Originally published Dec 19/18 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

As 2018 draws to a close recycling is on track to set a new record.

At the end of November, 472.9 metric tons or tonnes have been processed. The average monthly tonnage is 42.9. Last year 463 tonnes were processed.  So doing the math, 515 tonnes is the expected total for 2018.

The previous record was 500 in 2007.

The big picture is interesting.  2007 was the beginning of a low point in the recycling cycle. Tonnage in 2008 and 2009 was below 300 as cardboard was not collected because mills wanted payment to take it which was not affordable. Flin Flon and Creighton contributed extra funding both years to keep it recycling afloat financially.

Ten years later there are tough times once again in global recycling markets resulting in lower prices for the materials and higher sorting costs in Winnipeg.

Recycling will not need a bail out to stay afloat this year however.

What has changed?

As strong show of support for community recycling at a public meeting in 2009 encouraged the Board of Directors of the Flin Flon & District Environment Council, Inc. to keep operating the program.

It also helped convince Flin Flon and Creighton that their contributions, which had not changed much in ten years while tonnages tripled, needed to increase.

The Board of Directors began to develop better business plans.

The almost free curbside and business pickups ended. Business pickups were resumed with a fee at the request of businesses. Cardboard recycling resumed as markets improved.

Next week’s column will look at more operational changes and the resources needed to move forward.
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Check out the ‘About Us’ tab on our website: www.flinflonrecycling.org.  

Originally published Dec 5/18 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

Mixed material items are one of the biggest sources of garbage at the Recycling Centre.

Recyclables are separated by the kind of material they are made of. The main categories are corrugated cardboard, paper products, tin and aluminum. Plastics containers are separated by the kind of plastic identified by the number on them.

Items made up of two kinds of materials that cannot be separated are garbage.  The most common examples are  coffee, Pringles and other ‘cans’ made with cardboard sides and metal bottoms,  padded envelopes with paper and plastic and the liners of Hello Fresh food boxes that have a foil coating for insulation.

It would be best if they did not arrive at the Recycling Centre.

Other mixed materials can be separated easily. Examples are Styrofoam and plastic bags in cardboard boxes, plastic liners in cereal and frozen pizza boxes and the plastic wrap on magazines and around cardboard flats that held cans or bottles.

These items are usually separated at the Recycling Centre which slows processing.
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Cigarette packages usually go in the garbage as they are wrapped in plastic and have foil inside the box which cannot be removed easily.  Occasionally some will arrive that have been stripped of the extras. These should be put in a separate bag and marked so staff knows to put them in the bale not the garbage.

Juice boxes/tetra packs and milk cartons are an exception. Companies creating these containers developed a process and designed the containers so they can be separated and recycled.

It would be great if all manufacturers were this responsible.

Staples and paper clips in paper do not have to be removed.
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Call (204) 687-6169 for more information. 

Originally published Nov 28/18 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

Cans and bottles from pop, beer, water and other beverages make up nine to twelve percent of the waste stream.  This may not seem like a lot but it is significant.

Most beverage containers are recyclable. The exceptions are drink pouches, coffee cups and serving cups made of #6(PS) plastic.

Beverage containers affect the local recycling program in a variety of ways.

Aluminum cans are separated and sold for $700.00 per metric ton or tonne. This helps offset the drop in cardboard prices.

It should be illegal to throw aluminum cans in the garbage as they are easily recycled. Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a laptop for 5 hours.

Beer cans and bottles are separated and returned for the deposit that was paid when they were purchased. This has provided more than half of the revenue from selling materials this year.

Beverage containers are responsible for the majority of contamination of recyclables. Many arrive with liquid still in them. If they are not sealed and mixed with other recyclables, the wet paper materials become garbage.

Recycling Centre staff open bottles with liquids and empty them. This takes extra time.

If the liquid in bottles and cans are missed and get into the bale, it ruins paper materials in the bale and makes a mess on the conveyor, inside of the baler and the floor.

Please make sure containers are empty.

Beverage containers purchased in our community should be recycled in our community. Taking them to Saskatchewan for money is illegal.

The Saskatchewan program pays back the deposit paid when the container was purchased. The deposit is not paid on containers purchased in our area of Saskatchewan.

