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

The following are current issues for recycling:

1. Red bag curbside pickup service

This service has been under review as it is not covering costs. Usage has gone up slightly. Several have let us know they depend on the service. The current deficit is just under $130.00 for the year which does not threaten the financial stability of the recycling program.

On the other hand, recycling is managing financially in these challenging times because the Board has made realistic decisions for fees and expenditures.
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There will be more information after the January 16 Board meeting. The service will continue Wednesday mornings until further notice.

  2.  Commingled tonnage decrease.

Commingled materials are the packaging and print materials (PPM) that are baled together and shipped to Winnipeg for sorting. This tonnage is down 10.7 tonnes compared to the end of November 2018 and over 17 tonnes from the same time in 2017.

There was an increase of seven tonnes in 2017, the year curbside pickup began in Denare Beach.

This tonnage determines our subsidy. Fortunately, we can include our cardboard tonnage which is up.

A major factor is the drop in amount of newspaper. It was separated and sold until April 2017 when there was not longer enough to make it feasible. The overall percentage of paper/boxboard (fibre) materials in the mix has fallen. It weighs more than plastics.

This doesn’t explain all of the decrease as there were 29 fewer bales between 2018 and 2019. It could be that people are reducing their waste which is a good thing. It could also be that fewer people are recycling. Many have not yet started recycling.
 
We will be working to change this trend in 2020.

Originally published Dec 11/19 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

(A slightly updated version of the column that is published every year at this time.)

The holiday season is a busy time at the Recycling Centre. Festivities and gift giving creates lots of waste. Much of it can be recycled. Some things cannot.

The usual things are recyclable: beverage containers, cardboard, boxboard, all plastic containers with the recycling symbol except #3 and #6 (PS), Christmas cards, tin cans, batteries, newspapers and fliers, catalogues, magazines and office paper.  

Food and drink containers should not be drippy, sticky or gooey.

Things that belong in the garbage are: gift wrap, ribbons, envelopes with foil or plastic liners, containers made of cardboard and metal, all Styrofoam, plastic bags and wrap, plastic packaging with no number, disposable plates, utensils and coffee cups.

Check plastic cups as many are #1(PETE) or #5(PP) which can be recycled.

We cannot recycle Christmas decorations including Christmas lights.

Check the website www.flinflonrecycling.org or call 204 687 6169 for more information.

Reduce waste by using/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 these items to a second hand store or advertise them on Trader’s Post or similar service.  Or give it away.

Electronics such as computers and parts, sound systems, televisions, gaming systems, telephones and microwaves can be recycled. Check the list at www.recycleMYelectronics.ca.

A donation to the SPCA, Food bank or another charity in honour of someone on your list makes our community / world a better place without creating waste.
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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 Dec 4/19 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

The ongoing challenges of recycling markets brought changes to our program this past week.

We receive a large amount of pill bottles, mostly from the pharmacies. These were shipped separately in large plastic bags because they would fall out of the bales, especially if there was a large number all at once.

The white pill bottles are #2 coloured plastic which is a very recyclable plastic. We were being paid $25/tonne for them but that had changed to a charge of $35.00/tonne. The amount we shipped was small so the costs were less than $10.00.

We shipped a box last Tuesday. Thursday morning the company we ship to informed us they no longer had a market for pill bottles.  The company they sold them to had lost its buyer for the ground plastic made from the bottles.

All is not lost. There is a market for #2 coloured plastic. Larger pill bottles mixed in with the other materials will not fall out of a bale.

This means that we can still recycle pill bottles that are at least three inches tall at the shoulder, the rounded edge at the top.

The other part of the discussion with the company made me wish we had more space. The #2 natural plastic like milk jugs is valuable at $600/tonne.

The problem is we would need to save half a semi-trailer of jugs to make one bale as they are so bulky.

The semi-trailers attached to our building are used for storing e-waste, aluminum cans for baling, bins of glass and the wheeled carts we move recyclables in.

This is one opportunity we will have to pass up.

Just to clarify, we will continue to recycle this plastic but will not separate it out and sell it. It will go with the rest of the commingled materials for sorting in Winnipeg. 

