Originally published Oct 21/15  The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

The Flin Flon Recycling Centre is one of three MRF’s in Northern Manitoba.

Thompson was the first community with a recycling program. They provided valuable information to local organizers in the early days of the Flin Flon program. Flin Flon shared shipping with Thompson as recyclables were sent to Edmonton at that time.

Several years ago the City of Thompson purchased a garbage truck that also picks up recycling. Each house has one bin for garbage and another for recycling. The truck picks up the recycling bin and empties it in the truck mechanically. The recyclables are dumped at the Centre and moved by on a conveyor for processing and baling.

Thompson Recycling Centre also processes recyclables from communities outside of Thompson.  They recycled one million kilograms or 1,000 tonnes last year.

The Pas Recycling Centre began in the late ‘90’s. It received funding to build north of the community on Highway 10. In the beginning it provided curbside and business pickup services.

The recycling program was on hold for over a year.  Pickup services were not part of the program when it reopened.

Recyclables are collected in trailers parked at several locations throughout the community. Sponsors paid for the trailers which are manufactured in The Pas.

The town of The Pas began a ‘tags for bags’ program in 2013. If residents have more than two bags of garbage they must buy a tag for the extra bags.

The Pas Recycling Centre also has trailers in Wanless, Clearwater Lake, Snow Lake and Cranberry Portage.

The Pas recycled 731 tonnes in 2014.

​The Flin Flon Recycling Centre is located at 9 Timber Lane. It recycled 413 tonnes in 2014. 

Originally published Oct 14/15  The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

Research shows the best way encourage recycling is to make it easy.  Picking it up from homes increases rates significantly.

In May, 2003, the Recycling Centre began curbside pickup. People using the service were asked to pay $30.00/year. Payment was on the honour system. If recycling was on the curb it was picked up.

In 2006, seventy five households paid the fee. Many more were using the service.
Financial realities ended curbside recycling in June, 2007. Prices for recyclable materials fell and municipal support had not increased.   The curbside program cost much more than the fees brought in.

Tonnage dropped from 500 tonnes in 2007 to 398 tonnes in 2008 and even lower the next year.

In 2009 a public meeting on the future of recycling showed the community wanted recycling to continue. The Recycling Centre developed a new financial plan so it could survive.

Curbside pickups were reintroduced in 2010 to increase recycling rates.

The Centre needed a fee to cover the cost. The easiest way to know who had paid was to sell red bags. If there was a red bag on the curb with recyclables staff knew the fee had been paid. Two more bags/boxes and cardboard would also be picked up.

Pickups were every other week.

Usage was falling. Many commented it was hard to remember which week was recycling week.

The schedule changed to weekly pickups in March to make it easier. Beginning this month the recycling truck only goes to streets where people are using the program.

Newcomers are welcome. Here is the list of streets.  New streets can be added by calling the Recycling Centre at 204 687 6169.

Originally published Oct 7/15   The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.
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The Flin Flon Recycling Centre is actually a MRF which means a Materials Recovery Facility. Materials are not recycled here. They are collected (recovered), baled up and sent other places for recycling.

The facility in Winnipeg is a larger MRF. It receives materials, sorts them as needed, bales and ships recyclables to factories that make them in to new materials.

This facility has a mechanized sort line. A front end loader places materials into a large hopper. A conveyor takes them up to a working platform about ten feet above the floor.  Each employee removes a specific kind of paper or plastic, throwing it into a chute to a bin below.

Metals are removed mechanically. A large magnet above the conveyor attracts the tin (steel) cans onto a moving belt which drops them into a bin. Two large magnets placed with the same poles together create a resistance force which ‘blows’ the aluminium cans into another bin.

These machines have a big price tag and require a lot of space. It is more economical for Flin Flon to pay the MRF in Winnipeg to sort.

Flin Flon’s MRF has a down stroke baler. An employee loads materials in by hand and presses a button to compress them when the machine fills up.  

Thompson has a sort line. Valuable materials like milk jugs, mixed plastics, aluminium and tin are separated. Paper products except cardboard are shipped comingled.  A large baler is fed by a conveyor that forms bales automatically.

The Pas has two down stroke balers. The one used for cardboard only is loaded by hand.  The other is conveyor fed.

Information about materials recovered in Flin Flon is available at www.flinflonrecycling.org. 

Originally published Sept 30/15  The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.
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I attended a few events this weekend where beverages were served and I made some observations.

At Friday evening’s event recycling bins were available in one area and not in another. The recycling bins were well used and needed the bags changed at least once. Where there were no recycling bins, there were quite a few aluminum cans and plastic bottles in the garbage.

It was great to see so many recycling. I was encouraged that most people are recycling when given the choice.

The next evening I attended another event where beverages were being consumed. I did not see any recycling bins.

People began cleaning up at the end of the event.  Several walked around with garbage bags. Everything including beverage containers from the tables went into the bag.
A few tables had beverage containers set aside, hopefully for recycling. There was a recycling bin at the far end of the bar.

I realized recycling wasn’t as well established as I had begun to believe the night before.
I also observed garbage bags in the recycling bins.

Clear bags need to be used for recycling so the contents are easily identified as recycling and less likely to go out with the garbage. If only clear bags are used for recycling it is less like likely that bags of garbage end up at the Recycling Centre.

I learned two things this weekend.

Recycling happens only when event planners and support staff are committed to recycling and make recycling bins available. 

The Recycling Centre needs to let people know we can provide extra recycling bins and set up information for events so recycling will happen.  

For more information call 204 687 6169.

 This is to the end of September. Weights are in kilograms. 1,000 kg is a metric ton or tonne.
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September total – 41,338 kg
        Newsprint – 1,438 kg
        Co-mingled* - 9,719 kg
        Office Paper – 5,784 kg
        Cardboard – 20,165 kg
        Glass – 3,338 kg
        Books - 944 kg
       

Total for 2015 – 344,641 kg
Total for 2014 at the end of September 312,419 kg

Comments - I was pleasantly surprised when this month's total was over 40 tonnes again. I have been analyzing where the increases are as it gives clues to who is recycling more. 
The biggest increase is cardboard. There had been increases in co-mingled which shows what is happening in households. It has actually flattened as the increase is offset by a decrease in newspaper from last year. Check the post called Picture of Recycling Stats.

I think becoming a recycler is kind of like eating healthier food or exercising regularly. It isn't hard once you get into the habit. But getting into the habit is sometimes the hard part. 

If you have 'fallen off the wagon' know that recycling helps by reducing green house gases and what we take from the earth so there will be something left for the next generation.  

Work with a friend who recycles to encourage each other. Call the Centre at 204 687 6169 if you need some ideas on how to make it easier. 

Make a Difference - Recycle.