Originally published Nov 21/18 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

The annual MARR forum always provides the opportunity to learn more about recycling and waste management.

Here are a few things I learned this year.

Tie a knot in plastic bags when throwing them away and they won’t blow around.  Of course the better thing to do is use reusable bags.

As more and more dumps/landfills become places that also collect recyclables, hazardous waste, and compost they need a new name. They are materials management facilities.

There are 11 licensed compost facilities in Manitoba. Five are privately owned and six are operated by municipalities. There are grants available to develop large compost sites.

Recycling has always been cyclical. It is currently in the downward part of the cycle. It was brought on by China only accepting recyclables that are 98% pure.  This has resulted in companies deciding to bring idle recycling mills in North America back into production.

Some of the mills are being purchased by Chinese companies who need the recyclables for their production. The plan is to use the mills here to remove contamination and send the clean products (mostly plastics and fiber like corrugated cardboard) to manufacturers in China. It will probably be at least two years before this makes a difference in the markets.

There was a very interesting tour of ReGen Composites. This company has patented a process that turns all mixed plastics (except number 6) including plastic bags and film, and waste paper and wood into building materials that are strong and rot resistant.

There is a picture of our commingle bales at the Emterra recycling plant in Winnipeg. I know they are our bales because we write the weight and date on our bales. 

Originally published Nov 14/18 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

A short phrase that summarizes something important helps us remember things.  We have several of these ‘one liners’ for the community recycling program.
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       1. Easy to Recycle – All recyclables can go in one bag. Shredded paper and batteries should be in a smaller bag which can go in the larger one with everything else. Recyclables can be dropped off at the Recycling Centre or in the trailer by Canadian Tire or picked up at your house. Denare Beach’s pick up day is Tuesday, Flin Flon is Wednesday and Creighton is Thursday or Friday. Flin Flon residents need to buy a red bag which pays for the service.
 
          2. If it’s on the list recycle it, if it’s not, it is garbage – The amount of garbage that arrives at the Recycling Centre has been steadily decreasing, but we still get quite a bit. Check the pictures on the website at www.flinflonrecycling.org  or the Flin Flon Recycling facebook page.  A paper list is available at the Centre. You can request an emailed copy at recycled@mymts.net or call 204 687 6169.
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          3. I love questions – When people phone the Centre or stop me in the grocery store it makes me happy. People want to get rid of things responsibly and less garbage shows up at the Centre.

          4.  Not drippy, sticky or gooey.  – Recyclables do not need to be sparkling clean but they should not be drippy, sticky or gooey.  If beverage containers are empty that is fine. A half cup of laundry detergent or yogurt in their containers is not.  Lids should be removed from items as much as possible.  Labels do not need to be removed.
             5.  Recycling makes a difference.

Originally published Nov 7/18 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

The annual forum of the Manitoba Association of Regional Recyclers or MARR is this week.

This event is held in Winnipeg each year. Usually it is in October, but was delayed this year because of the municipal elections.

MARR’s membership is made up of municipalities and First Nations/Northern Affairs communities, recycling programs like the Flin Flon & District Environment Council, government and public sector agencies, recycling and waste management businesses, the Producer Responsible Organizations and other interested individuals and organizations.

MARR has been part of the recycling community in Manitoba for over twenty years. At the beginning it was a group of organizations in the province who were recycling and wanted to share information. Over the years the focus has expanded to include information about a variety of waste management issues and to include members from municipalities including Winnipeg, and other cities.

It has become more organized in the last 5 years and incorporated as a non-profit organization in 2016.  It is looking for a new name that better reflects this expansion.
Some of the topics on this year’s forum agenda include recycling appliances with Ozone Depleting substances, community composting, recycling promotion and changing people’s behaviour, and a panel discussion on recycling markets and the ‘China Ban’.

Several Producer Responsible Organizations including those supporting electronics and battery recycling present information sessions.  Some also supply door prizes. 
MARR also has a spring event in a community outside of Winnipeg which includes a tour of a waste management facility, a keynote speaker and the Annual General Meeting.
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Both of these events provide a great opportunity to get information and to network with people who are doing many different things in waste management around Manitoba. 