Originally published Nov 27/19 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

Who pays to take care of all the waste we create?

Cities and towns are responsible for managing waste. That was much easier and cheaper when everything was garbage and just went into the landfill.

Landfills are no longer the best way. They take up lots of space, are expensive, and can harm the environment.

Much of the materials in waste can be recycled. Hazardous things need to be kept out of the environment.  

So who pays for that? Municipalities already spend lots of money on waste management. They can’t do it all.

The Province of Manitoba requires industries to help with the costs.
  
Every time a company sells recyclable products in Manitoba, it must pay the set fee for the item to a fund that helps municipalities with the ‘end of life’ costs. This includes tires, oil products, beverage containers, food and products with recyclable packaging, newspapers, electronics, fluorescent bulbs and hazardous materials.  This extra cost may be charged to consumers as an enviro fee.

Where does that money go?

To the PRO’s – Producer Responsibility Organizations. These are non-profit organizations run by industry responsible for paying to cover recycling costs. Some is paid to municipalities. Some pays the shipping and handling fees needed to recycle these products.  

Some PRO names are like alphabet soup:  MMSM, CBCRA, EPRA, MARRC.  Other are more obvious like Mb Tire Stewardship.  The PRO’s have paid the Recycling Centre more than $129,500.00 in 2019.
The majority is for print and packaging materials (PPM). It was also paid for recycling tires, oil, hazardous waste and electronics. 
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This money comes from industry who created the waste, not from taxes.
 
The PRO’s make recycling happen in Manitoba.  

Originally published Nov 20/19 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

Contamination was the topic of a panel discussion at the recent MARR forum in Winnipeg.

The representative of the company who sorts and sells our recyclables stated that allowable contamination rates have dropped from 5% to 0.5% in the past year.

The easiest place to prevent contamination is at the source: in homes and businesses. We try to remove everything that isn’t recyclable at the Centre, but the less we have to remove the better.

It is important to know what is recyclable in our community.

Common contamination items are plastic bags and wrap, black plastic of any kind, mixed material items such as cardboard and metal containers, coffee cups, disposable plates and utensils, disposable paper products like paper towel, food stained boxes, waxy boxes and food bags.

The other big contamination problem is liquids contaminating paper items. Many bottles arrive with the lid on and a teaspoon or two of liquid in them. When these are pressed into the bale, they leak onto paper items making them garbage.

Beverage containers should be drained and have the lids removed.

Empty the bottle and give it a shake. A couple of drips is okay. A teaspoon or two is not.

To avoid contamination, make sure items sent to the Centre are on the list of recyclables. Many items that people wish are recyclable are not.

If you are not sure check the pictures of recyclable and non-recyclable items on the website flinflonrecycling.org or call us at (204) 687-6169.

Here are two things to remember:

First, we recycle PPM – packaging and print materials. This does not include toys, dishes, and large metal items.

Second, microwaves are the only recyclable household appliance. 

Originally published Nov 13/19 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

Last week I wrote about the tours that were part of the annual Manitoba Association of Regional Recyclers (MARR) event in Winnipeg October 29.

The Forum the following day was full of information. Two panel discussions on focused plastics and contamination in recycling with the whole group.

There were several half hour breakout sessions to choose from. They included success stories from Brokenhead Objibway First nation, Morden Winkler regional landfill (SWAMP), and the RM of St. Andrews.

ReGen Plastics Recycling in Winnipeg updated participants on their business successes and challenges.

Three sessions featured information from the organizations responsible to make recycling happen. The first focused on all things related to vehicles – oil/antifreeze, tires and batteries. The second focused on electronics – cell phones, household batteries and electronics.  The third featured Productcare which is responsible for hazardous waste.

One session talked about the challenges and successes of removing recyclable materials out of remote communities. Another described a composting service run by the Green Action Centre. Winnipeg’s planning for Metropolitan regional waste management was also discussed.  

What I remember most is that the current downturn in recycling will continue for another two to five years before new mills will be able to manage all the recyclables.

