Editorials
August 14, 2008 12:30 AM
It’s time to say no to diapers and plastic bags in green bins in York Region for the long-term viability of our program.
Plastic bags tangle in sorting machinery. And diapers create odours that make the recycling plants undesirable.
As it is, diapers represent a small amount of the 1,500 tonnes of green bin waste collected weekly from York Region homes. However, when it comes to smell, diapers are one of the biggest culprits, studies show.
For instance, the stench spewing from Newmarket’s Halton Recycling galvanized nearby residents and businesses.
The Harry Walker Parkway facility was declared a public nuisance by the Superior Court two years ago and restricted to 10 per cent of its total capacity.
York Region yanked its waste from heading to the plant and now only Toronto waste is processed there.
Banning diapers from York’s green bins could allow us to send recyclables to Halton to increase capacity without increasing odour.
As it stands, we were forced to ship trash to a Quebec composting facility that suffered operational setbacks, leaving York without a market for one-third of its organic waste.
Still, rather than landfill it, the decision was made to temporarily incinerate waste in Niagara Falls, N.Y. at $65 per tonne or about $130,000 a month.
That is expected to continue for another few months, until a new compost facility opens in Welland, about 200 kilometres away.
But why incur the cost of shipping our waste hundreds of kilometres outside the region, when a local facility can do the job?
We’re burning expensive fuel, clogging already congested highways while a perfectly viable composting facility — approved by the Town of Newmarket to operate its recycling business — sits nearly idle.
As for the region’s argument — that change would incite confusion — more credit should be given to residents and more leadership is required by our waste management officials to educate the public about its goals.
The green bin program was only launched in the region’s six northern municipalities last September after starting in the south end of the region months before that.
Most residents took to sorting changes willingly and, for the most part, have adapted. The blue box recycling program was changed to include many more items from the time it began and York Region residents responded.
While there are some bugs to still be worked out, no less should be expected for the green bin.