Originally published  Dec 17, 2014 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

Recent studies show there are 100 batteries in the average Canadian household in remote controllers, watches, children’s toys, power tools, computers, alarm clocks and many other things.

Batteries are also used in industry and community infrastructure. For example, batteries provide phone service when the power is off. 

The three types of batteries are wet cell batteries used mostly in vehicles, dry cell batteries and rechargeable batteries which are most common in households and workplaces.

A chemical reaction inside batteries creates the power.  Chemicals include copper, cadmium, mercury, zinc, lead, nickel and lithium depending on the kind of battery.

All batteries should be recycled to prevent these chemicals and metals from causing serious damage to the environment and human health.

Button batteries are the easiest to recycle and contain the most valuable materials. 

Vehicle batteries can be taken to local landfills where they are collected for recycling.

The Flin Flon Recycling Centre began collecting dry cell and rechargeable batteries of all shapes and sizes for recycling in 2014.

Batteries should be in a sealed bag or container.

 The batteries are collected and shipped through the Call 2 Recycle program. It is completely free as companies who make batteries pay for it so they don’t end up in landfills.

Call 2 Recycle sends two boxes and some plastic bags as rechargeable batteries and Li-Ion, SSLA/Pb and lithium primary batteries need to be in separate bags for shipping according to Transport Canada rules.  Batteries are placed in the boxes, taped up and shipped.  

In 17 years more than 7.8 million kilograms of batteries have been recycled through this program.  At the beginning of November, Manitoba had recycled more batteries than in all of 2013.

Originally published Dec 10, 2014 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

The holiday season is a busy time at the Recycling Centre. Festivities and gift giving usually result in lots of waste. Many items are recyclable. Many are not.

The usual things can be recycled: beverage containers, cardboard, boxboard, all plastics containers that have a number in the recycling symbol except #6 (PS), Christmas cards, tin cans, batteries, newspapers and fliers, catalogues, magazines and office paper.  

Eligible electronics can be recycled. Check the list at www.recycleMYelectronics.ca.

All items that had food or drink should be empty. Food containers should be rinsed.

Things that belong in the garbage are: gift wrap, ribbons, envelopes with foil or plastic liners, coffee tins that are cardboard and metal, Styrofoam (including packing peanuts), plastic bags and wrap, plastic packaging with no number,  disposable plates, cups including coffee cups.  We cannot recycle Christmas decorations including Christmas lights.

Call the Recycling Centre with any questions at 204 687 6169.

Reduce waste by using and reusing gift bags and enjoying each other’s company while washing dishes instead of using disposable ones. 

Gifts often replace something that is still usable. Take the time to find a new home for these items. There are many ways to do this. Take it to a second hand store or advertise it on Trader’s Post, Kijiji, or similar service.  Or give it away.

Consider giving something that makes the world a better place and creates very little waste. Many charities have special projects you can contribute to in honour of someone on your list.

This season as always, remember that everything we have comes from the earth. As you treat each other to Christmas cheer and kindness, remember to also be kind to Mother Earth. 

Originally published Nov 26, 2014 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

1.       The List

Our staff processed 348 metric tons of recycling by the end of October.

It would be interesting to know how much garbage we had.

We receive a lot of unrecyclable things. Some are very strange.  Our dumpsters are emptied twice a week which often is not enough.

Make sure everything is recyclable. If you have any questions please call 204 687 6169. There are pictures on facebook at Flin Flon Recycling. The information about what is recyclable on the website www.flinflonrecycling.org  is correct. Recyclable electronics are listed at www.recycleMYelectronics.ca.

2.       Seeing Clearly

This week we received a call to pick up several bags of shredded paper.

The bin where the bags should have been was empty. When I followed up, we realized the garbage collector had taken them.

One change in our thinking and habits would prevent this from happening.

Recycling is in clear bags, garbage is not.

 If the items inside the bag are visible, it is recycling. If not, it’s garbage.

If this became the norm for everyone including garbage collectors, recycling wouldn’t end up in the landfill.

3.       Leaky bags

Our staff processed several bags of beverage containers from the bins at the Whitney.

It was great to recycle all those bottles and cans.

It was also really messy as the bags dripped all over the place.

