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

‘Recycle and Save the Future’ was the positive message on our entry in the Trout Festival Parade. The negative one stated ‘Don’t throw your future away, Recycle.’

These are quite simplistic statements. While the health of our planet is more complex than just recycling, it is a big part of the solution .

Our parade entry also featured a semitrailer to symbolize the 26 semi loads of recyclables kept out of landfills in 2014.

People have told us the image of 26 trailer loads was quite impressive.

Here is another image. The garbage truck in Flin Flon takes ten loads of garbage to the landfill every week. Imagine 520 garbage trucks in a row in 2014. 

I would like to change the picture to 52 semi loads recycled and 260 garbage trucks to the landfill.

So what can be recycled in our community?

The following items are collected at the Recycling Centre:

- newspapers, fliers, magazines, catalogues, books, box board (cereal boxes, etc) beverage containers, plastic containers with the numbers inside a recycling symbol with the exception of #6, tins cans, aluminium cans, office paper, glass containers,  corrugated cardboard, electronics and household batteries. 

Recyclables can be dropped off anytime at the Recycling Centre at 9 Timber Lane or in the trailer by Canadian Tire. Residential pickup is available in Flin Flon and Creighton.

The following items are recycled from local landfills:

-          Used motor oil, metal items, car batteries, and tires (Flin Flon only).

This information is available at grocery stores, on the Flin Flon Recycling facebook page or on the web at www.flinflonrecycling.org.

Questions can also be answered by calling the Recycling Centre at 204 687 6169.

Originally published July 8/15  The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

When I arrived at the Trout Festival BBQ in Pioneer Square on Thursday evening there were several barrels for garbage and only the two resident recycling bins available. Soft drinks and water bottles were on the menu.

We are told the best way to get beverage containers into recycling bins in public spaces is to have a recycling bin beside every garbage container. This makes it easy for people to choose to recycle. It also keeps most of the garbage out of the recycling.

We placed a recycling bin beside every garbage container in the Square Thursday evening.

It worked.

When we collected the bags Friday morning there were lots of beverage containers and very little garbage in the recycling bins. There were almost no beverage containers in the garbage.

We put new bags in the recycling bins and paired them with all the garbage bins on Main Street for Trout Festival Main St Days. We placed the garbage bins from Pioneer Square beside the lonely recycling bins.

 It had worked again. The recycling bins had mostly beverage containers. Very few were in the garbage bins beside them.

I picked up several beverage containers that were lying around on the street and sidewalks so we still have some work to do.

People seem to choose to recycle in public spaces when it is easy to make the right choice.

I wish everyone would make the same choice at home. Several friends admitted they don’t recycle after I noticed an aluminium can in the garbage.  

It can’t get much easier to recycle at home with curbside pickup available in Flin Flon and Creighton and a trailer for recyclables parked at Extra Foods.

Deciding to change habits is the hard part. 

Originally published July 3/15   The Reminder, Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

 I was thinking about the ongoing issue of why we don’t give money for beverage containers that are recycled. And then I thought about the grocery carts at the Coop.

What is the connection?

The focus of this discussion is usually on how much money a person gets for returning drink containers.  It is rare that anyone thinks about where that money comes from.

It isn’t government or businesses giving you their money.

They are just giving you your money back. It is like getting the loonie out of the grocery cart that you put in when you started.

In Saskatchewan, you will pay a ten cent deposit when you purchase an average sized beverage. It is more for larger drinks. That is the ten cents you get back.

There is also a six cent recycling levy that is not returned. It pays the costs of the deposit system.

The Manitoba system has a two cent environment levy that is not returned.

It is illegal to take beverage containers from our community to Saskatchewan with the exception of liquor containers.

It is illegal because you have not given them any of your money for them to give back to you. You are taking money from the system that does not belong to you.

Many believe getting money back would result in less litter. However, our experience with beer containers contradicts that argument.

A ten cent deposit is returned for empty beer containers in Manitoba. Beer containers are the majority of beverage containers littering our roadsides and a large number of them can be found at the landfill.

I won’t pick the best system.  We just need to follow the system we have. 

Originally published June 24/15 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

I was challenged once by a young person when I picked up some garbage. “Why? It’s not your garbage.”  “But it is my community.”

It has been obvious a lot of people in our community feel this way. There was great support for the Shoreline cleanup and 20 Minutes of Magic initiatives. Some picked up garbage without any program just to keep our community looking great.

