Our modern disposable consumer society sure is convenient. But sustainable and environmentally friendly it most definitely is not.
Our modern disposable consumer society sure is convenient.
But sustainable and environmentally friendly it most definitely is not.
Whereas recycling and composting were once out of reach for many people who did not have the luxury of time to endlessly sort through different materials into assorted bins and then find the opportunity to drop everything off at sorting centre, municipalities such as Sundre have striven towards making reducing waste as easy as possible.
In fact, with a multi-pronged approach that provides the means to conveniently deal with recycling, compost and waste, residents have never been so easily able to reduce the amount of waste that they send to the landfill.
Instead of tediously sorting paper from cardboard from tin cans and empty plastic containers, residents can simply dispose all of these types of materials in the blue recycling bins introduced last year. However, empty glass bottles must still be dropped off at the Sundre Recycling Centre. This improvement nevertheless represents a greatly streamlined process compared with before, when all aforementioned materials had to be hauled in and sorted manually — a time-consuming chore likely nobody misses.
While some residents have expressed issues regarding the compost, which tends to emit smells and attract bugs, there are fairly simple steps that can be taken to mitigate those concerns. These suggestions include but are not limited to cleaning or at least rinsing the bin between each pickup, storing the container in a shaded or covered area instead of letting it roast in the hot summer sun, as well as refraining from cleaning out the fridge until right before the next pickup.
Provided recyclable materials and compost waste are properly sorted, there should be much less waste going into the refuse bin. Styrofoam, cat litter, diapers, and other used sanitary products are among the kinds of items that are destined for the black bins. Still, sure beats sending to the landfill compostable material that can be turned into a useful byproduct such as fertilizer, not to mention recyclable materials that can be reused for a multitude of products.
And by extension, less material going to the landfill means the facility has a much longer lifespan, which in the long run does not just benefit the environment but also our collective pocketbook by significantly reducing the costs associated with using a garbage dump.
See an upcoming edition of the Round Up for a comprehensive feature detailing more specifically with how to sort through materials to reduce waste by recycling and composting.
In the meantime, we encourage you to if possible visit sundre.com/waste-and-recycling for instructions on properly dealing with compost, recyclables and waste.
— Ducatel is the Round Up's editor
