Saugeen Shores Councillor John Rich with plastics ready for transport.

Hub Staff

Once again the environmental three Rs are topical both locally and internationally. How do we transform a declaration of war over contaminated recycle material and a whale filled with 88 pounds of plastic (note: when you complete an internet search on this topic the pictures are graphic and disturbing) into a refreshed recycle action plan for Saugeen Shores?

According to some of our local councillors a new round of education and information is needed and we can expect to see and hear more on this topic. Councillor John Rich who also acts as Chair of the Bruce Area Solid Waste Recycling (BASWR) intends to road show his pitch which is predicated more on the first two Rs of reduce and reuse than it is on the third, recycle.

Councillor Rich suggested that a significant impact will come from consumer decisions rather than from government legislation. "That consumer pressure is far more effective," said Rich.

Councillor Cheryl Grace explained the disparity between urban and rural efforts, saying she believes it is an issue of perception. "This is a perception problem that we deal with up here when people import their experiences with very large systems in the GTA and expect us to provide the same," she said, using the example of putting all recyclables into one large container. "Once I have explained this to residents who inquire, they understand our limitations," she said.

Rich used a definitive example with milk products to make his point and said the carton is the worst of four options for purchasing milk. "Plastic is better and glass would be the best of three at 40 percent of the required energy of the life of the product," he said but added that "glass recycling isn’t cost effective and is often collected and packaged at a loss. Refillable is the smart glass option.”

While Foodland in Southampton offers Miller's dairy products in refillable glass containers, Scott Rowland from Rowland's Independent in Port Elgin said that he would add a refillable product line if it was supported by consumer demand.

Councillor Rich said that where plastics are concerned, items are often contaminated with food products and bacteria. "For the most part [plastics] are turned into children’s toys or an aggregate fill for concrete products," he said.

Councillor Grace said she believes the public is not aware of changes in the plastics industry with many of the previous markets now drying up and significant percentages of plastics being diverted to landfill sites. Somewhere in the range of 40 percent of the collected plastic cannot be recycled and also ends up in the landfill site.

Other contamination problems occur at the landfill operations centre where various blue bins are aligned to help local citizens when they miss the curbside pick-up. Cartons and tetra-paks, for example are not recycled in Saugeen Shores. Grace said the municipality can't afford the technology required to recycle these products.

Rich reminded us that significant sorting is completed curbside and a somewhat lesser approach is completed on Mondays at the landfill site. With this minor sorting if, for example, there are plastic bags left behind containing cans then these will not be salvaged and will end up in the landfill.

Amanda Froese, Director of Infrastructure and Development Services confirmed that when BASWR comes to collect cardboard they will call Public Works to say there there is cardboard outside the bin. "We then send staff over to break it down and put it in the bin," she said.

Councillor Rich also reminded us that at any time a market collapses for a certain product, styrofoam, for example, this material ends up in the landfill site.

Councillor Dave Myette offered a supporting position. "Our landfill site is a cost effective and responsible way to deal with waste and with large amounts of future expansion available," he said. "Intensifying the recycling effort to attain a diversion rate of 100 percent doesn’t make sense with our return on investment formula and will cost a significant extra amount," he said.

"The responsible thing to do is not to create the waste in the first place," Myette said.

Town officials have agreed to support the most recent Ministry of the Environment’s discussion paper and seemingly with one significant variance from their recommendation to transition the onus of dealing with waste materials from the consumer to the producer. "We need a grass-roots change in attitude and it will take a hands-on, personalized education effort," said Councillor Grace. "I think consumers need to become more assertive about telling retailers that they do not want unnecessary (single use) plastic packaging and possibly leaving the containers in the store after transfer to their own bags and containers.”

Councillor Rich is concerned government has created what amounts to a false sense of security. "It feels good (environmentally) but we’re doing the wrong thing," he said. "If we want to make a significant difference this comes from changing our buying habits and away from convenience," added Rich.

More discussion is set to take place in Council Chambers on Monday.

When BASWR comes to collect cardboard they will call Public Works to say there is extra cardboard left outside the bin.

Saugeen Shores doesn't currently have the technology to recycle cartons and tetra-paks.