The other revelation came at a Tuesday supper meeting with people working with the federal government to develop waste management in remote First Nations communities.

One person commented that diapers were a major problem for waste management in his community. I asked if there was access to laundry facilities. One person responded somewhat exasperated that the community didn’t even have running water.

Many communities are facing big challenges to do more with so much less than we have. 

Originally published Nov 6/19 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

Each fall the Manitoba Association of Regional Recyclers (MARR) hosts a forum and tours in Winnipeg. I attended last week.

The Wednesday afternoon bus tour took us to the Forks ‘Zero Waste’ operations and Exner E-Waste.

The Forks has a zero waste policy for food services. There is a dishwasher so all plates and eating utensils are reusable. Staff removes the dishes and leftovers from food trays, separating recyclables, food scraps and garbage.

We toured the compost site outdoors. The food scraps are placed in a large ‘Biovator’ and moved through a long chamber over a period of time. Compost comes out the other end and is screened and used their green spaces.

Unfortunately we didn’t see it in action as the wiring had been stolen two weeks ago.  
It was great to see that zero was can be done.

The second stop was the plant where our electronics are recycled in Elie. The process is very interesting as glass, leaded glass, plastics and metals are separated and recycled. The only garbage is particle board and foams found in some speakers and stereo systems.

Metal is recovered in many forms from large balls to dust. All floor sweepings are put back in the system as they contain valuable metal. It is sold on the market.

Glass is used as aggregate locally. Leaded glass is sent to a lead smelter. Only plastic is shipped overseas as it is a mix of many chemicals including fire retardant.

All of the end users including the plant in Malaysia have been audited by the recycling program to ensure health and safety standards are met and the materials are recycled.
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It is a very innovative process. 

Originally published Oct 30/19 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

Recycling in homes and workplaces has become common in the last 40 years in North America. The local program began 27 years ago this November.

Recycling requires people to change their habits about the waste they produce.  Many early programs required significant sorting using more space in homes and workplaces.

Changing habits does not happen easily. There are two ways of making it happen:  through education and making it convenient or  through adopting policies with penalties for not making the change.  I call this the carrot or the stick.

The ‘carrot’ provides information about the environmental benefits and saving money with landfill costs. A small percentage of very motivated people usually make the change very quickly. Providing curbside pickup and convenient collection depots increases participation significantly.  

Getting the majority of people to change their habits takes a long time with the ‘carrot’ approach.

The stick approach involves consequences for not recycling.

The most common and least difficult to swallow is the ‘tags for bags’ program. It requires homes that   have more than a set number of garbage bags (usually two) to buy a tag for any extra bags. Usually free pickup service is available so reducing garbage is very easily done.

This increases recycling rates significantly.

Some places have gone further requiring clear bags for garbage and recycling with fines if items are found in the wrong bag.

Many places are adding compostable materials to their waste pickup.

Some places are reducing garbage pickup to every other week as there isn’t much left after recyclables and compostable food scraps are picked up.
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Local recycling rates have increased, but do we need a ‘stick’ to get the majority in the habit? 

​Originally published Oct 23/19 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

​I was asked the other day if we accept meat trays for recycling. Many have the recycling symbol on them with a number six. My answer was ‘No’.

I looked for more information a couple of years ago after a request on our ‘Flin Flon Recycling’ facebook page. 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 accept 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. The biggest pieces are usually found in cardboard boxes where it protected whatever came in the box. It has to be removed before the cardboard is baled which takes time and can be challenging, as it may be stuck tightly 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.

If the company we ship to in Winnipeg finds a market for number six plastic containers we will accept them.
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It is highly unlikely however, that we ever will. 

Originally published Oct 16/19 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

These are difficult times for the packaging and paper recycling industry when looking at the big picture.

Aside from increased costs, there are only a couple of changes to the recycling program in our community because low grade film plastics such as plastic bags and wrap have never been part of our program.

The biggest change is that all black plastic and #1 solid coloured plastic items like Tide pod tubs are not recyclable. The sorting machines cannot ‘read’ these plastics.