The big challenge is preventing littering in the first place.

More garbage/recycling bins would make a difference.  Disney’s parks have bins every 30 steps after Walt Disney spent time at another amusement park observing how often people dropped litter on the ground.

Businesses could place bins in spots close by where garbage tends to collect. Municipal governments and schools could put out more bins in parks and school yards.

Litter bugs need to change their habits. If there is no garbage can or recycling bin available, people should put it in a pocket, leave it in a vehicle or hold on to it until it can be placed in a garbage can or recycling bin.

Passenger truck drivers should remove small light weight items from an uncovered box.

Understanding why people litter is challenging. Where do they think it will go?

Litter does not break down very quickly.

Here are some examples of how long it takes.

Banana peels – 1 month

Corn based plastic – 45 days

Cigarette butts – up to 10 years

Aluminium cans – 200 to 500 years

Plastic bag – up to 1,000 years

Styrofoam cup – 1 million years

There is a proper place for these items. Banana peels can be composted. Aluminium cans should be recycled. The rest go in a garbage bin. 

Originally published June 17/15 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

Fundraising has always been a reality for the Recycling Centre.

In past years it was an important part of making sure recycling had the financial resources to continue. As the program has evolved it is not as critical, but still necessary.

Two traditional events are planned for June 27.

The Sixth Annual Voyageur Canoe Challenge will take place on Ross Lake by Stittco at 1:30, or after the Family Canoe event. Teams of six to ten paddle a course in a historic 25 foot Voyageur Canoe. Each team’s time is recorded.

The prize is lots of fun and bragging rights. Last year the Flin Flon School Division took the title from the Denare Beach Yacht and Cattleman’s Association who had held the title since the event began.

The entry fee is $100.00 per team. Teams should have at least 2 members with some experience in a canoe. Most teams have 10 people. The race is about 5 minutes of reasonably strenuous exertion.  Paddles and life jackets are provided.

To register a team, call Greg at 204 687 0754.

The Cabar-eh! will end the day with great music. This year Alan Gerber and his daughter Hannah from Montreal will start the show. Their energetic show was a real hit the last time they were in town.

Local talent will be featured in the second half of the evening with the Basic Blues Band. Performers include Jen Hanson, John Bettger, Krazz, Chris Freeman, Brent Lethbridge and friends.  Rumour has it there will be dancing.

Tables of 8 are available for $200.00. Call Greg at 204 687 0754 to reserve yours.

The Recycling program greatly appreciates the community support.

Originally published  June 10/15 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

The end of school is coming quickly. It is an exciting time for children. It also means there are lots of school things to clean up and put away.

When cleaning up after school remember that reusing is more important for the environment than recycling.  The most environmentally friendly thing families can do is save binders, pens, pencils, unused paper, etc. and reuse them next year.  

Kids are great recyclers, so the Recycling Centre receives more than usual from the schools at this time of year.  Most of it can be recycled. There are a variety of things that come to the Centre that cannot be recycled.

What can be recycled?

Loose leaf paper, white or coloured office paper (the paper used in photocopiers for worksheets etc.) is the most common item.  Notebooks can be recycled. Taking the covers off is helpful. Paper tang folders, file folders, paper dividers, books, beverage containers and boxes are recyclable. Poster board is recyclable if it doesn’t have other things stuck to it.

The following items are not recyclable: 3 ring binders, construction paper, laminated paper, art projects with different kinds of collage materials and anything plastic like report covers, tang folders, page protectors. Food wrappers, Kleenex, paper towels, plastic bags, things to write with like pencils, markers etc., pencil cases, and glue sticks are not recyclable.

Did you know that recycling one metric ton (tonne) of paper save 17 trees, 7,000 gallons of water, and 3.5 cubic metres of landfill space?

School children often lead families to recycle. That makes sense as recycling goes a long way to making sure we leave a good world for our children.