Containers that are not empty are responsible.  But where does one empty them? A sink or other drain is the best although not very handy.  

Recycling bins should be beside garbage cans. Left over beverages can be emptied into the garbage cans where other stuff will absorb the liquid.

Putting the lid back on the bottle helps.

Originally published Nov 19, 2024 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

Did you know that a single litre of used motor oil will contaminate a million litres of ground water?

Motor oil picks up nasty things like lead, cadmium, arsenic, dioxins, benzene and polycyclic aromatics in engines. If it is dumped on the ground or in drains, it can harm people, plants, animals, fish and other water creatures.

It sits on the surface of water, preventing sunlight and oxygen from getting into the water, affecting fish and water plants. It can kill fish, frogs and other animals that breathe from the water surface.

Burning used oil at low temperatures puts things in the air that can harm human health.  

Antifreeze (new or used) is harmful to people, animals and plants. Recycled antifreeze jugs should not be used for food containers so need to be kept separate from regular recycling.

In Manitoba, motor oil producers began to reclaim and reuse or recycle used motor oil, filters and containers in 1999. The program has been expanded to collect antifreeze and its containers

There are collection sites at the Flin Flon and Creighton Landfills. A business is licensed to collect the used motor oil, containers and filters from these sites and from local businesses.

Used oil can be recycled at 2 plants in Ontario and BC. In our part of the country it is used in high temperature oil furnaces certified and registered to burn used motor oil.

Antifreeze is recycled for reuse.

Oil and antifreeze containers are made into parking lot curbs and fence posts.  Oil filters are squished to remove the oil and recycled into rebar for cement construction.

Please be responsible. Tipping fees are not charged for these products. 

Originally published Nov 12, 2014  The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

Recycling is not the only way to reduce the amount of garbage.

I borrowed these ideas from the website of Busch System. They make recycling bins. It lists ways to reduce waste when deciding what to buy.

This is called pre-cycling.

Here are some tips:

-          Buying in bulk reduces the amount of packaging.

-          Purchased used items as these items rarely have packaging.

-          Buy products in recyclable packaging only. For example, some coffee containers are made of tin and cardboard. Mixed material items cannot be recycled. Buy coffee in a plastic or tin can.

-          Chose quality items over cheap ones .They last longer and not need to be replaced as quickly.

-          Choose reusable items over disposable ones.

-          Avoid Styrofoam as much as possible.

-          BYOB – bring your own bags when shopping.

-          Use reusable coffee mugs and water bottles.

-          Make things from scratch – everything from spaghetti sauce to shampoo.

-          Wrap gifts in reused wrapping paper, newspaper, reusable gift bags or towels.

Many manufacturers are changing packaging either by reducing it or using recyclable materials.

As new products appear they need to be assessed.

For example, when we visited the plant we ship our recycling to in Winnipeg, they told us not all #1 plastic is recyclable. Plastic drink bottles, Clam shells for fruit and other clear items marked #1 plastic are recyclable.

The black #1 plastic cannot be recycled. Nor can the coloured #1 that you cannot see through like the orange tubs Tide laundry cubes come in.

Just when you think it all makes sense, something changes! Please call the Recycling Centre at 204 687 6169 if you have questions. 

Originally published Nov 5, 2014  The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

I was walking to through the baling area of the Recycling Centre a few weeks ago when I heard a radio advertisement stating things do not have to be washed before recycling.

I stopped and listened in dismay.

This advertisement was from the Multi Material Stewardship of Manitoba, the industry funded non-profit organization that promotes recycling and pays subsidies to communities based on the amount of materials recycled every year.

I immediately sent an email expressing my concern. We need things basically clean because we mix everything together so unclean items contaminates the paper.

It also discourages the ravens.

The reply email stated they don’t want people to waste time and water washing things outs.

I had lunch with the person I had emailed the other week and we talked about it. He described how all the plastic is shredded and washed thoroughly before it is recycled so it doesn’t matter if it is dirty.

He was also thinking of his mother who was spending a lot of time scrubbing off labels and making sure it was very clean which is a waste of time. Many people won’t recycle because they don’t want to do that.

All of this has led me to conclude that we need to better describe what we mean by cleaning items for recycling.