Originally published Oct 31/18 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

A news item announcing the approval of the Five Year plan submitted to the Manitoba Government by the Electronic Products Recycling Association inspired today’s topic.

The Electronic Products Recycling Association (EPRA) is the Producer Responsible Organization (PRO) for the electronics industry.  It is a non-profit industry group that subsidizes recycling of the products they sell in Manitoba as required by the government.

The EPRA makes electronics recycling work in our community. The approved items are collected at the Centre, stacked on pallets and wrapped for shipping. EPRA provides large bags for small items like cords, phones, keyboards and computer mice.

Recyclable items include computers and attachments, televisions and attachments like video machines and satellite boxes, home and auto sound systems, floor standing printers, telephones and personal audio or video items. The only appliance that is accepted is microwaves.

When a load of pallets is ready to go, EPRA requests a trailer for the Recycling Centre to load. They pay the shipping.

They also pay for the work of collecting items, preparing them for shipping and loading. The amount is determined by the weight of the load.  The rate is $185/metric ton or tonne. If the load is over 10 tonnes, and extra $20/tonne is added. 

The amount varies between $1,800.00 and $2,200.00 per load which covers the Centre’s costs.

This money comes from the Environmental Handling fee that is paid when new items are purchased. 

The EPRA must make sure the electronics are recycled in a way that protects the environment and the health and safety of the workers. Local items are shipped to Exner  Ewaste in Elie, Mb.
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More information is available at www.recycleMYelectronics.ca .

Originally published Oct 24/18 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

A recent conversation about recycling surprised me. The gentleman was sorting out cans, plastics and paper products for recycling. He was unaware he didn’t need to because we haven’t sorted materials for five years.  

It reminded me of some other surprising conversations.

I noticed another gentleman dropping off two red bags of recyclables at the Centre.  He was new in town and didn’t know the red bags were for curbside pickup in Flin Flon. He thought all recyclables had to go in red bags.   I suggested that since he was buying the red bags he could have recyclables picked up at his home in Flin Flon Wednesday mornings.  

I explained that he needed only one red bag for curbside pickup as they are expensive. He readily agreed on the expensive part! I told him the price covers the cost of the service and if he had more than one bag of recyclables he could use cheaper clear bags for the rest.

I overheard another surprising conversation.  A gentleman from Creighton dropped off his recyclables while the contractor for Creighton curbside service was unloading. The contractor informed him that he would pick his recyclables up at his house.  I was surprised he was unaware of the service.  

I was surprised because we make information available in many places.

I guess I shouldn’t be. Unless people are in the right place at the right time to hear messages on the radio, or read information on signs or in the newspaper, they will be uniformed.

Our survey indicated that most people get recycling information from others. So please spread the word Refer friends and family to our website  or they can call (204) 687-6169.

Originally published OCT 17/18 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

‘R’ is a letter that begins many words in the discussion of taking care of the environment.  Some examples are: rethink, reclaim, recover, repair.

The most common and most important are the Three R’s – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

These are listed in order of importance in minimizing damage to the earth. The Recycling Centre’s main activity is third on the list, but we also provide opportunity to reuse.

The Cardboard challenge held last weekend is an example. Cardboard boxes and a variety of other materials were provided by the Centre for an afternoon of fun and creativity. At the end, as many materials as possible are recycled.

Many people pick up boxes from the Centre when they are moving and recycle them when they are finished.

Another popular item is plastic pails. This includes large white pails and ice cream pails. We collect them as they are number two or five plastic which is recyclable, but if they can be reused, that is better.  We save ice cream pails all summer for blueberry season.

We often receive requests from teachers and children’s activity leaders for items for projects such as tin cans, small jars, milk cartons and magazines.

We keep a supply of wine bottles on hand for those making wine at home.

Sometimes we advertise items. Often we pass things on to the local second hand stores including the Re Uz It store.

The Recycling Centre is happy to help the community reuse things, recognizing that reusing is more important than recycling. The items are given away, although a donation is appreciated.
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If there is something you need that we may have, please call us at (204) 687-6169.

Originally published Oct 10/18 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

I received a call yesterday inquiring if we recycle plastic straws. I am always happy to answer questions.

The answer is no.

Most single-use plastic items are not recyclable so create a lot of garbage. The exception is plastic cups that are either #1(PETE) or #5(PP) plastic.