Number one plastics you can see through like drink bottles are very easily recycled. But the #1 you can’t see through isn’t. Our Flin Flon Recycling Facebook page has a picture of one of these containers.

Also, water cooler jugs are not recyclable because of the blue dye in the plastic.

I was asked the other day if the increased cost of recycling is putting our program in danger financially. Fortunately our Board of Directors has made wise decisions in the past so we are okay. Part of the annual calculations for the subsidy from industry considers prices for materials. When prices are low the subsidy increases to help cover costs.

The only serious problem we could have is being unable to ship our recyclables as we are very ‘space challenged’.

The red bag curbside program is in trouble. The number of homes using the service has dropped significantly so the $3.50 charge for the one red bag required for pickup is not covering costs. If this doesn’t change by year end, the program will end.
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Call us at (204) 6876169 or check the website: flinflonrecycling.org for more information. 

​Originally published Oct 9/19 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

Recycling has frequently been in the news lately.

In 2018, China stopped accepting contaminated plastic. That caused considerable problems in the recycling system.

Recycling brokers were shipping large amounts of low quality or poorly sorted plastic to China as there were very few if any mills in North America that would take it.

Many communities had added plastic bags, wrap and other low quality plastics to the list of recyclables because China was taking it. The changes in China left them scrambling to find other markets.

The CBC program Marketplace went undercover in Malaysia. This country has restricted plastic imports to 62 licensed companies. But the plastic continues to ‘pour in.’ Marketplace found many illegal plastic recycling companies with poor working conditions and terrible environmental consequences.

The other Marketplace story put a tracking device in three bales of plastic bags sold to three different companies for recycling in British Columbia. Only one bale was recycled. One was incinerated for energy leaving behind a very toxic ash and the other went to the landfill.

How does this relate to recycling in Flin Flon?

First of all, most if not all the plastics being recycled in these situations were plastic bags and other low grade plastics. The companies we send our materials to have never taken these plastics because they cannot find companies to recycle them.

These companies have indicated they send all their plastics to mills in North America.
Plastic recycling is facing challenges. The prices for sorted plastics have dropped drastically in the last few months.
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More mills in are needed in North America and there needs to be a willingness to pay the cost of doing recycling the right way. 

Originally published Oct 2/19 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

I remember a conversation with a very committed recycler who was somewhat upset because he discovered when he picked up his bag to bring to the Centre that it was his garbage. He had put his bag of recyclables out for garbage pickup.

Both the recyclables and garbage were in black garbage bags so it is easy to understand how this mistake happened.

We picked up recyclables from a local business. When we went through the bags which were all black we discovered we also had bathroom garbage.

It is easy to avoid this problem.

Garbage goes in solid coloured bags which are usually black or dark green.  

Recycling goes in bags you can see through, and may be blue, green, clear, orange or anther colour.

It makes it easy to see if it is recyclables or garbage.

Surveys show blue is the colour most people think of for recycling.  It was the colour chosen at the beginning of curbside collection for the bins household put their recyclables in.  

The bins on Main Street have a blue side for recyclables and a black side for garbage.  The park recycling bins are blue.

This colour is the cause of some confusion in our community.  

Blue barrels are used for garbage in some of the parks and at community events.  
The garbage dumpsters at the Recycling Centre are blue. We labelled them as ‘garbage only’ after finding bags of recycling in them. We realized the blue colour was confusing.

But blue recycling bins and clear bags for recyclables are here to stay.
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We strongly encourage the use of recycling bags so it is clear what is recyclable and what is garbage. 
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Originally published Sept 25/19 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

​Culture Days are here again.

What is culture? Usually we think of creating and experiencing the arts but the word is also used to describe workplaces and countries.

I googled ‘culture’ and found this: “The customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements of a particular nation, people, or other social group.”

The word ‘customs’ is of particular interest. This is the way people do things in their everyday lives including what they do with their waste.

The culture of waste management has change greatly in the last 50 years. We used to use things up and throw them away. No one gave much thought to where ‘away’ was.
Everything went to the dump, a word that describes what happened. Waste was all dumped together in a pile and buried.