Recyclables need to be basically clean not spotless. The peanut butter container will take a bit more effort but many things like food cans and laundry soap jugs just need to be rinsed and drained briefly. If beverage containers are drained that is good enough.

Any recycling questions can be answered by calling the Recycling Centre at 204 687 6169. 

Originally published Oct 22, 2014  The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

The end of September is three quarters of the way through the year. 

Some stats for the end of September are:

-          308.7 metric tons processed

-          774 bales made

-          19 semi loads of materials shipped

One semi load of ewaste was shipped in February and one in October.

At the current rate we will recycle over 400 metric tons this year. I had hoped for 500 with increased publicity and free curbside pickup in Creighton.  I think that goal will have to wait until next year.

Five hundred metric tons were recycled in 2007 when there was free curbside pickup.

This confirms what 35 years of research into recycling practices in North America has found. There are programs to encourage people to recycle including education, asking for commitments and making it convenient.

 Convenience is twice as effective as anything else that invites people to recycle.

These programs are the ‘carrot’ type of incentives to recycle. There are also programs which are more of a ‘stick’ that encourages recycling.

A ‘Tags for bags’ program requires a tag on every bag of garbage. Some programs have a certain number of free tags per year where others require that all tags are paid for. Curbside recycling is usually free in this situation.

The Pas decided that they would only pick up 2 bags from households. There were no charges for bags, but people needed to recycle or pay tipping fees to get rid of the rest.

Recycling has been available in our community for 20 years so those who are inclined to recycle probably are. More incentives are needed to get the majority of people in our communities to recycle.  

Originally published Oct 15, 2014  The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

Recycling is part of a bigger picture called waste management. It used to be simple. Everything we didn’t want went to the dump. Over time we realized that these dumps were taking up a lot of space and leaking hazardous stuff into lakes and streams.

We also realized that much of it could be recycled. Metals have been recycled for a very long time. Household recycling began in earnest in the last 40 years in North America.

Most landfills need a map for the public to sort their waste. At the Flin Flon landfill there is a place for metal, tires, car batteries, oil, construction and household.  Any electronics that arrive are set aside for the Recycling Centre.

Creighton has a place for all of these as well except  and tires.

There could be more. Programs are in place to help municipalities recover hazardous waste and to compost yard waste and vegetable leftovers.

New landfills are designed to capture all the leachate, the liquid produced as water runs through garbage. Older landfills need to ensure it is not running into lakes and streams. Many landfills either capture the methane produced by garbage for energy or burn it to reduce the effect of greenhouse gases.

Municipalities are responsible for waste management and provinces regulate it. It is expensive which is why most landfills charge tipping fees.

Our economy needs people to buy more all the time so landfills fill up as people get rid of the old to make way for the new.

Municipalities are wise to have a plan for dealing with waste so it can be done most efficiently and effectively and meet the requirements of regulations. 

Originally published Oct 8, 2014  The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

It has been a year since I began working full time at the Recycling Centre.  Doreen Murray who managed the Centre for 11 years showed me the ropes for a few weeks.  I was on my own by the end of October.

More than just management changed last October.  We began shipping materials comingled to Winnipeg for sorting. This has had a much bigger impact on operations than the change in management.

I will admit both Doreen and I were not very excited about this change. Our concern was sending jobs out of our community. We currently have four full time positions and one part time where previously there were six.

There have been many benefits. It is much better financially, which was the reason the Board of Directors made the decision. We have been able to improve the gap between minimum wage and our wages.  It is also easier to pay our bills.

We were able to operate this year without increasing the grants from Flin Flon and Creighton.

There is more space as we only need to store enough for a bale of 4 different kinds of materials instead of 12. Materials are bagged and baled up much quicker. 

Staff morale is higher as they are regularly caught up with bagging the materials for baling. Previously it was very rare to see the floor in the area where materials are piled when brought into the building.

The great places for mice are mostly gone, so they are too.

It is great to be working every day with Recycling after 20 years as a volunteer and Board member.  Thanks to everyone who recycles. We wouldn’t exist without you. 

Originally published Sept 24, 2014 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.


This summer our student surveyed 100 people at the Coop about their recycling habits and knowledge. I reviewed them last week.  