Single-use plastics have been in the news lately.  A few weeks ago I saw the headline ‘Costa Rica Becomes the first country to ban single-use plastics’. More recently the Canadian Minister of the Environment stated the federal government will be working towards removing all single-use plastics from their operations.  

The picture of the sea turtle with a straw stuck in his nose had a significant impact.
 
It changes the conversation from plastic bags to all single-use items.

Many places have banned plastic bags, although a closer look at the details shows that it is really single-use plastic shopping bags that are banned. 

Some municipalities allow heavier weight plastic shopping bags. Most allow the single-use bags that bread and other products are packaged in, bags for fresh produce or items purchased in bulk, dry cleaning /laundry bags and garbage and other bags for waste and recyclables.

All single-use plastic includes all plastic bags, straws, cutlery, Styrofoam plates/cups, and wrap, to name a few.

These things, plus larger things like fishing nets, are creating the islands of plastic in the oceans, damaging sea creatures and the food chain.

A good place to start is to carry a reusable fork and straw to use when needed.
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Flin Flon considered a plastic bag ban a couple of years ago and decided against it. It may be time to reconsider. Is this an issue for the municipal election?

Originally published Oct 3/18 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

The other day I emptied a very fishy bag. There were some empty minnow containers and a full one along with several bottles with drinks in them. Aside from the smell, the really bad thing was that all the recyclable paper went in the garbage because it was soaking wet and fishy.

Many other bags have bottles that are very drippy, or half full with the lid on. Often paper items in these bags have to be thrown out.

Leaving the lid on a container does not solve the problem as everything is pressed together in bales for shipment. Bottles usually burst in the baling process contaminating everything around them in the bale.

It is not uncommon to see puddles of laundry soap under a bale. Because of this, we regularly check laundry soap containers and drain them, which slows down our process. We do not catch all of them.

I think we need to get our slogan ‘Not, Drippy, Sticky or Gooey’ out there more.

So I was very glad to see the new advertising campaign from Recycle Everywhere. The ads say ‘Left over liquids turns blue bins in to garbage bins’ and ‘Contamination makes your recycling go to waste.’

There are other complications from recyclable items coming to us with food, drink, soap and other liquids inside of them. More solid things like yogurt and peanut butter also cause problems.

These things get into the conveyor and baler gumming them up. Liquids often drip on the floor causing it to become very slippery.

So please take a bit of time to drain liquids and clean out other containers so everything you send for recycling can be recycled. 

Originally published Sep 26/18 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

Conventional wisdom is that curbside pickup of recyclables increases recycling rates so it is worth the cost.  

Not everyone is convinced.

Many question its value pointing out the pollution created by driving to every home. The same concern comes up in questions about the pollution created by shipping materials far away to be made into something new.

Consider this. One truck driving to many homes in one trip creates less pollution than one vehicle from every home driving to the Recycling Centre.  

It is true there would not be extra pollution if a person is dropping recycling in the trailer by Canadian Tire while on a shopping trip or at the Centre while getting gas from the Cardlock.  However, many trips are more polluting than one
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In the bigger picture, more pollution is created making brand new things than using recycled materials.

Curbside pickup also benefits operations at the Recycling Centre.

I realized this when I spoke with people at The Pas Recycling shortly after Christmas when we are piled high with recyclables to process.

I asked how their after Christmas rush was. The Administrator indicated they really didn’t have one. They provide curbside pickup throughout most of their community including rural areas so recyclables come in on a schedule and can be taken care of as it comes in.

Curbside makes processing more manageable.  For example, we expect and can prepare for the recyclables from Creighton and Denare Beach on the days they arrive.

I suspect we would not have to work weekends if all in town residents used curbside pickup.

Our current system is working but more curbside pickup could make it better. 

Originally published Sep 19/18 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

Research shows that making recycling convenient is the most effective way of increasing residential recycling rates. 

The City of Flin Flon purchased the trailer parked by Canadian Tire to collect recyclables in 2014 to make recycling more convenient for their residents. The trailer is emptied two to three times a week which indicates people are using it.

Curbside pickup is the most common way of increasing convenience.
 