Originally published June 3/15 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

Little bits of recycling information can be found in many places.  Here is a sample from links on the Green Manitoba website.
-          Seventy percent of ‘garbage’ from homes can be recycled or composted.
-          Recycled plastic is used in pillows, comforters, sleeping bags, scrub pads, grill covers and road bed and pond liners.
-          Recycling five 2 litre bottles makes enough polyester for a square yard of carpet. Two 2 litre bottles makes enough polyester fibre for a ball cap.
-          Thirty five percent of the world demand for aluminium is met with recycled materials.
-          Recycling one aluminium can saves 95% of the energy used to make a new one from raw ore.
-          Seventy-five percent of all aluminium produced since 1888 is still used today.
-          Recycled tires are made into blasting mats and a variety of other things.
-          Recycling one metric ton (tonne) of plastic bottles saved 3.8 barrels of oil.
-          Recycling one tonne of paper saves 17 trees, 7,000 gallons of water and 3.5 cubic metres of landfill space.
-          One half a kilogram of newspaper can be recycled into six cereal boxes, six egg cartons or 2,000 sheets of writing paper.
-          Making steel from new iron ore can use 50 percent more water than making it from recycled steel.

More information and links are available at www.greenmanitoba.ca  under the recycling tab.  A-Z Recycling Guide includes information on some unusual items. The Industry stewardship programs section has links to a variety of programs.

Green Manitoba is a special operating agency of the Manitoba government dedicated to creating a cleaner and greener Manitoba. It provides programs and information related to waste reduction. 

Originally published May 27/15 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.


The 20 Minutes of Magic Community Cleanup program was a resounding success.

The Northern Community Cleanup program is sponsored by the Canadian Beverage Containers Recycling Association (CBCRA) and Multi Material Stewardship Manitoba (MMSM). These are organizations sponsored by industry to subsidize recycling programs.

They provided shirts, gloves, bags, and prizes.  Acklands also donated some gloves.

In past years, Acklands- Grainger organized the clean-up calling it 20 Minutes of Magic. The Recycling Centre organized it this year. We liked the name so we kept it.

Many people helped out. The three schools in Flin Flon cleaned up in their areas. Other groups took on Sipple Hill, Phantom Lake Road, the  Creighton Freeway to Super K, Second Ave/Callinan area, Kingsway/ Creekside Park area, Hill St., Hapnot St., Church St., Main St., 5th Ave back lanes area.

Some people cleaned in their neighbourhoods without registering.

The work goes on as IAM has signed up to do the Perimeter this week.  The 2nd Annual Flinty Boardwalk Shoreline Clean-up is being organized for Saturday, June 13th.

The Recycling Centre staff picked up 277 kg of garbage and 32 kg of recyclables collected on Friday by those who had registered. Many people disposed of their own bags so these weights would be much larger.

The CBCRA and MMSM sponsored prizes. Two $100.00 grocery gift cards will be drawn for today. Flin Flon is in the draw from all the participating Northern communities for a $5,000.00 prize for a recycling project.  It will be drawn on July 17, 2015.

The Recycling Centre is planning another community cleanup in August. If you would like to help, contact Becky at 204 687 6169.

Thanks to everyone our community is looking great. 

Originally published May 20/15  The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

People are creatures of habits. Convincing them to change takes time.

Reality requires a lot of patience and understanding that every small gain is a positive step in the bigger picture.

Sometimes, I would just like to have a genie in a bottle I could call forth to make things happen right away.

My genie would make:

1.       Everyone recycle all they can at home and at work.

2.       All recycling go in clear bags and garbage in dark ones.

3.       All waste containers placed in pairs, one for recycling and one for garbage.

4.       Everyone put their waste in garbage or recycling bins so there is no litter.

5.       Everyone take their garbage to the landfill not the bush.

6.       A community depot available year round for hazardous waste.

7.       A community compost for all plant waste and everyone could have compost for lawns and gardens.

8.       All beverage containers stay here and not go to Saskatchewan.

Since I haven’t found the right bottle with the genie yet, I have to be patient.

The good news is we are making progress on many of these items.

Recycling continues to grow. We are looking at ways to make it grow faster. Curbside every week is one.

There is a project in the works for side by side garbage/recycling bins on Main St. Many bins in the parks are paired.

There are discussions about a year round hazardous waste collection depot and potential for composting.

We are sponsoring a litter clean-up campaign with some nice prizes. We hope to coordinate a project to clean up some of the garbage in the bush next summer.

The genie is people working together. 

Originally published May 13/15   The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

In recent weeks, I have had several opportunities to look back over the 22 years since recycling began in Flin Flon.

Many individuals and single events were critical to recycling being established in our community.

The first two years paper was collected in a semi-trailer at the Ross Lake Market Garden one weekend a month. It showed that people wanted to recycle.

