Originally published Sept 23/15  The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.
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• The Recycling Centre coordinated the Twenty Minutes of Magic community cleanup program in May. It was part of the Northern Community Cleanup sponsored by Recycle Everywhere. The two $100.00 grocery card prizes for our community were won by Rohan Perera and Julie Lapanse.  The $5,000.00 community prize for a recycling project went to Sherridon.

 

• The second load of e-waste was shipped in July. The Recycling Centre receives $175.00 per metric ton (tonne) for collecting electronics for recycling. If a load weighs more than 10.5 tonnes we receive an extra $20. /tonne. Our last load was over 11 tonnes.  

 
The Recycling Centre takes your old computer items, televisions, sound systems. It is open from 8:00 – 3:30 if you need help unloading. Items can be left on the building dock after hours.  
 
The only appliance we take is microwaves. A complete list of eligible items is at www.recycleMYelectronics.ca. 
 

• Reusing is more important that recycling.  For example, a box of barely used file folders arrived last week. They are so reusable. This causes me pain as I have all I will need for at least the next 20 years but they are too good to recycle. File folders can be turned inside out easily and sticky labels make it easy to reuse them.

 

• We are happy to report there is significantly less garbage in the bags of recycling. However, last weekend several bags had so much garbage and mess they go straight to the dumpster.

If something is on the recycling list, we want it. If it isn’t, we don’t want it.  If you are not sure, call 204 687 6169, facebook at Flin Flon Recycling or the website www.flinflonrecycling.org.  

Originally published Sept 16/15   The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

The beginning of a new school year often means the return to packing lunches.  For others, packing a lunch for work is a year round task.

There is a lot of information about packing a lunch that is healthy for people. How healthy is it for the environment?

How many resources does it use? How much garbage does it create?

The average school child’s lunch produces 30.5 kg or 67 pounds of garbage a year.

Remembering the three R’s of being environmentally friendly makes it easier to think about packing an environmentally healthy lunch. 

The three R’s – reduce, reuse, recycle – are listed in order of most important.

The best thing for the environment is to reduce the amount of stuff used. Secondly, reusing goes a long way to reducing the waste created. Recycling is third in order of priority.

The best way to reduce garbage from lunches is to package food in reusable containers.

Use a lunch kit instead of a bag which is thrown away.

Refillable beverage bottles, reusable containers for sandwiches and other foods are available.

 It may seem more expensive at first but the cost of purchasing plastic bags and throw away containers adds up over time. Prepackaged lunch items are also more expensive.

Some heavier plastic resealable bags can be washed and reused several times.

Some containers from lunches that are used only once like juice boxes and beverage bottles are recyclable. Prepackaged ‘lunchable’ containers and single serving fruit containers are usually # 7 plastic which can also be recycled.

Remember the order of the three R’s. Recycling is important but it is the last.  Reusable containers are better.

Good choices now help future generations. 

This is based on the previous post of the  column Alphabet Soup. It was originally posted on the Flin Flon Recycling facebook page.                                                                                                                

Originally published Sept 9/15 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop. 

Many times there are unique letter codes that describe aspects of a specific activity that leaves outsiders confused and in the dark.

Recycling is no different. Here is a partial list of its alphabet soup with explanations.

-          CBCRA – Canadian Beverage Containers Recycling Association – This organization is funded by the beverage container industry. It sponsors the Recycle Everywhere program with free recycling bins for public spaces.

-          EPRA – Electronic Products Recycling Association – This organization is funded by the electronics industry. It pays recyclers per tonne to collect e waste as well as the cost of shipping it to the recycling plant.

-          FFDEC – Flin Flon & District Environment Council, Inc – This is the local non-profit organization responsible for the Recycling Centre.

-          HHW – Household Hazardous Waste – This is the harmful stuff that needs to be disposed of correctly so it won’t damage the environment.

-          MARR – Manitoba Association of Regional Recyclers – The grassroots organization of municipal officials, employees and recycling operators. More information is available on their website at www.marrmb.com

-          MMSM – Multi Material Stewardship of Manitoba – This industry run organization provides subsidies and technical support to municipalities for household recycling.