The historical high in our community for tonnes recycled in a year is 500 in 2007. It was the fourth year of relatively free curbside pickup in Flin Flon and Creighton. The service ended May that year and recycling rates dropped. I wonder what the tonnage that year would have been that year if curbside had continued.

Curbside pickup has resulted in significant increases in recycling in Creighton and Denare Beach since they have provided it for their residents.  

There is a cost for the convenience.

Creighton was able to provide the service with very little extra cost by changing one of the two weekly garbage pickups to a recycling pickup. Denare Beach residents voted in favour of paying a small annual fee per household to cover the costs.

The Recycling Centre began offering biweekly curbside service in Flin Flon in 2010. Residents buy a red bag to pay for the service.  It became a weekly service in 2015.

Promotion of the red bag curbside service has resulted in more users although the number remains low. The program is just covering expenses but we would like to continue it as people without vehicles depend on it.

Is the $3.50 charge the reason?
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Next week we will look at the other benefits of curbside pickup. 

​Originally published Sept 5/18 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

1. Small Stuff

The box I went through this morning reminded me that small things won’t likely be recycled. They are messy, often ending up on the floor or being left behind in the baler.  Small things include metal and plastic bottle caps, hole punch confetti, paper scraps, business cards, tea bag envelopes and cash register receipts.

In Winnipeg (if they make it there) recyclables are loaded onto the sort line by front end loaders so these items will probably not make it to the line. If they do, the line moves quickly so workers wearing gloves are not able to grab these small items.

The box also had paper labels from tin cans which are not recyclable.

     2.    Summer

It has been a hot summer which is reflected in the amount of beverage containers we receive. Although we do not sort out plastic bottles, we do take out the aluminum cans and sell them separately as other prices have fallen.

We have baled 2,519 kg of aluminum in 2018. Over half, 1,332 kg, was baled in July and August.

Beer cans and bottles are separated and returned for deposit.  We have returned more in 2018 than in all of 2017.

The money is included with the revenue from selling cardboard, office paper and aluminum.  More than half of this revenue in 2018 is from beer returns.

      3.   Thanks

I frequently mention that we receive non-recyclable items. They are easy to notice. The other fact we often miss is that more and more bags and boxes of recyclables come in with very little garbage and clean containers. 
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We appreciate the time many recyclers take to doing it right. 

Originally published Aug 29/18 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

Here are a few of my thoughts as I arrived at work Monday morning.

It has been five years since we began having someone work at the Recycling Centre on the weekends.

Many people in Flin Flon and from outlying areas leave their recycling on the loading dock at the Recycling Centre. When we were closed weekends, recyclables would be piled high and onto the ground by Monday mornings.

It created a huge mess. My worst fears were that somehow a cigarette butt would get into the mess with disastrous results.

We decided to take turns working weekends. One person had Friday afternoon off and worked three hours Sunday. Another worked four hours Saturday and had Monday morning off.  

As tonnages have increased we need everyone working Friday afternoon and Monday morning so our casual worker covers weekends.  

Every weekend seems to bring ‘wishcycle’ items to the dock. This morning it was a roll of carpet and an umbrella for a patio table.

I really can’t see anything on our list that resembles either of these items. Metal frames, plastic car seats, glass items are sort of understandable as we recycle tin cans, glass jars and bottles, and #2 plastic which many items are made from.

Canvas tents, wood of all types including a bed headboard are items that lead me to believe some people are too lazy or something to take things to the landfill. This creates more mess and more work for us. It reduces the space available for recyclables on the dock.

Instead of wishcycling please call (204)687-6169 and ask. We love to answer questions.

We can also provide information about the location and hours of the landfill. 

Originally published Aug 22/18 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.
 
True or False

1. The Recycling Centre is a non-profit organization.
2. Recyclables must be sorted before they are brought to the Recycling Centre.
3. The staff at the Flin Flon City Landfill are employed by the Recycling Centre.
4. The money from selling recyclables pays for the cost of recycling.
5. Curbside pickup of recyclables is not available in our communities.
6. Beverage cans and bottles can be returned for deposit in our community.

Answers
               
1. True – The Recycling Centre is operated by the Flin Flon & District Environment Council, Inc., a non-profit organization incorporated in 1995.
              