In the 1970’s awareness of the negative impact our waste can have on the environment grew. The reality was that these dumps or landfills were taking up huge amounts of space and the leachate was contaminating nearby lakes and streams.

Recycling became an important way to deal with the problem. Metals have been recycled for a long time as it is relatively easy. Cardboard, paper, glass and plastics recycling became important in reducing the amount of garbage and for preserving natural resources.  

Some mills were built in North America to recycle the different materials. As recycling rates increased China and other countries began recycling large amounts of North American recyclables.  

In 2017 China stopped taking recyclables unless they were contaminant free, a standard that was hard to meet.

Recycling has become the custom in our culture that the China ban has us working to increase recycling capacity, not end the practice. 

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

Convenience is the most important factor in increasing recycling rates. Residential pickup is the most convenient way for households to recycle.

The Recycling Centre first offered curbside pickup in 2003. Users were asked to pay $30.00 per year. Payment was on the honour system so recyclables were picked up even if the household hadn’t paid.

The program came to an abrupt end in 2007 as recycling struggled financially and the program did not cover costs.
 
The Centre brought back the convenience of curbside pickup in 2010. It provides red bags at a cost that covers the program expenses. Residents fill one red bag and two more bags or boxes and put them on the curb. The red bag lets centre staff know the household has paid for the service.  

In the beginning the program provided pick-ups the first and third Wednesdays of the month. The number of users dropped significantly when Creighton began providing their own pickup services in 2014.

Since 2015 red bag pickup happens every Wednesday in Flin Flon where households are using the service. 

The number of red bags collected has dropped to the point where it is barely covering costs.

The questions are:
Is the $3.50 fee the reason?
Should the program end?
Should recycling pickup be free and a fee be charged for more than two bags of garbage?

Curbside pickup uses less fuel with one vehicle stopping at 20 houses rather than 20 vehicles driving to the Centre.

It brings materials into the Centre at a predictable rate and removes the litter problem at the Centre and trailer.
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Let us know what you think on our Facebook page: Flin Flon Recycling or call (204)687-6169. 

Originally published Sept 11/19 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

A variety of things happen in the back room at the Recycling Centre. We call it the paper room as the office paper from businesses and schools is separated and sold.

It is also the room of the four B’s – batteries, bulbs, books and beer.

The battery packing box sits in a shopping cart. The batteries found in household recycling are placed in the cart where they are sorted into the box for shipping.

Transportation regulations require separate packaging for lithium and small sealed lead acid batteries to reduce fire hazard.  Each one must be placed in a plastic bag that is supplied with the boxes. Button batteries are lithium. A number of them are placed on a piece of tape and covered with another piece for shipping.

Fluorescent bulbs are packaged in cardboard boxes lined with heavy plastic bags for shipping. These bulbs contain mercury oxide which is very toxic. The tube bulbs are placed in four foot or eight foot boxes. The smaller CFL bulbs are shipped in a three foot cube box.  The bags are tied and taped shut when they are full. The boxes are sealed with tape on both ends for shipping.

Books are packed into large vegetable boxes from the grocery stores. They are arranged so as many books as possible fit in the box.

Finally, the large bags of beer cans separated from the household recycling are moved to the back room where they are counted into bags of 144 cans so they can be returned for the ten cent deposit.
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 In 2019 we have shipped 691 kilograms of batteries, 40 boxes of bulbs, and 12 boxes of books. 

Originally published Sept 4/19  The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

​The Recycling Centre is a materials recovery facility or MRF.  We collect recyclables and ship them other places to be made into something new.  Most of the recyclables are household packaging and cardboard although  other items add variety on a regular basis.

Someone works at the Recycling Centre every day because the pile on the dock gets too enormous and messy over the weekend.

The exception is statutory holidays although a volunteer may clear the dock.

Materials arrive in several ways.  People drop it off at the Centre. The trailer by Canadian Tire is emptied Monday and Friday. We may get a truckload during the week if needed.

Denare Beach brings their curbside pickups on Wednesday and Creighton on Thursday and Friday.