-          OCC – old corrugated cardboard. OCC is more than half of the material collected for recycling in our community. It sells for $30.00/tonne.

-          ONP – Old Newsprint. Some is baled separately and sold for $10.00. It is also mixed in with the comingled material and sorted in Winnipeg.

-          PM – Printers Mix or another name for office paper.  A lot of printers mix comes to the Centre separated or shredded so it is baled separately and sold for $75./tonne.

Take the quiz on our facebook page – Flin Flon Recycling. 

Comment - the quiz is also available as a separate post in categories - The Recycling Bin 2015.

Originally published Sept. 2/15   The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

I often hear comments that government should do something for recycling.

Recycling is part of waste management which is the responsibility of local governments like a city or town.

The City of Flin Flon and the Town of Creighton have supported recycling financially for almost 20 years.

Provinces make the regulations that govern how waste is disposed of.

Since the early 1990’s, Manitoba programs have reduced waste going to landfill by more than 15% while it’s population grew by 14%.

Instead of using taxpayer’s money, Manitoba requires industries whose products create recyclable waste to subsidize recycling. Beverage containers, household recyclables, tires, oil, car and household batteries, hazardous waste, and electronics are examples.

Each industry must provide financial and practical help to municipalities to make recycling programs available. Usually industries attach an environmental handling fee to their products which funds a non-profit organization to do the job.

These organizations are referred to as Producer Responsible Organizations or PRO’s for short.

Canadian Beverage Containers Recycling Association (CBCRA) provides free recycling bins for public spaces.

Multi- Material Stewardship of Manitoba (MMSM) pays a subsidy per tonne for materials recycled.

Tire Stewardship Manitoba pays fifty cents a tire for the costs of managing tire collection. Loading and shipping costs are also covered.  

Call2Recycle provides free shipping boxes for household batteries.

Electronic Products Recycling Association Manitoba (EPRA) pays for storage, loading and shipping of electronics.

The Recycling Centre manages these programs at the Recycling Centre and the Flin Flon landfill. In 2014, the Centre received more than $58,000.00 from the PRO’s.

Manitoba also charges landfill operators $10.00/tonne for garbage and returns up to $8.00/tonnes based on how much the community recycles.

More information is available at greenmanitoba.ca/pros.

August total – 41,229 kg
        Newsprint - 2,523 kg
        Co-mingled* - 10,261 kg
        Office Paper – 5,691 kg
        Cardboard – 18,724 kg
        Glass – 3,426 kg
        Books - 604 kg

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

Total for 2015 – 303,253 kg
Total for 2014 at the end of August 266,664 kg
Difference - 36,589 kg ahead of 2014.

The good news continues. Last year there was only one month when we were over 40 tonnes. This is the third month in 2015. 

To quote Becky, our summer student 'That is awesome'!

Originally published Aug 28/15  The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

Most of us know there is a variety of ways to get rid of things we no longer want in an environmentally friendly way.  

What about the hazardous items? That’s the stuff in containers with the danger symbols.  The symbols show a skull and cross bones (poisonous), flame (flammable), boney hand (corrosive) inside a stop sign or traingle shape. Items with the triangle shaped exploding rock displayed with the flame symbol (physically hazardous) are also included.

These items include paints, gasoline, flammable liquids, pesticides, aerosol cans, cleaners and degreasers, glues, medication, and fluorescent bulbs.

These items should definitely not go to the landfill or worse yet be dumped on the ground or down the toilet. They are harmful. That is why they have those scary pictures.

So where should they go?

The only items that can be disposed of responsibly any time in the Flin Flon area are paint which is collected at Home Hardware, medications at the pharmacies and batteries at the landfills or the Recycling Centre.

All other items should be kept until the annual Household Hazardous Waste collection.  Miller Environmental comes from Winnipeg and collects them from homeowners.

This year’s collection will be on Thursday, September 17. Hazardous items can be dropped off at Centoba Park from 4 – 8 p.m. Watch for more information.

Product Care is the organization funded by industries that make hazardous products. It provides funding for their collection and proper disposal. It funds the annual collection events.

Product Care also has funding for the construction and operation of a full time collection depot. This information has been given to officials with the City of Flin Flon. Hopefully they will take advantage of the program.