In search of better ways to live life on the planet

September 7th, 2009
Supporters have alerted us to a couple of interesting links
The Story of Stuff: A video that takes on some fundamental issues with clarity and humour.
Stuff
No Impact Man: A film about a New Yorker’s one-year project to turn off the electricity and stop making garbage. His caffeine-loving, retail-obsessed, television-addicted wife is not so sure it’s a great idea. Trailer, blog , project.

Dave says:
September 8, 2009 at 6:56 am
There is a useful “fact sheet” document on the story of stuff web site. It is found on their “resources” link when clicked.

We all should think first of re-use, then recycling and after exhausting that disposal only as a last resort.

The “Be a Hero” curb side collection calendar on page 14 explains “Why some plastics are not accepted”. Quoted verbatim – “At the County we only accept materials in our blue box program if we believe they have stable long term North American Markets. Unfortunately these markets are not always available for all types of plastic.”

Some regions already collect and recycle these “unstable-market” materials.

So why not separate “unstable-market” plastics. Have the county accumulate these at their landfill or collection point separately so they can be recycled at those special “stable market” moments throughout the year.

The county could then have waste pick-up 1 bag every 2 weeks, as these “unstable-market” materials are a large part of “waste” for those who make the most of the blue-box and green-bin programs.

Take the savings from reducing waste pickup to half as often and use it to help pay the cost of programs to reduce waste further. Or to subsidize recycling “unstable-market” materials.

Some areas, Algonquin Park for example, collect pet waste in their green bins. Why not here? Likely many residents place pet waste in the garbage, which is not allowed and justs increases the waste volume in landfills.