We pick up recyclables from businesses every day.  Some are on a monthly pickup schedule while others call us when they need one.

Recyclables are loaded into carts when they arrive. Cardboard goes directly into the cardboard baler. The other carts are emptied in the main work area where the glass, aluminum cans and garbage are removed. The rest goes into the hopper on the commingle baler. 

Office paper goes to the back room for sorting.

We also receive cardboard bales from Coop and Canadian Tire.

We ship about 50 bales every two weeks. Our space is so small we cannot store them.

Electronic waste is stacked on pallets, wrapped and stored in the trailers attached to the building for shipping. A load of 24 pallets is shipped two to three times a year.

Batteries, fluorescent bulbs and paint are also packaged and shipped regularly.
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Watching the number of tonnes grow shows us we are making a difference. 

Originally published Aug 28/19 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.
Guest post by summer student Aline Nasselquist 

You’re walking down Main Street and toss your water bottle into the blue bin rather than the garbage, good for you. The school year is comes to an end and you recycle the supplies that you can, good for you. 
 
You’re really helping the environment but just because you’re recycling doesn’t mean you’re doing what’s best for the environment.
 
There’s a reason we are taught to “REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE” in that specific order. It’s because this order creates the greatest impact.
 
Reduce by getting a reusable water bottle instead of purchasing disposable ones over and over.
 
Reuse leftover school supplies instead of buying all new sets every year.
 
Not only does this help the environment but also your wallet.
 
Over the summer of working at the Recycling Centre I have sorted through many bags and boxes of trash and recyclables. It’s actually surprising to see how much perfectly good stuff people get rid of such as sealed packages of loose leaf, folders that just need a new label, dozens of DVDs, photo albums, and so many more different things.
 
It was alarming but then people would call and ask us to keep some pop bottles or books from a specific author so they could reuse them.
 
Reducing our waste is so important through doing things like using reusable products instead of disposable. Then we must keep reusing products until the end of the items life.
 
This isn’t just buying new and then using it up but also buying second hand.
 
You alone can do so much good just by following the steps that come before recycling. Don’t forget to make things better by reducing and reusing.
 

Originally published Aug 21/19 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.
 Guest post by summer student Aline Nasselquist 

Canadians produce around 15 kg a week according to CBC.
 
On the week of July 30 - August 6 I did my best to create no waste and the biggest thing I discovered is that it really isn’t hard. It’s mainly just slightly time consuming and something that takes time to become a habit.
 
Some things didn’t go the way I planned it but some went better than expected.
 
Tactics I plan to implement into my everyday life are bringing reusable containers with me whenever I go out, opting for a hand towel versus paper towels, and using bar soap instead of liquid bottled soap. These changes didn’t greatly impact my everyday life but they do impact the environment.
 
Businesses like Bubba’s Bulk Bin encourage people to bring their own container and by taking a few extra steps CO-OP will also allow people to use their own containers. 
 
Reaching out and also working to discover my options were some tasks I wanted to achieve. I wanted to push myself further but changes like this take baby steps to implement into a person’s life.
 
I do plan on creating a Bokashi composter as soon as possible and using the food scraps I collected this week to start it.
 
I will also make a zero waste kit that I’ll keep in my car to hold cutlery with reusable napkins, a variety of reusable bags, and mason jars.
 
15 kg is a lot of garbage but I only created a fraction of that this week. That is a massive amount of progress and though it’s a small impact, it’s still something.
​

Originally published Aug 14/19 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

​As I write on Monday morning, Blueberry Jam 2019 is in the history books except for counting beer cans and baling the aluminum and other recyclables from the site.

Once again I was very encouraged that very few recyclables, especially aluminum cans were in the garbage. Almost every garbage bin had a recycling bin beside it which makes a difference.

It is important to have the option of garbage or recycling for the public. The dual bins on Main St. have reduced the amount of garbage in the recycling bins significantly although they still are very messy to process.

These bins also advertise that recycling is an important part of our community.

The bins in the parks are a different story.

I went through the bags the last time we emptied the park bins. They were so gross (there is no other word to adequately describe them) that our staff was giving priority to processing other bags of recyclables.  It is a good thing I am a ‘farm girl’ who can deal with smelly things.