Only 10% of people said they don’t recycle. 78% of those who do drop their materials off at the Centre or the trailer and 22% use curbside pickup service.  

This is not a very accurate picture of how many people recycle.  Those who recycle are more likely to complete a survey than those who don’t and the number of people surveyed was small.

Space in their homes and lack of information are the main difficulties people have when it comes to recycling at 17% each. Laziness and washing containers came in second at 13% each. 20% of people stated they didn’t have any difficulties.

By the way, the Simply Recycle radio ad stating that containers do not need to be rinsed or drained does not apply in our community. We bag materials by hand instead of sorting by machine. It also means that ravens and bears don’t hang around once they realize everything is clean.

The survey indicated only 32% had seen, heard or read about beverage container recycling. Newspaper ad was the highest at 22%.  Only 11% had seen a billboard which surprised me. There seems to be one in town almost every week.

Almost everyone knew that beverage containers were recyclable.

Styrofoam is not recyclable. 25% thought it was and 21% weren’t sure. Juice boxes are recyclable.  17% thought they were not recyclable and 17% were not sure. Drink pouches were the most unknown with 34% unsure. I have asked about this one as I don’t know either. The answer will be here next week.

 

Originally published Oct 1, 2014, The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

This summer our student surveyed 100 people at the Coop about their recycling habits and knowledge. I needed more space than I had last week to describe what we learned from it so here is part two.  

One hundred people completed the surveys. Ninety percent of them recycled. This is not an accurate picture of our community based on the amount of materials at the Recycling Centre.  

Half of those surveyed were uncertain if Styrofoam and drink pouches like Kool-aid Jammers were recyclable. Both are not.

One survey question asked if there was a beverage container recycling fee in Manitoba. 78% knew there is. The two cent enviro levy funds the Recycle Everywhere program and provides a subsidy to the Recycling Centre to help cover the costs.

Another question asked if the person had ever taken beverage containers to Saskatchewan for the ten cent deposit. 25% said they had a few times or on a regular basis. 12% were unsure or did not want to answer.

A couple of interesting comments were made on this question. Two Creighton residents believed they could because they live in Saskatchewan. One person stated ‘It is illegal, but I don’t blame people for doing it.’

It is illegal for anyone to take non-alcoholic beverage containers from here to Saskatchewan for recycling because the ten cent deposit was not paid. All retailers in our community participate in the Manitoba system. The deposit and non-refundable recycling fee for Saskatchewan would make their drinks 14 cents more expensive than in Manitoba.

Alcoholic drinks purchased in Saskatchewan may be returned to Saskatchewan if the purchaser has the receipt showing that the deposit was paid. 

Thanks to everyone who completed the survey.

 

Originally published Sept 17, 2014 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.



The recent recycling survey shows that many people are not sure what is recyclable.

Here is the list for your fridge or some other handy place.

You can recycle:

-          Newspapers, all fliers, magazines, catalogues, phone books, promotional brochures.

-          Box board like cereal boxes and similar materials.

-          Office paper, envelopes (including windows), file folders, notebooks.

-          Shredded office paper in a separate bag.

-          Books.

-          All empty beverage containers: plastic, glass and aluminium.

-          Glass jars.

-          Milk and juice jugs, cartons or boxes that have been rinsed.

-          Tin cans that have been rinsed.

-          Plastic containers with the recycling symbol except # 6, which have been rinsed and/or drained.

-          Clean aluminium pans.

-          Corrugated cardboard.

-          Dry Cell batteries of all kinds in a closed plastic bag.

-          Electronic waste – info available at www.recyclemyelectronics.ca.

Here’s a tip for plastic recycling: If there is an ‘S’ in the letters below the recycling symbol it is a 6 and not recyclable. All others are.

A recycling trailer is available in the Extra Foods parking lot.

Curbside recycling is available in Creighton weekly on the second garbage day. There is no charge.

 In Flin Flon curbside recycling is available every second Wednesday. A red bag must be purchased at the Candy Bar, Acklands, Super K and the Recycling Centre for $3.50 which pays for the service. Two more bags or boxes will be picked up on the front curb with the red bag.

Large corrugated cardboard does not need to be bagged. It can be flattened and left underneath the recycling bags.