  2. False – The only materials separated at the Recycling Centre are corrugated cardboard, office paper and aluminum cans which are sold. Glass is removed and used locally. The remaining materials are baled up all together and sent to Winnipeg for sorting.
               
3. True – This contract, the sale of metal for salvage and the subsidies paid for operating the oil and hazardous waste depots and recycling tires helps pay the cost of recycling.
               
4. False – Revenue from selling materials was only 10% of revenue in 2017. Thirty percent of this came from returning beer containers for deposit.
               
5. False – Curbside pickup is provided by Creighton and Denare Beach for their residents. The Recycling Centre provides the service in Flin Flon for a fee. More information is on the website www.flinflonrecycling.org.
               
​ 6. True and false – A deposit is charged on beer containers so they can be returned to vendors in Flin Flon to get the ten cent deposit back.  There is a two cent environment levy on other beverage containers sold in our communities but no deposit is paid so it cannot be returned. 

Originally published Aug 15/18 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.
 Guest post by summer student Shontal Quinn. 

Working at the recycling center can be a great learning experience for someone who doesn’t recycle.
 
You can learn about the different items that can be recycled or what can’t be. For example, books, paper, batteries, pop cans and plastic bottles can be recycled. Whereas Styrofoam, plastic cutlery or plastic bags cannot be recycled.
 
Being able to see how the different items are brought to the center then sorted is something different to be able to watch. Another thing to learn is the different routes for red bag curbside and business pick-ups the center does.
 
The stuff that is recycled is either dropped off by people, companies or picked up and unloaded by the Recycling Centre. There are different schedules the Recycling Center has to pick up the recycling and there are also different people and businesses that bring items to the Recycling Center.
 
Once they arrive at the center the items go through a sorting process to separate what can be recycled and what can’t be.
 
Creighton’s curbside pick-up days are Thursday and Friday every week. Denare Beach has pick-ups every Tuesday. Flin Flon’s curbside pick-up day for household bags of recycling is Wednesday.
 
As a Creighton resident I didn’t know when Creighton’s pick-up days were.
 
Working there gave me a different view on recycling and the ability to learn more about what recycling is all about.
 
I have decided to recycle at home wherever I live.
 

Originally published Aug 8/18 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

Every year the Recycling Centre receives a variety of school supplies that can still be used. 

Some packages of loose leaf paper and dividers for binders have never been opened.
Other items include new or barely used notebooks, binders and many different kinds of paper. There are some rulers, pencils and pens and even a pencil case or two.

I know from experience that there always seems to be extra things left over at the end of school.

I am glad these items are coming to the Recycling Centre rather than being tossed in the garbage.

Reusing things is more important for the environment than recycling so we are giving these supplies away on Saturday August 11 from 1 – 3 at the Flin Flon Public Library.
Many of the notebooks will look almost new, as we have covered up names and removed the one or two pages that were used.

This isn’t just for school kids. There are things that would be useful at home and office including a large supply of many sizes of three ring binders and barely used file folders.

We need to change the way we think. Everything we have is made from something that comes from the earth. We need to reduce what we take and use it completely.
 
I also know that children like the new stuff every year.  Let’s make caring for the environment ‘more cool’ than getting new stuff.

It is important to leave something for our grandchildren.

It also saves money.

Any leftover school supply items that are dropped off at the Recycling Centre by Thursday August 9 will be included in the giveaway.
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For more information call (204) 687-6169.

Originally published Aug 1/18 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

The local recycling program has benefited greatly from the willingness of others to share.

In the beginning, information from Thompson and Portage recyclers about where to ship recyclables and about equipment, pricing and processes was very helpful as our program grew.

Our first three loads were shipped to Winnipeg. Healthy Flin Flon paid for shipping costs for the first load. The company we sent the paper to paid the shipping for two more loads.  

Prices were very high in December, 1994 when we moved indoors. Thompson was shipping their bales to Edmonton. They got a great shipping rate on the truck that delivered oil products to Northern Manitoba as the company was happy they didn’t travel back empty.

Thompson was willing to share shipping with us. It worked well as the truck came through Flin Flon. Our materials were packed in large boxes which sold at a different price than their bales, making it easy to separate the revenue. Thompson paid the shipping and received the money from the sale and sent us a cheque for the revenue for the boxed materials minus half of the shipping costs.