The main culprits for the smell and ‘grossness’ were bags people use to clean up after their dogs, diapers and old food mixed in with all the recyclables. Liquids leaking from beverage containers added to the mess.

Unlike other communities who often throw out the public spaces recycling because it is so awful, I believe people have put recyclables in the bins believing they will be recycled. We must honour the trust they have placed in us.
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Several park bins do not have garbage containers anywhere close by, something we will work with the City of Flin Flon to change. 

Originally published Aug 7/19 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

The kind of material arriving at the Recycling Centre changes with the seasons. Summer is beverage container season.  We have a bale of aluminum cans every week. Beer cans and bottles are returned for deposit every week to ten days. This past week there was more than seven thousand.

More fast food packaging and disposable eating items have been coming in. These cannot be recycled with the exception of plastic bottles, aluminum cans and the plastic specialty drink containers from MacDonald’s and Tim Hortons which are #1 or #5 plastic.

My trip to a family reunion took me through Saskatchewan, Alberta, Montana and a bit of British Columbia. I did not see many recycling bins in my travels although the one at the Coop gas station in Melfort was great. It prevented contamination by separating oil and antifreeze containers from the beverage containers and garbage. There is a picture on our Facebook page.

I went shopping a couple of times. I always have a bit of culture shock with the amount of stuff available in cities. My thoughts were “Someday all of this will be in a landfill somewhere”.  The YouTube video – The Story of Stuff – has greatly influenced my perspective about consumerism.  There is a link on our Facebook page.

We will be busy with recycling next weekend at the Blueberry Jam Music festival.  Last year all our bins were there beside the garbage cans. We emptied them regularly during the weekend. Our truck was more than half full at the end of the event.

I was impressed that the bins filled up and that very few containers had to be rescued from the garbage.
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Don’t take a vacation from recycling!

Originally published July 31/19 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

The Flin Flon landfill has a compound for fridges, freezers, and air conditioners. It was built in 2007 for an Environment Council project to protect the ozone layer by providing for the removal of ozone depleting substances (OSDs) at the landfill. The program continues for a small fee.

What is the concern about ozone?

At ground level it is nasty air pollution that leads to health problems.

Fifteen kilometers up in the atmosphere it is the sun screen for the earth, filtering out harmful UV radiation from the sun.

The chemicals used for refrigeration called CFCs and HCFC’s seriously destroy the ozone layer. Sunshine releases the chlorine, which is the C in the names. One atom of chlorine destroys thousands of ozone atoms in the atmosphere.  The ODS in the atmosphere today will damage ozone for another 80 years.

Life on earth needs the ozone protection from the sun’s radiation.

Less ozone causes more skin cancer, eye problems, premature aging for people and animals. It damages crops like wheat, rice and corn which are staples in people’s diets. It destroys plankton which is the food for the food we get from the oceans.

In 1987 most countries signed the Montreal Protocol which strictly regulates ODS. Anyone who works with it must be licensed.  The amounts are documented carefully and tracked. CFC’s are being phased out.

One regulation requires that all appliances must have the refrigerant removed by a certified technician before going to landfill.

Our project provides the removal service at the landfill for a fee of $25.00 which can be paid at Flin Flon City Hall or the landfill gate.
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The fridge goes to the metal pile for recycling. 

​Originally published July 24/19 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.
 Guest post by summer student Aline Nasselquist 

Think about the amount of trash you create in a single week, like food packaging and shopping bags, even clothing tags. Now, imagine not creating any waste whatsoever.
 
Being zero waste is something I’ve noticed more people are interested in. I want to tackle this challenge for a week to see just how difficult it can be in a community like ours. How accessible, actually is it for us to create the absolute least amount of waste around here?
 
I’ll be attempting to keep all my garbage in a jar for a week.
 
It can be very expensive to purchase items that aren’t pre-packaged so I want to see what our community has to offer.
 
However, I will be throwing away some single use items like toilet paper. Also, any trash created due to work or someone else in my household does not count but I’ll still be mindful. 
 