One afternoon Bob Fortier volunteered to help. He did almost every day for the next 15 years. His daily attention to details and his experience organizing space, operating equipment and shipping were a huge help.  Recycling wouldn’t be what it is without his dedicated service.

In 1995 we began getting paid for paper. We shared loads going to Edmonton with Thompson Recycling. That brief partnership allowed us to benefit from very high prices for recyclables at that time.

That year the government mandated program to significantly subsidize recycling provided more revenue as paper prices fell significantly.

In 1996, Flin Flon City Council with Mayor Graham Craig gave us a grant of $65,000.00 to purchase a baler and other equipment. That single decision established the recycling program in our community.

In 2004, we purchased the building at 9 Timber Lane and began running the Flin Flon Landfill. The rental income and landfill contract got us through the tough years.  It continues to subsidize the Recycling program.

A business plan that included charging for pickup services and a new funding arrangement with Flin Flon and Creighton allowed the program to continue.  The decision in late 2013 to send materials to Winnipeg for sorting means the Recycling program has moved from surviving to planning ahead.

Recycling is here to stay. 

Originally published May 6/15   The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

Every spring the snow gives up its secrets, and it isn’t pretty.

The litter it covered up all winter long is there for all to see.

It needs to be cleaned up.

The Recycling Centre is organizing the ‘20 Minutes of Magic’ clean-up campaign which was coordinated in past years by Acklands Grainger.

It is part of the Northern Community Clean-up program co-sponsored by the Canadian Beverage Container Recycling Association (CBCRA) and Multi- Materials Stewardship of Manitoba (MMSM). CBCRA provides free recycling bins through the Recycle Everywhere program and MMSM subsidizes the recycling program.

There are prizes. All northern communities participating will be entered in a random draw for one $5,000.00 prize to be used for a recycling project. Participants can enter for a local draw for two $200.00 grocery gift cards.

Friday May 22 is the designated day.  Groups register to take 20 minutes and clean up an area of the community.  If teams want a different day that week, they can make arrangements with the Recycling Centre.

Gloves, bags, and t-shirts are available to teams who register.

As this is sponsored by recycling organizations, the recyclables such as cans and bottles  should be collected in clear bags and the garbage in black bags.

The schools are in again this year.

Groups can register by picking up a registration forms posted at the grocery stores, or requesting an electronic copy by emailing [email protected] or calling 204 687 6169.

All the bags need to be weighed and recorded so the Recycling Centre will be picking them up.

Areas that have already been cleaned up can be registered as well.

Let’s all take 20 minutes and do our part. 

Originally published Apr 29/15   The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

Many dream of travelling in a spaceship.  A few have experienced it. Projects are underway that would make public space travel a reality if you have lots of money.

A spaceship is a closed vehicle that travels through space. It must have systems to provide air, food and water, waste management and temperature control so the crew can survive.

Each person on the space ship must follow all the rules to ensure the systems continue to work for everyone. If one person eats too much food or puts waste in the wrong place the results could be disastrous for everyone.

In reality, we all are traveling on a space ship. The earth is a closed vehicle traveling around the sun. Aside from the energy from the sun, the Earth is the only source of what we need to survive.

 It has complex systems that provide us with the food, water, air and climate we need to live.

Everything we do has an impact on the earth. We take the materials for everything we have from the earth. We need to be careful so our actions do not destroy these life support systems.

Laws to protect the environment have been made which has reduced or prevented damage.  However, as scientists learn more it is clear these life support systems are being strained by human activity.

Everyone needs to form habits that reduce our harm to the environment.

Recycling uses less energy and resources than making things from scratch.

We need to make do with what we have and reuse what we can.

Reducing or using less is the most important thing to do to protect the life support systems on our spaceship.  

Originally published  Apr 20/15 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

Today is the 45th anniversary of Earth Day.

The first one was in 1970. Senator Gaylord Nelson from Wisconsin was inspired after seeing the devastation of a massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California in 1969.

He saw the great energy youth were bringing to the anti- war movement and decided to channel it to bring attention to the activities causing environmental damage.

Awareness of the pollution problem  had been growing since the early 1960’s. Senator Nelson, a Democrat recruited Senator Pete McCloskey, a Republican and hired a national coordinator who provided information and organized events.