The challenge was finding someone in town who could share their forklift for loading. It needed to be at the Recycling Centre when the truck arrived (usually late in the day) so the truck wouldn’t have to wait.

This was the process for over a year although we were able to purchase a forklift which made shipping much easier.
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Things changed in the fall of 1996 as we purchased a baler and Thompson began shipping to Winnipeg.  Their willingness to share information made it easy for us to do the same.  

Originally published July 25/18 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

There have been some developments I would like to share.

1. We no longer take #3 (PVC) plastic.  This is very rare, but has been designated as garbage by the sorter so we do not want it.

 

1. We need your help. A few people have been entering the trailer in the empty lot beside Canadian Tire and going through the bags. The motive seems to be taking beer cans for return, although sometimes the beer cans are left behind.

 
This creates a big mess.
 
When everything is in closed bags and boxes it takes about a half hour to empty the trailer. When bags have been ripped open, or items have been placed in the trailer without a bag or a box, recyclables fall out onto the ground when the trailer doors are opened.  Our staff have to bag it to take into the Centre for processing.  When there is a lot of a loose material it can take up to three times as long to empty the trailer.
 
If you see anyone in the trailer please call the Centre with a description and a license plate if a vehicle is present.  If you are comfortable doing so, ask them to leave. You can reference the sign on the trailer.
 

1. We are calling recycling companies and crunching numbers as the August 1st increase in sorting costs approaches. There is a better option that will not beat up the budget as severely.

The amount of materials being kept from landfills continues to grow. We are 35 tonnes ahead of last year at the end of June.  The statistics are posted on the News page on our website www.flinflonrecycling.org .

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

The Household Hazardous Waste depot opened at the Flin Flon landfill last summer.

The Recycling Centre worked with the City of Flin Flon to access funding for the depot through Manitoba Product Care, the industry funded organization responsible for supporting the safe disposal of hazardous materials from households.  

Two sea cans were purchased and modified in Winnipeg and installed at the Flin Flon landfill beside the oil collection building.

This is a great improvement for waste management in our community. Previously, hazardous materials were collected one afternoon in September at Centoba Park. 

Hazardous items can now be disposed of properly any time.

People have brought items to the depot, but many people still don’t know about it. 

There will be a special Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) collection day on Saturday, September 15 to try to increase awareness.

Items should be in original containers. Gasoline containers will not be returned.

What is hazardous waste? It is anything that has the danger symbols such as a skull and cross bones (poisonous), flame (flammable), boney hand (corrosive) inside a stop sign or triangle shape.  

Common items include aerosol cans, paints, gasoline, flammable liquids, pesticides, fertilizers, cleaners, disposable propane containers and degreasers, glues, etc.

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

There is no tipping fee when only household hazardous waste is brought to the landfill as these materials are shipped to Miller Environmental in Winnipeg for safe disposal.

The Recycling Centre also collects fluorescent bulbs and paint.

Call the Recycling Centre at (204) 687-6169 if you have any questions. 

Originally published July 11/18 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

It is always a balancing act.

We want to make recycling as easy as possible, and there are things recyclers can do to make our job at the Recycling Centre easier.

If you need recycling to be simple,  please continue to put everything in a bag or box and bring it to the Centre or the trailer, or set it out for pick up if you live in Creighton or Denare Beach.

Please make sure everything is recyclable. Check the list with pictures at www.flinflonrecycling.org or on the Flin Flon Recycling Facebook page.

Shredded paper and batteries need to be in separate bags that can go in with your other recyclables.

Nothing should be drippy, sticky or gooey. Empty/drain all bottles.

If your recyclables are not in a closed box or bag or you need to keep your bin, please put them in the blue bins at the Recycling Centre. There should be no loose material in the trailer by Canadian Tire.

If you are willing to do a little extra to help us out, here are some suggestions.

• Remove lids from glass and put it in a separate bag. It can still go in with the rest of your recyclables.
• Put all aluminum cans in a separate bag too. We are now separating aluminum to sell for a good price while cardboard prices have fallen dramatically.
• A separate bag for white (#2HDPE) and orange or green (#5PP) pill bottles helps. Please remove the lids and anything inside.
• Remove all packing materials including Styrofoam and plastic from cardboard boxes. Paper and fibre packing can be recycled.