Finally, if I have to create waste I will try to make it recyclable, an example of this is prescription pill bottles.
 
Since I still live at home I have some limitations. Simply put I can’t force my parents to partake in this week. But, I’m taking on the challenge of making one five person meal this week. During this week I’m additionally going to challenge myself in a multitude of ways by following others online examples. I’ll be challenging the community as well to see just how accommodating businesses can be.
 
We should all be more aware of the garbage we produce but we should also be aware of how easy even a low-waste lifestyle can be.
 
In a follow up column I’ll be documenting how this goes.

Originally published July 17/19 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

The three R’s of environmental responsibility in order of importance are reduce, reuse, and recycle.

Recycling is at the bottom of the list. However, as an organization whose goal is caring for the earth, we try to reduce and reuse in our operations as well.

One example is the school supplies giveaway that will be held at the public library August 24. Instead of recycling or throwing out the many usable school supplies we receive we will be giving them away at the library on August 24. We will include any items dropped off at the Recycling Centre or Library.

There are other ways we reduce.

It is an uncomfortable fact that our operations require us to use many plastic bags. It doesn’t really fit our environmental goals.  However, we reuse plastic bags as much as possible.

Large bags for the blue carts outside the Centre and those used to collect aluminum cans are reused many times. Any large bags that can be opened without tearing are reused for garbage.

The large blue bins outside the Recycling Centre are there to reduce the use of plastic bags. Recycling bins can be emptied into these bins so a plastic bag isn’t needed.  

Bringing recyclables to the Centre in closed cardboard boxes also removes the need for a plastic bag and the box is recycled.

Some recyclers reuse large plastic bags from dog food for example.

We encourage reusing by saving a variety of items for people who want to reuse them. For example, the Food bank used small ice cream containers for soup. Ice cream pails are saved for blueberry pickers.
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We strive to reduce and reuse as we recycle. 

​Originally published July 10/19 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

Many details about the challenges of recycling have come to light since China stopped taking the hodge podge of plastics the rest of the world was sending them to recycle. This information is making it obvious that much of the recycling they were receiving was probably ending up in their landfills.

Two big ones have come to light this past week.

First: Black plastic of any kind is not recyclable. At some point in the recycling process plastics are sorted mechanically with laser lights. They cannot ‘read’ black plastic.

Second: Number 1 plastic clam shells used for fruit and baked goods are piling up in the system. The plastic is very recyclable. The problem is the adhesive used for labeling.

The plastic must be clean to recycle. Some adhesives make it too difficult to remove labels while others are easily removed. Sorting by adhesives is nearly impossible.

Packaging companies need to higher priority to the end of life of their products when making design decisions.  They need to consider what happens to their product after consumers buy it.

Currently priority is given to visibility and marketing (to ensure the product is easily seen), security of the product (so it isn’t easily stolen), and reducing costs for manufacture and shipping. Food safety is also a necessary priority.

Black plastic may be used for because it looks nice. Adhesives may affect the cost. Whatever the reason, plastics companies need to quit using black plastic, and set an industry standard for adhesives that are easily removed.

The Flon Flon Recycling Centre is still accepting the #1 PETE clamshells. Hopefully a process for removing labels will be found shortly for items already in the system. 

Originally published July 3/19 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop

The end of school has arrived. It is an exciting time for children. It also means there are lots of school things to clean up and put away.  There is a mountain of recycling from the schools at the Recycling Centre this week.

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. 
 
We are always amazed by how many reusable items come to us. We will be giving them away at the Recycled School Supplies event at the end of August.

So what can be recycled?

Loose leaf paper, white or coloured office paper (the paper used in photocopiers for worksheets etc.)  notebooks (removing the covers 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.

Not recyclable items include: 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. Pencils, markers and other writing things, erasers, geometry sets, pencil cases, and glue sticks are not recyclable.

Any of these items that are not needed and still usable can be dropped off at the Recycling Centre for the giveaway.

Remember, 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 encourage families to recycle. Recycling goes a long way to making sure we leave a good world for our children.