The day was a rousing success with many demonstrations across the United States. It brought together people from both sides of the politics, and all walks of life. Many people were concerned about specific issues such as oil spills, factory pollution, raw sewage dumping in water, toxic waste dumps, pesticide use, loss of wilderness and animals becoming extinct.

In 1990 it went global with 200 million people in 45 countries.

The focus has changed to recycling in 1990 and climate change in 2000, which is an ongoing issue.

Things have changed in 45 years. There is more consideration of the environment and laws to protect it.

More needs to be done.

A short paragraph labelled ‘The Danger Zone’ on the Bad News page of the February 2, 2015 Maclean’s magazine stated that according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,  temperatures last year were the hottest every recorded. Researchers in the journal ‘Science’ say we have now crossed four of nine ‘planetary boundaries needed for people to thrive. They include changes to climate, oceans and biodiversity.

Every day needs to be Earth Day.

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

Flin Flon City Council Chambers is the place to be on Wednesday April 29 at 7:00 p.m. It is the Annual General Meeting of the Flin Flon & District Environment Council, Inc., the non-profit organization which operates the community recycling program.

The organization evolved from the Flin Flon Round Table on the Environment and the Economy formed in the late 1980’s. The small group of people remaining decided to be the Environment Committee in 1992. The goal was to encourage people to be more environmentally friendly.

Recycling was becoming common in many places, so the Committee researched the possibilities. The first recycling collection was November, 1992.

As recycling grew, so did the need for donations and grants. The group incorporated as a non-profit corporation in 1995. This made it a legal entity, providing the accountability required for funding organizations.

That was 20 years ago.

At that time, all the work was done by volunteers with the exception of a couple of summer students.

Today the organization has 10 employees. It is a landlord, a contractor for landfill services as well as operating a successful community recycling collection program.

Recycling is the main focus so other environmental issues are on the back burner.

Over the year, 32 different people have served on the Board of Directors for the organization. Three have been there since the beginning.

New Board members are always welcome.

The first half of the meeting on April 29 is your opportunity to find more about the recycling program and to ask questions.  There will awards for local businesses, individuals and employees.

For more information call 204 687 6169.

A Brief History of Recycling is available at www.flinflonrecycing.org/news. 

Originally published Apr 8/15   The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

Check out the recycling booth this year at the Leisure show at the Sportex April 23, 24 & 25. It is designed to encourage more people to recycle, and to make it easier for those who are.

There will be samples of what is recyclable and draws for recycling bags and bins. Staff will be available to answer questions.

Many households are recycling. Current recycling tonnages indicate the majority are not.

Why is this?

Weekly residential recycling pickups, and a trailer at Extra Foods makes it is easier than ever before to recycle instead of sending everything to the landfill.

The Recycling Centre and the Recycle Everywhere program survey last summer asked what prevented people from recycling at home.

Lack of space and lack of information were the most common of the reasons given. Laziness was next at 13%.

The amount of space needed is much less with weekly residential pickups in both Creighton and Flin Flon. Sorting materials is not required so everything can go in one container.

If the cost of the red bag in Flin Flon is a problem, recycling can be dropped off at the trailer in the lot beside Canadian Tire and Walmart or at the Recycling Centre at 9 Timber Lane.

Pickup is free in Creighton.

Information is available at the grocery stores, on the web at www.flinflonrecycling.org, on the Flin Flon Recycling Facebook page or by calling 204 687 6169.

So there really is no reason not to recycle.

The survey reflected this as 41% didn’t list anything that prevented them from recycling and 10% said nothing.

Come see us at the Leisure show. We will help you get started. 

Originally published  Apr 1/15 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

The Devil is in the Details

I was looking for a recycling bin on two occasions recently after rescuing an aluminium can from the garbage. I knew recycling bins were available. Both times I found one a considerable distance from the garbage container.

Recycling and garbage containers need to be paired. They are best side by side or less than 10 feet away. This gives people the choice to recycle or throw away.

If they aren’t paired many recyclables end up in the garbage and a lot of garbage ends up in recycling. The waste audit of the Main Street bins last summer found a 55% contamination rate in the recycling bins.

By the way, we are working with the City to pair the Main St. bins.

Drippy, Sticky or Gooey

My foot kept slipping off the pedal when I was driving the forklift the other day. I had stepped in a small puddle of liquid laundry soap that had dripped from a bale.

We find little puddles regularly when we move bales. Usually it is laundry soap. Once it was caramel sauce.