More info is available on facebook  - Flin Flon Recycling – or by calling 204 687 6169.

Originally published Sept 10, 1024 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

The hot water tank left at the Recycling Centre this past week is the inspiration for this column.

Many things left at the Recycling Centre are not recyclable like hot water tanks, ceiling tiles, window blinds, carpet, portable garages, appliances and furniture items.

Building materials, furniture and appliances that are in working and/or reusable condition should go to the ReStore at the old Armouries. If these items are not reusable, they belong in the landfill.

Metal items like eaves troughs, the frame of portable garages, car parts, bicycle frames, walkers, metal lamps, bathroom scales and appliances are recycled when left at the metal pile at the landfill. If only metal is taken to the Flin Flon landfill, the tipping fee will not be charged.

Vacuum cleaners, bread machines, exercise equipment, power tools are not recyclable. A list of the electronic waste that is recyclable is available at www.recycleMYelectronics.ca or from the Recycling Centre.

Styrofoam and plastic bags are not recyclable. Please check cardboard boxes and remove these items.

Last week a child’s splash pool completely inflated appeared on the dock. We left there and it seems someone took it home to use again which was exactly what we hoped would happen.  Children’s toys, car seats, strollers and other items are not recyclable.

Clothing should be taken to a second hand store.

A variety of other items left at the Recycling Centre including baskets, flip flops, lamp shades, foam padding and Christmas lights cannot be recycled.

Recycling staff use valuable time disposing of these items.

Please check the list for what is recyclable.  A list is available on facebook at Flin Flon Recycling and at www.flinflonrecycling.org  or call 204 687 6169.

Originally published Sept 3, 2014   The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

Some things Change…

The saying ‘The only thing guaranteed in life is change’ is very true for the Recycling program.

Recent changes include:

-          Dry cell battery recycling. Batteries of all types (computer, button, power tools) should be placed in a closed plastic bag with other recyclables.

-          Free curbside pickup of recyclables every week in Creighton.  The collector reports about 60% of Creighton residents are recycling and garbage has been reduced by at least 25%.

-          Another convenient place to drop off recycling. The City of Flin Flon purchased a trailer to collect recyclables.  It is parked in the Extra food parking lot.  A truck is left at the site when the trailer is emptied at the Recycling Centre.

-          Changes to the schedule for red bag curbside recycling. Recycling is collected from front curbs every other week in all of Flin Flon since Creighton has its own service. The September collection dates are September 3 and 17.

-          Increases in the number of business pickups. Businesses can have their recycling picked up on a regular schedule or as needed for a fee of $22.50 plus GST.

-          Fewer staff at the Recycling Centre. The number of positions was reduced from 6 fulltime to 4 fulltime and 1 part time since most materials are shipped to Winnipeg to be sorted.

-          Less weekend mess at the Centre. One staff person works a few hours each day on the weekend moving recyclables inside of the building.

-          Information and updates on Facebook – Flin Flon Recycling.

Recyclable materials continue to flow through the Centre to their next life. In 2014, two loads of e-waste (19 tonnes) and17 loads of recyclables (262 tonnes) have been shipped.

 

Originally published  Aug 27,2014 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

There is a variety of places to get rid of waste. Many household materials, tires, metal, used oil, batteries are recycled. Plant waste can be composted.

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

These items include paints, gasoline and other flammable liquids, pesticides, aerosol cans, cleaners and degreasers, glues, and medication. It also includes all sizes of 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 symbols with 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 and medications at the pharmacies.

All other items need to be kept until the Household Hazardous Waste collection, usually in September. Miller Environmental comes from Winnipeg and collects them from homeowners.

Thursday, September 18 is the day this year. The drop off spot will be at Centoba Park from 4 – 8 p.m.

Industries that make these products must provide for their proper disposal. Product Care is the organization in Manitoba. They pay for the annual collections.

They also provide information and financial support for the construction and operation of depots to collect these items all the time.

The Recycling Centre plans to work with the City of Flin Flon to make this happen.

Originally published Aug 20, 2014 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

In 1989, my New Year’s resolution was to use reusable grocery bags.  I bought five bags. I still use those bags plus a few more.  That was 25 years ago

Here is the math.  If I used my five bags 45 times a year, it saved 225 bags.  That is 5,625 bags in 25 years. 