Thanks.
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Call us at (204)687-6169 if you have questions.

Originally published July 4/18 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

​I really wasn’t expecting the notice last week.

Effective August 1, the cost of sorting recyclables at the plant in Winnipeg will be increasing to $110.00 per metric ton (tonne).

It is currently $45.00 per tonne.

I shouldn’t have been surprised. China closing its markets didn’t affect us directly as none of our materials went there. But sale of recyclables is part of the market place that is affected by supply and demand. Prices have dropped significantly with the oversupply in North America.

Cardboard prices fell last fall from $90.00/tonne to $40.00.

As the company who sorts loses revenue from selling the recyclables, the cost of sorting must go up.

It seems obvious that we should crunch the numbers to see if it still pays to have our sorting done in Winnipeg. However, money is only part of the reason we do not sort here.

We do not have space to sort and store thirteen different kinds of materials until we have enough for a bale. We barely have enough space to manage everything now.

We began separating aluminum cans a few months ago. At $700.00/tonne we are trying to offset some of the lost revenue from cardboard.

One aluminum bale weighs between 150 and 200 kg. That is $105.00 to $140.00 per bale. Two bales are shipped on each load.

We also sell the office paper (called printers mix) for $65.00/ tonne.  The sale of cardboard and these items almost covers the shipping.

It will be interesting to see how this shakes out. While sales are only 10% of our revenue, this is a significant change to the budget plan.

We have some important decisions to make. 

Originally published June 27/18 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

The Recycling Centre continues to receive polystyrene items. People are often surprised that we do not take it as many items have the recycling symbol.

(I really wish packaging designers would quit making it so confusing!  The message needs to be ‘check with local recycling programs for acceptable materials.’)

Last year I did some research and here is what I found.

The technical name for number six plastic is polystyrene (PS). Meat trays and many other things are made from ‘extruded polystyrene’ or polystyrene foam.  Most of us call it Styrofoam which is actually a registered trademark of the Dow Chemical Company for extruded polystyrene used for thermal insulation and craft applications.

Polystyrene foam has many uses because it is strong, lightweight, cheap, and sanitary to use.

According to the Canadian Plastic Industry Association’s web page, polystyrene foam is very recyclable.  However, only about 35% of recycling programs in Canada accepts it.

This is because it is 90% air. It takes up a lot of space and is very light. It requires special machines to compact or ‘densify’ it enough to make shipping feasible.

The Recycling Centre gets a lot of polystyrene foam. Large pieces are often in cardboard boxes where it protected whatever came in the box. It must be removed before the cardboard is baled which takes time especially when it is very tight in the box.

Foam cups, meat trays, egg cartons, and other items often found with other recyclables we receive. They are removed and put in the garbage.

It is highly unlikely that we will ever recycle PS foam.

We are finding more fibre based packing materials which are recyclable.
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Hopefully it will become the norm.

Originally published June 20/18 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

The Recycling Centre usually has a booth at the spring Trade and Leisure Show displaying all the things that can be recycled and how much can be kept out of landfills.

This past spring I decided to pay the extra for a corner booth. One side displayed the usual recyclable items. The other side was a display of the common non-recyclable items we receive.

The display of non-recyclables was the most popular at the Leisure Show. Many were surprised by some of the non-recyclable items.

Seeing these items in real life is very effective.

The next best thing to seeing things in real life is pictures. As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words.

We have recently added pictures to our website, www.flinflonrecycling.org. There is also a pinned post with pictures on the Flin Flon Recycling Facebook page.

There are two reasons the extra cost at the leisure show and the extra effort on the web is worthwhile.

The most obvious is that we want to reduce the amount of garbage we receive.

The second more important reason comes from a realization that people are uninformed.

It often feels like people are too lazy to or don’t care. This is probably true in some cases.

However, I have had many conversations with dedicated recyclers who didn’t know that a particular item is not recyclable. Plastic bags, Styrofoam and coffee cups are common examples.

This surprises me as this information has been a common message in our advertising. But people pay attention to different things or are not in a place to get the message.

The pictures and displays are another way to get the message out.