.Diversion target unambitious

Editorial – Midland Mirror – July 14 2010
MIDLAND – The County of Simcoe has set the bar pretty low by declaring a goal of 77 per cent waste diversion by the year 2030.
Sure, the target seems ambitious compared to the current diversion figure of just 55 per cent, but some Ontario municipalities are already at or above 70 per cent.
Where is the leadership? Where is the willingness to think boldly? Where is the recognition that continuing down the path of “buy it, use it, pitch it” is unsustainable?
The Town of Markham is often cited by environmentalists for its vision on this file. It has fully embraced the zero-waste philosophy, taking a hard line on non-recyclables that shows politicians there truly get it.
Simcoe County’s new waste-management strategy pays lip service to the gospel of diversion, but the message seems merely to be: Recycle what you can, compost a bit more than you do now, and we’ll all be fine.
If only that were true. The county produces 89,200 tonnes of garbage per year; under the waste-management strategy, this would drop to 52,000 by 2030. You don’t have to be David Suzuki to recognize this isn’t good enough.
Politicians described the plan as “doable” and “achievable,” but that’s a feeble impression of a rallying cry.
Statistics Canada reports 98 per cent of Canadian households with access to recycling choose to do so. Fifty-two per cent of those recyclers send all their recyclables to the blue bin, while 34 per cent recycle the majority of their waste.
Clearly, most private citizens are trying to do their part. But residential waste is just a small piece of the puzzle; two-thirds of waste destined for disposal comes from non-residential sources.
In fact, while household waste increased three per cent to 9.2 million tonnes in 2006, the amount of non-residential waste jumped 11 per cent to 18 million tonnes.
This is where our efforts must be directed. Manufacturers and retailers with wasteful practices must be forced – either through legislation or via public pressure – to get with the program.
For example, The Mirror surveyed a handful of local grocery stores recently about their policies regarding fruits and vegetables that have passed their best-before date. A couple of stores simply toss the produce in the trash, while the others compost it or give it to a farmer for animal feed.
Environmentally conscious consumers should have no problem deciding which merchant will get their business.
In the end, we can reduce, reuse and recycle as much as we please, but talking with our wallets may be the most effective strategy to achieve zero waste.