It seems like my little bit isn’t going to save the earth. If you multiply that by 3,500 households in Flin Flon and Creighton there would be 19,687,500 fewer plastic bags in 25 years.  Multiply that by other communities in our great country. These numbers show that little habits can make a big difference. 

Reusing is an important habit to develop.  Here are some other useful tips.

-          Buy a good water bottle instead of bottled water.  Our water supply is very safe so it can be filled at the tap.

-          Use cloths for napkins, wiping up messes instead of paper towels.

-          Use a refillable coffee mug.

-          Get rid of unwanted items at garage sales, second hand stores or give them to local organizations or others who can use them.

-          Shop at the second hand stores.

-          Take your left over plastic bags to the Food bank or second hand stores.

-          Use leftover plastic containers for organizing things like toys, items in the workshop, etc.

Reusing is the second priority reducing our damage to the earth. Reducing is first.

An example is repairing things instead of buying new. It is cheaper for the environment even if it costs more.

Everything we have comes from the earth. Our little habits of reducing and reusing leave something for future generations. 

Originally published Aug 13, 2014  The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.


1.       Where and when was the first recycling collection in Flin Flon?

2.       The Recycling Centre has had ___ homes on Timber Lane?

3.       Which volunteer offered to help in 1993 and did almost every day for the next 15 years?

4.        What is the name of the recycling symbol with three arrows?

5.       Plastic bags and # _____ plastic are not recyclable locally?

6.       What colour are the bags used for curbside recycling service in Flin Flon?

7.       Who retired last fall after 12 years as administrator of the Recycling Centre?

8.       What percentage of revenue came from selling recyclables in 2013? 50%, 37%, 6%, 88%.

9.       The best year for recycling was ____ when 500 metric tons (tonnes) was collected.

10.   Who owns the Recycling Centre?

Answers:

1.       Paper for recycling was collected at Ross Lake Market Garden in November, 1992.

2.       Three:  # 7 from December 1994 to July 1996, #6 from August 1996 to March 2004. #9 Timber Lane is its current location.

3.       Bob Fortier’s work is a major reason there is a community recycling program today.

4.       Mobius Loop

5.       #6 plastic including Styrofoam.

6.       Red recycling bags are available at the Gas Bar, Acklands, Super K and Recycling Centre for $3.50. 2 more bags/boxes will also be picked up.

7.       Doreen Murray was the third and longest serving Administrator, guiding recycling through many challenges and changes.

8.       Six percent.

9.       2007 – The free curbside and business pickups were suspended at the end of that year as they were not sustainable, then reinstated with a fee.

10.   No one. It is owned by the Flin Flon & District Environment Council, Inc., a non-profit corporation.   

Originally published Aug 6, 2014 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

When Walt Disney was designing Disneyland he decided to place a garbage can every 30 steps after watching guests in other parks and calculating how far people would walk with trash before dropping it.

Some time ago, a Board member reported talking to someone he had seen littering. Their comment was “There isn’t any place to put it.”

This spring I went on a long walk in Flin Flon with a friend. As usual, I picked up a couple of aluminium cans and was looking for a recycling bin. There were no bins of any kind for a very long time.

The Recycling Centre placed six recycling bins at the neighbourhood reunions in 2000. All but one were placed beside garbage cans. The lonely recycling bin had a lot of garbage in it while the others had very little.   

I was very disappointed when a major retailer returned their bins from the Recycle Everywhere program because there was too much garbage in them.  The garbage containers were 4 feet away.

The morale of these stories is Location, location, location.

There needs to be a handy place for people to put things when they are done with them.  They also need to have a convenient choice. 

Garbage and recycling containers need to be located together, less than one foot apart. As was demonstrated at the 2000 reunion and the retail location, when people are given the choice of garbage or recycling, they will make the right choice.

Clarification to a recent column: Smoothie cups at McDonalds are #5 plastic and lids #1. Both are recyclable. The single serve yogurt containers are often #6 plastic and not recyclable. Larger yogurt containers are.  

