Originally published Aug 9/17 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop. Guest post by summer student Parker Mathews.
I remember my job interview with Deb, asking me what I knew about recycling. All I knew were the 3 R’s Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. What I have learned about recycling is amazing; from fluorescent light bulbs and hazardous material to beer bottles and beer cans.
Fluorescent light bulbs have mercury vapors inside the bulbs, mercury is toxic and needs to be put in an airtight box and shipped out where certain business take CFL’s and crush them in an airtight crusher.
Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) is uncommon, it accounts for small portion of the recycling we get at the Recycling Center.
The HHW is sent to a seacan in the landfill where we sort and organize the HHW into categories depending on the hazard symbol; flammable, toxic, corrosive etc. All categories are packaged differently and put into a drum or crate and then shipped.
Beer bottles and beer cans come through the Recycling Center all year round. We can return all non-Saskatchewan Canadian beer cans and bottles for refunds. Beer cans are packaged into bags of 144 cans, the beer bottles get categorized into boxes of domestic which is your average beer; Miller, Bud-light, budweiser etc. or the specific brand. We take these bottles and cans back for a refund of 10¢ per can or bottle.
We have made $5,246.70 in beer container refunds, accounting for 35% of sales in 2017
This is hardly half of what I have learned here. Working at the Recycling Center has opened my eyes to the importance of recycling and how we impact the environment. It has been a great experience.
I am grateful for the opportunity to work here.
I remember my job interview with Deb, asking me what I knew about recycling. All I knew were the 3 R’s Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. What I have learned about recycling is amazing; from fluorescent light bulbs and hazardous material to beer bottles and beer cans.
Fluorescent light bulbs have mercury vapors inside the bulbs, mercury is toxic and needs to be put in an airtight box and shipped out where certain business take CFL’s and crush them in an airtight crusher.
Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) is uncommon, it accounts for small portion of the recycling we get at the Recycling Center.
The HHW is sent to a seacan in the landfill where we sort and organize the HHW into categories depending on the hazard symbol; flammable, toxic, corrosive etc. All categories are packaged differently and put into a drum or crate and then shipped.
Beer bottles and beer cans come through the Recycling Center all year round. We can return all non-Saskatchewan Canadian beer cans and bottles for refunds. Beer cans are packaged into bags of 144 cans, the beer bottles get categorized into boxes of domestic which is your average beer; Miller, Bud-light, budweiser etc. or the specific brand. We take these bottles and cans back for a refund of 10¢ per can or bottle.
We have made $5,246.70 in beer container refunds, accounting for 35% of sales in 2017
This is hardly half of what I have learned here. Working at the Recycling Center has opened my eyes to the importance of recycling and how we impact the environment. It has been a great experience.
I am grateful for the opportunity to work here.
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