Containers with leftover liquids leak. The baling process pops lids and/or breaks the containers. Some paper products in the bale of mixed materials are contaminated as a result and won’t be recycled.

Containers don’t need to be perfectly clean, but should be rinsed and/or drained so they are not drippy, sticky or gooey. 

No Excuse

There really isn’t any reason not to recycle in Creighton and Flin Flon. Weekly home pick up service and no need to sort means it takes very little space.

It is amazing how little garbage will be left. Information is available at www.flinflonrecycling.org.

Originally published Mar 25/15  The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

A couple of years ago I observed a community compost during a tour of the Steinbach landfill. It had been in operation for more than a year.

The compost was piled on a cement pad designed for drainage and for machines to turn it on a regular basis. The temperature inside the pile was monitored.  Compost needs to be warm enough for the process to happen. Once it starts the process it creates heat which keeps it going.

 Our tour guide said the pile had been warm enough to compost all winter.

People bring their compostables to the landfill. In the summer it is also collected on Saturday mornings at three depots in town. 

Steinbach uses the finished compost in their parks. It is free for people to use in their yards.

Composting reduces waste going into landfills by 30%.

There are 53 composting sites in Manitoba. 

The Manitoba government is encouraging more communities to compost.

Grants are available to develop a site and purchase equipment.  There are incentive payments for every metric ton (tonne) of compost made. 

Composting makes a lot of sense in our community. Most of the black soil here came from somewhere else.  Free compost would be put to good use.

A community compost at the landfill makes the most sense in my opinion. Materials for composting should be exempt from tipping fees like tires and metal.

This program is quite new in Manitoba. The mayor of Flin Flon has expressed interest in finding out more. 

I am not sure what is available in Saskatchewan for Creighton and Denare Beach.

Composting would be a great program for the whole community, regardless of provincial boundaries. 

Originally published  Mar 18/15  The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

Composting is form of recycling that can be completed in our community. It takes care of 30-40% of waste and the new material can be put to good use.  

Plant waste such as vegetable peels, grass clippings, leaves, garden waste, and wood chips can be composted. The result is a soil fertilizer that does more than chemicals.

Compost adds a wide variety of nutrients and micro-organisms to soil. It doesn’t wash away into rivers and streams and helps keep the soil moist.

A compost pile can be created in your back yard with or without a bin. Municipalities and private businesses can compost on a much bigger scale.

The process will take a few months to a year or more, depending on how much attention it receives and how much ‘greens’ and ‘browns’ are in the mix.

Greens are vegetable and fruit scraps (fresh, cooked, or canned), coffee grounds/filters, tea leaves/bags, garden waste, fresh weeds without seeds, fresh grass clippings which are rich in nitrogen.

Browns are dry leaves, straw, dry hay, sawdust, woodchips from untreated wood, twigs, dried grass clippings, dried weeds without seeds, shredded paper napkins, tissue paper which are rich in carbon.

Eggshells, plain rice and pasta, bread, hair, wool, cotton can also be composted. 

A layer of black dirt will get the compost started. Mixing in browns and keeping it moist but not too wet will keep it from smelling.

The compost will work faster if it is stirred regularly which can be weekly to every month.

Meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, oily foods, bones, pet waste, weeds with mature seeds, plants infected with disease, plastic/petroleum products, metals, synthetic materials cannot be composted.

More information is available at http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/composting-basics-and-getting-started/. 

Originally published Mar 11/15 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

Recycling and Waste reduction: a Discussion Paper is available online at www.gov.mb.ca/conservation/envprograms/recycling/index.html for review and comments from citizens of Manitoba. The deadline is March 20, 2015.

This is not a new concept for the Manitoba government. Since the mid 1990’s it has reduced the amount of waste going to landfills by 15% while the population grew by 14%.

Most of us just think about garbage but the term solid waste is much bigger including construction waste, used oil, electronics, hazardous waste, tires, grass and other yard waste.

Green Manitoba, the branch of government focused on waste reduction has several programs designed to achieve their goal.

Extended producer responsibility is one that in my view has the biggest impact. It requires industries whose products create waste to help take care of it. Examples are used oil, tires, electronics (e-waste), household recyclables, beverage containers and agricultural projects. 

Industries fund producer responsible organizations (PRO’s) which are non-profit. The PRO’s run programs that make it affordable for communities to recycle what is recyclable and dispose of hazardous waste safely.