Originally published  July 30, 2014 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

Canadians dispose of 28 million tires every year. Over one million new tires are purchased in Manitoba every year. What happens to the old ones? Traditionally, they took up huge amounts of space in landfills. The smoke and run off from burning tires is very hazardous to people and the environment. 

 Tires were one of the first products that included a recycling fee when they were purchased to pay for recycling when they were worn out.

This Thursday, July 31 the Tire Stewardship Program will be at Canadian Tire with information about the tire recycling program.  They also have tire maintenance tips so help tires last longer before they need to be recycled.  More information is available at www.tirestewardhipmb.ca.

Currently, tires are collected at the Flin Flon landfill for the whole community including Creighton and Denare Beach.   There is no tipping fee if there are only tires in a load.

When there are more than 800 passenger tires, or 300 semi tires collected a semi-trailer is loaded and sent to Reliable Tire in Winnipeg. 

A wide variety of products are made from tires by this company including sidewalk blocks, stepping stones, parking curbs and rubber mulch. They make mats for a variety of uses including blasting, kennels, gyms, and hockey rinks.

A variety of surfaces like asphalt and gravel driveways and decks can be covered with the recycled rubber product. The rubber surface doesn’t crack and discolour even in the harsh winters. 

Another product is rubber pavement for streets and roads.  It is very quiet, and lasts much longer than traditional pavement. It has been used on section of Portage Avenue in Winnipeg. More info is available at www.rtrrubber.ca. 

Originally published July 23, 2014  The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

The mountain of materials to be bagged and baled has been huge lately so I have joined our great crew processing it. Here are some observations:

-          If it if on the list, recycle it. If it is not, throw it in the garbage.

-          Many bags and boxes arrive with only materials that are on the list. Everything is clean. Those bags are fast and make our job easier.

-          We cannot recycle containers with hazardous liquids.  

-          All containers that had liquids (including liquid detergent!) in them need to be rinsed and drained before recycling.  When they aren’t, it often contaminates paper and other items which make them unrecyclable.   

-          Food containers with more than faint traces of peanut butter, yogurt or whatever will end up in the garbage.

-          We have more garbage than our large dumpster can hold. It is emptied twice a week. Most of it is plastic bags and wrappers, coffee cups, Styrofoam, unnumbered and number six plastic containers.

-          Common number six items are small yogurt cups (except Dairyland) and disposable plastic cups including specialty drinks. Some (like McDonalds smoothie cups) are number one (PETE) and recyclable.  Tim’s and many slushie drinks are number six. 

-          We can’t recycle ceiling tiles, eaves troughs, fans, toys, furniture, vacuum cleaners, etc.

-          Place recyclables that are not in a bag or closed box in the blue bins at the Recycling Centre. This keeps things cleaner and easier to handle.

-          We recycle electronics if they are on the list. All items should be placed on the loading dock at the Recycling Centre. A list is available at the Centre or at www.recycleMYelectronics.ca.

Thanks for recycling.

Originally published July 9, 2014  The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop. 


The question in the title is one that Recycling Centre staff are asked frequently. It refers to other provinces like Saskatchewan where money is paid for beverage containers returned for recycling.

The answer is because the deposit wasn’t collected when the container was purchased.

Why isn’t a deposit collected?  Because it is more expensive.

For example, when I buy a bottle of pop in Saskatchewan I am charged a ten cent deposit and a 6 cent recycling levy. The deposit is higher for larger containers like two litre bottles.

If the can or bottle is returned to a SARCAN depot, the ten cent deposit is returned. The six cents is not returned as it is needed to run the deposit program.

In Manitoba, a two cent enviro levy is charged for non-alcoholic beverage containers to support beverage container recycling.

Compared to Manitoba the deposit system in Saskatchewan costs four cents more if the container is returned for deposit. If it is not returned, it costs 14 cents more.

All businesses selling non-alcoholic beverages in the Saskatchewan areas of our community participate in the Manitoba system.

It is illegal to take beverage containers sold in our community to Saskatchewan for recycling because the deposit was not paid when the beverage was purchased. It also reduces the subsidy paid to the local recycling program as it is paid by how much is recycled.

It is very interesting how many beer containers can be found on road sides, at the recycling Centre and at the landfill even though they can be returned for a deposit in our community.

Next week, where does the two cent enviro levy in Manitoba go?

