And no, I am not talking about Elizabeth May. One big difference that I noticed about Chapleau when I moved here from Sudbury, was the absence of recycling. My wife and I had gotten quite used to putting all manner of recyclable goods into a blue bin for collection curbside. I am well aware of the challenges of implementing a recycling program in Chapleau, both financial and logistical. What shocks me is that more people are not raising a stink about this and that no local politician ever touches the issue. To his credit, municipal council candidate Ron Yurick, spoke of exploring some form of recycling if elected. It is a shame that no one else did. There are other possibilities other than curbside collection.
What always bugged me in the past was how mayor Earle Freeborn would tout his success after the new municipal dump came into being. I believe he states that it will last at least 40 years. Logic would suggest that if a recycling program were implemented, than the landfill would last way beyond that timeframe. Is that not an investment in the future of our town? I do not believe that it is up to individuals to recycle items out of town if they wish to do so. It is the responsability of the municipality to step in and see that all of these reusable items DO NOT simply get thrown in the landfill and buried. How they decide to implement this is another matter alltogether.
One solution I have seen personally is in many small communities along Highway 11. In communities like Hearst and many smaller ones (most are much smaller than Chapleau - Opasatika only has 300 residents), there is a large blue depot in town in a parking lot. There are bins where residents can drop off paper, glass, plastic and aluminum. I'm not sure how often the bins are emptied. I assume all the items are brought to Timmins for processing. I will post a picture of this type of recycling depot after my next trip to Hearst. Could not a similar system be implemented here?
This is the year 2010. Many communities like Sudbury and Toronto have moved on to recycling organics and even styrofoam. Not only does it feel good to recycle (knowing you're making a small difference), it makes far less trash to throw out on garbage day. I know we are geographically isolated and short on cash. But if we keep our heads buried in the sand and do nothing, nothing will ever get done. I think it's high time that Chapleau got with the times.
That is a fantastic idea. I don't see why it could not be done here.
ReplyDeleteI think (and please people, correct me if I'm wrong) that there is limited recycling in Chapleau. People can bring cans to Chapleau PUC. However, I must say that your proposal is interesting. I don't see why this couldn't be implemented in town. Good work Mr. X !
ReplyDeleteCurrently, we bring our cans to Chapleau PUC. Glass and plastic, we bring to Sudbury or Hearst when we go there. Cardboard is too bulky and cumbersome to hang on to. There is too much paper to keep as well. While there are some local initiatives (cans), so much more could be done. I'll try and figure out the name of the company that empties the bins and see what's what.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I am all for a recycling program to be initiated in Chapleau, I believe it is important to remember that recycling is the last of the three R's. First is to reduce our consumption, second to reuse what we cannot reduce, and last is to recycle what we cannot reduce or reuse. If we are really serious about cutting down on the waste that is filling up the landfill (at an alarming rate), we need to start with changing our consuption habits. Just a thought!
ReplyDeleteInterest has been shown locally for recycling.
ReplyDeleteAgree with anomymous but Recycle should be the priority. Consumption reduction usually comes with time as you realize the amount that you actually recycle.
Article 1 Here
Article 2 Here
Article 3 Here
Article 4 Here
Recycling is definately important and Chapleau would greatly benefit from a recycling program. However, recycling also creates a lot of pollution (transportation of recyceable materials, processing of recycleables to create new products, etc.) and sometimes is worse for the environment than extracting raw materials for new products. Be sure to check out an awesome video at www.storyofstuff.com.
ReplyDelete