crowd but lack the time and desire in their busy, tech-savvy, high-paced lives. Even though recycling is continuing to become more common today, the Baby Boomers show a greater effort to recycle.
 
Is it much of a problem? Just because recycling is not the focus for the younger population, does not mean they lose the title of being the Green Generation.
 
Millennials are conscious of global warming and sustainability by different means such as reducing usage of electricity or gasoline, purchasing eco-friendly products like hybrids, or switching to alternative energy sources. They are more involved in sustaining the environment by a social means rather than the traditional bureaucratic approach.
 
Even though the Baby Boomers are superior in recycling, they are less “active” in reducing their carbon footprint overall. Years of harming the Earth have created other consequences that later generations have to clean up: depleted resources, a declining ecosystem, and global warming to name a few.
 
Can the Millennials who “reduce and reuse” and the Baby Boomers who “recycle” meet in the middle?
 
Each generation can learn a thing or two from one another.
 
Instead of viewing the Millennials as Generation “Meh”, who are supposedly lazy and selfish, remember recycling is just part of the answer.
 
Recycling is as easy as one bin at the front door while reducing and reusing is as simple as walking to work or going paperless.