All of these programs are operating in Flin Flon except Household Hazardous waste.

Support for household recycling from Multi Material Stewardship of Manitoba has been vital to the survival of recycling in our community. The recycling program has been receiving this subsidy since 1995.  

Green Manitoba’s current focus is community composting. This is a program Flin Flon still needs to take advantage of.

 Manitoba still has the third highest rate of waste per person in Canada. The discussion paper sets a new goal of cutting that rate in half by 2020.

More information about these programs is available at www.greenmanitoba.ca.

Originally published  Mar 4/15  The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

I am uncomfortable about the incredible number of plastic bags sent to the landfill from the Recycling Centre.

Some plastic bags are here because people don’t know we do not recycle them.

We do not collect plastic bags for recycling because we have no place to send most of them. Only a few kinds could be sent and the most common bags including grocery bags are not included.

The real conundrum for me is that we are responsible for most of the bags sent to the landfill.

I looked up the word conundrum. It is a difficult problem that cannot really be solved.

Here is the conundrum. Our facility does not have ground level access. We cannot drive into our building to remove loose recyclables for processing.

Other centres have trucks that dump it on the floor. It is moved with a machine to a sort line. The Pas pulls trailers into their building and removes the large containers of recyclables from the trailer with a forklift.

Our building has a loading dock on the front. Creating access at the back of the building would require a considerable amount of blasting very close to the building. Our lot is too narrow to create access at the side. All of this would have a high cost.

So for now, everything arrives contained in something. Most often a plastic bag is used, although boxes are fine.

The only exception is the blue bins at the Centre where people can place loose recyclables.  The bags in these bins are reused as many times as possible.

I rationalize this conundrum by reminding myself that each bag we throw away means  much more has been kept from the landfill. 

Originally published  Feb 25/15  The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

The Red Bag Curbside Recycling program offered in Flin Flon by the Recycling Centre is designed to encourage people to recycle by making it convenient. This service has been offered every other week since 2010.

Many people who recycle find it difficult to keep track of which week is recycling week.  Others find storing recyclables for two weeks takes too much space and is messy.  If they are away recycling week, it is too long between pickups.

The Recycling Centre is changing the program to address these concerns.  The Red Bag curbside service will be available every Wednesday beginning March 4, 2015 for a six month trial period.

This means every Wednesday recycling in a red bag will be picked up from the front curb. Homes do not have to put it out every week but they can.

The bags cost $3.50 which pays for the service. Two more bags or boxes will be picked up with one red bag.

Large cardboard does not need to be bagged. It should be flattened and placed under the bags.

Red bags may be purchased at the Gas Bar, Super K, Pharmasave, Dollar Store, Acklands, Coop, and the Recycling Centre.

This change is being made to encourage more people to recycle. Mess and taking up too much space have been the most common reasons given by those who don’t recycle. The other common one is laziness. Curbside pickup addresses these issues.

Recycling information is available at grocery stores, on the web at www.flinflonrecycling.org, and Flin Flon Recycling Facebook page or by calling 204 687 6169.

Everything we have comes from the earth. If you’re not recycling, you are throwing it all away.

 

Originally published  Jan 28, 2015  The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

Last week it was OCC. This week’s acronym is ICI. It refers to Industrial, Commercial and Institutional recycling. In other words, it is recycling in work places.

Many workplaces in our community recycle. The Recycling Centre picks up from 42 of them.  There are industrial places like HudBay, commercial enterprises like grocery stores and restaurants, and institutions like schools and health care facilities.

Cardboard is the main material recycled followed by office paper and beverage containers.  Some outlets have lots of newspapers and fliers.

The number of pickups varies. Some have pickups several times a week while others are once a month or when needed. There is a fee for this service.

Others businesses bring their recyclables to the Centre.

It is great to have so many workplaces recycling.

Here are some tips for recycling at work:

-          Flatten cardboard boxes and put them in one box so less space is required and it is easier to carry.

-          Shredded office paper can be recycled. It should be in a separate bag. Remove all newsprint, plastic covers, file folders and other things before shredding.

-          Provide a recycling container at desks as most waste at desks is recyclable paper.

-          Coffee cups, tissues, paper towels, plastic wrapping, food items, candy and food wrappers, are not recyclable and belong in the garbage.

-          Many posters and other display materials are recyclable. If it can be torn it is recyclable.