Originally published July 16, 2014  The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

Last week’s column discussed why Manitoba doesn’t have a deposit system like Saskatchewan which pays 10 cents or more when beverage containers are returned for recycling. 

In Manitoba the enviro levy to support recycling is two cents.  Saskatchewan’s recycling fee is six cents.

What happens with those two cents to make recycling happen in Manitoba?

Some of it provides a subsidy to the recycling program for each tonne recycled.  The rest goes to the Recycle Everywhere program.

Recycle Everywhere is Canada’s first province-wide, away from home beverage container recycling program. It is operated by the Canadian Beverage Containers Recycling Association or CBCRA for short. It is an industry funded non-profit organization.

The government has required that they recover 75% of all the beverage containers sold in Manitoba. The CBCRA has stated they want to achieve this by 2016. They are well on their way at more than 60%.

Recycle Everywhere partners with communities, businesses, institutions, and events throughout Manitoba by providing them with Recycle Everywhere bins free of charge.  There is a wide variety of bin styles and sizes to choose from.

In Flin Flon, there are six bins on Main Street, 19 in the parks and 17 at the Whitney Forum.  Many businesses and other work places are taking advantage of this program.  

It is best to have a recycling bin beside every garbage container in public areas. This gives people the option to recycle every time and prevents garbage in the recycling bins.

Your two cents makes it easy for Manitobans to make the right choice and recycle their beverage containers at less than half the cost.

For more info about free bins, go to RecycleEverywhere.ca.

Originally published May24, 2014 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

2014 is almost half over. After a very slow February and March, the amount of materials processed at the Recycling Centre is greater than last year at this time. 

At the end of May, the Centre had processed 158.2 metric tons (tonnes) of materials in 2014.  This is 1.6 tonnes ahead of May last year. Cardboard is ahead of 2013 by 4 tonnes, which means household and office paper recycling is down from last year.

The goal for 2014 is 500 tonnes.

Here is some other trivia.

In May: 

100 bales were made which is two and a half semi-trailers.   

There were:

·         56 bales of cardboard.

·         33 bales of comingled materials  

·         4 bales of newspaper

·         6 bales of office paper.

·         1 box of books

 1.7 tonnes of glass was processed to be used locally.

In May, recycling became more convenient for Creighton residents with weekly free curbside pickup.

There are now two places recyclables can be dropped off in Flin Flon. In addition to the Recycling Centre, a green trailer is parked in the Extra Foods lot closer to Canadian Tire.

 The back section of the trailer is for cardboard. The boxes need to be flattened and put into the trailer through the space at the top.

All other materials should be in closed bags or boxes and be placed in the front of the trailer. There are two small doors on each side of the trailer.

Our summer student is working with the Recycle Everywhere program which offers free bins for public spaces including parks and businesses in Manitoba. Anyone who is interested in these bins should call Robin at the Centre at 204 687 6169.

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

Every time I see an aluminium can in the garbage I cringe. In my opinion, it should be illegal to throw them away.

I did some research and found that recycling aluminium is a very simple process which uses 95% less electricity than making it from scratch.

To put that in perspective, recycling one aluminium can saves enough energy to light one 100 watt light bulb for 20 hours or power one laptop for over 5 hours.

There are other environmental issues that make recycling aluminium a much better idea.

Making aluminium from the raw material called bauxite requires lots of cheap electricity so aluminium plants have large hydroelectric dams close by. These dams cause major damage to the natural flow of rivers.

Fluoride is the main chemical used in making aluminium. The process results in several toxic left overs that contain fluoride. These may be released into the environment, usually as gases into the air. In countries with poor regulations and reporting laws, there can be considerable health problems for workers and pollution in the environment. This has been documented in several places.

Aluminium is made in many parts of the world.  China is the largest producer.  

Aluminium can be recycled over and over again. A recycled can may become another aluminium can within 60 days.

According to Wikipedia, Brazil recycles the most at 98% of its aluminium cans. The US recycled 31%.

If it is not recycled, an aluminium can will take 500 years to break down.

Recycling aluminium is easy and so environmentally friendly, it should be illegal to throw aluminium cans away.

So if you see any, be sure to get them to the Recycling Centre.