Eco-warriors might wince ever so slightly every time they walk over to a trash can. Being armed with the knowledge that our “local” landfill is more than 700 kilometres to the south and in the land of the American dollar should be enough to give us all pause when approaching the bin.
We know the best way to reduce waste is to put our consumptive habits on a diet, but, inevitably, a whole buffet of items enter our lives.
We aim to reuse everything we can before buying new, which is great. But that third R: recycle, understandably receives a bit of a bad rap these days, especially when used to condone wasteful habits. That said, recycling is usually a better option than a sealed landfill.
In BC, we can pride ourselves with having the widest variety of options for recycling in the country. More than 20 producer-responsibility programs offer means to recycle items at the cost of the producer. This is a bit of a misdirect in terms of who pays, as environmental fees, deposits and hidden cost hikes are often tacked onto the price of the item at the point of purchase, which is then used at the end of its life to pay for proper disposal.
Since you likely paid for the item, you might as well make use of it.
Here are some of the less common things that can be recycled for free around Powell River:
1. Light bulbs (tube and incandescent): Canadian Tire and Rona.
2. Expired medication and syringes: all pharmacies.
3. Household batteries: select rural recycling depots, Canadian Tire, Rona and Staples.
4. Paint: Augusta Recyclers and Rona.
5. Toner and ink cartridges: Staples.
6. Small appliances: Town Centre Recycling Depot and Sunset Coast Bottle Depot.
7. Electronics: Sunset Coast Bottle Depot.
Worried this will all be a foggy memory the next time you head to the recycling bin? Fear not. You can track all of this information down in the Waste Wise Guide at letstalktrash.ca.
All residents who receive junk mail (ironically) should have received the guide in the mail early in 2017.
Let’s Talk Trash is Powell River Regional District’s waste-management education program.
