Recycling used to be so easy. I used to enjoy doing it to see how much I could not send to the landfill.
How much stuff do you think is actually being recycled now?
We used to have a pretty blue bag sitting there waiting to accept all offerings, from paper to plastic, (check the number on the bottom), cardboard to foam – the list seemed endless. Fill the bag to your hearts content or until you thought it was heavy enough and if you needed more than one bag , no problem, No limit as to how many bags you could put out. Heaven.
I was happy to take any glass containers with me when I dropped off my beer and pop containers (thank you Chasers Bottle Depot). And then there was change. While I am not opposed to change, it should be for the better.
We were told that the foam trays our meat came on were no longer acceptable in the bag, even though they had a recycle stamp for plastic on it. We could collect it in a separate container and deliver it to an appropriate place if we paid to do so. I’m sure many just went in the garbage.
Then new containers for recycling were delivered. With no lids. With no wheels. With new rules.
No more plastic bags, including over-wrap and blister packs. Shredded paper is still acceptable but it must be put into a clear, not coloured, plastic bag. I actually bought special clear bags that fit inside my shredder base as I did not want to have to scoop them up.
Now you don’t want to recycle small bits of paper as they will probably fly out and end up on the street when the container is being emptied. What happens to all of the paper and cardboard when it snows or rains? It gets wet. Still recyclable?
Now, where to put these containers. I liked having one bag I could toss in the corner. Now I have two blue boxes. I also need a separate bag for foam trays, a separate bag for plastic bags and over-wrap, and a separate container for glass items. I need a bigger house. And I have to deliver the plastic, foam and glass items to a nearby depot myself.
Or send it to the landfill.
Several years ago, I moved here from Kelowna where we were given three large lidded containers with wheels. Beautiful. Even yard waste would be picked up all year-round. Why does the Regional District of North Okanagan charge for yard waste drop off except during special days in the spring and fall, while in Kelowna, it is free to drop off all year long?
Many questions. Any answers?
Penny Perry
Vernon