-          Laminated items and mixed materials like padded envelopes, and coffee cans made of tin and cardboard are not recyclable.

-          Several sizes of bins for beverage containers are available free for business from Recycle Everywhere.

For more information, call 204 687 6169.

Originally published  Jan 21, 2015 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

There are acronyms in Recycling that mean something to those involved but often leave others in the dark.

OCC is one of them. It stands for Old Corrugated Cardboard, the cardboard with the rippled layer sandwiched between layers of linerboard. There is a lot of it as almost everything comes to this community in a box.

Last year 199,517 tonnes of cardboard was recycled which is 48% of the total. That is 570 bales weighing 350 kg. This means 14.25 semi loads of compressed cardboard was kept out of local landfills, not counting Walmart’s cardboard which they recycle on their own.

There is still a lot of cardboard going to local landfills. Many communities are banning it from landfills as it is very recyclable.

 The cardboard recycled from our community is sent from Winnipeg to a plant in St. Paul, Minnesota.

The recycling process begins by mixing the cardboard with water to make pulp. Contaminants like metal fasteners, string, and dirt are removed. It is rolled between big rollers that make it into sheets that are squeezed to get all the water out. Then it is dried and made into big rolls for shipment to manufacturing plants which make it into something new.

Recycled cardboard is made into corrugated cardboard, boxboard, gypsum wallboard liner, roofing felt, brown paper, tubes, and core board which is the rolls in toilet paper, giftwrap, etc.

Cardboard that is waxed, contaminated with food, oil, paint or other materials cannot be recycled.

Cardboard is baled separately and sold. The average price last year was $35.00 per metric ton. The highest was $50.00 and the lowest was $15.00.

Recycling cardboard saves energy, water, trees, and space at the landfill. 

Originally published  Jan 14, 2015  The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

The final numbers are in for 2014.

The Recycling Centre processed 413.7 metric tons (tonnes) of recyclables last year which is 17 tonnes more than 2013. This continues the steady increase since 2009.

Our record was 500 tonnes in 2007 when residential and business pick up services were almost free. The prices for the materials dropped significantly that year resulting in financial problems for the Centre. All pick up services were suspended.  In 2008, 398 tonnes were recycled and in 2009 it was only 239 tonnes as cardboard recycling was suspended mid-year.

The Recycling Centre Board wondered if the community supported recycling so a public meeting was held in April 2009. Many attended and expressed their support so the Board forged ahead with a new financial plan.

Business pickups resumed that year after several indicated they would be willing to pay for the service. Residential curbside services resumed in 2010 with a fee paid by purchasing a red bag.  This along with the decision to accept cardboard again was the beginning of the numbers going up.

Our biggest increase ever was in 2011 when 342 tonnes were recycled, up from 243 in 2010. Much of the increase was cardboard but a good percentage came from homes.

The increase of 40 tonnes in 2012 was all cardboard. The increase started in July when Flin Flon began tipping fees at their landfill.  

The annual increase in tonnage the last two years have been some of the smallest in over 20 years. It has been evenly split between cardboard and other materials.  

If you are not recycling, 2015 is the year! If you are, encourage someone you know to begin.

Originally published  Jan 7, 2015  The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

I was asked recently if the Recycling Centre recycles electronics. The answer is yes.

Electronics are accepted from all sources.

Old televisions, VCR’s, computers and all their parts and many other things can be recycled. A complete list can be found at www.recycleMYelectronics.ca. 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.  Twenty-seven metric tons was shipped from Flin Flon in 2014.

The Recycling Centre has been involved with electronics recycling since 2009. It was a summer program only the first three years, funded by Green Manitoba, a government department.

Manufacturers and retailers of electronic products formed a non-profit organization called Electronic Products Recycling Association (EPRA). It took over electronics recycling August 1, 2012. This was done to ensure electronics don’t end up in landfills or illegally shipped overseas. 

Recycling these items conserves resources as the plastics, glass and metals including precious metals like gold are put back into the making new items. It ensures toxic substances like mercury and lead are recovered and taken care of safely. This means it is safe for workers and the environment.

An environmental handling fee (EHF) is added to eligible electronic items when purchased to fund the program.  It is not a tax, not collected by government and is not a deposit that will be returned. It is collected by the EPRA to cover the cost of recycling the item purchased.  EPRA pays for handling and shipping.

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