What does “100% reusable, recyclable, or, where viable alternatives do not exist, recoverable” actually mean?
(23 July 2019) – These are the words in the Ocean Plastics Charter that Canada signed along with other G7 countries except Japan and the US. But what do they actually mean?
First the 100%. That means all, right? Everything. So, there will be no plastic waste then? Or does the 100% only refer to the re-usable part? 100% re-usable? Are all plastics 100% re-usable? Don’t think so. Or maybe it’s 100% reusable or recyclable? Or a cumulative total. Get to 100% through a combination of reuse, recycling and recovering? . . . Read the rest of the post here
Climate change demands that our focus should be on improving paper and organics recovery, not fiddling around with plastic straws
(15 May 2019) – Yes, plastic litter (any litter for that matter) and marine pollution is terrible, and we need to have a long hard look at our consumption habits and to reduce our use of fossil fuels. But when we are warned by the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that we have only 12 years for global warming to be kept to a maximum of 1.5 C, our prime focus should surely be on achieving some “big hits” that will rapidly reduce current greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
In waste management terms, those “big hits” are reducing the methane being emitted from landfills; and getting more paper and organics out of them. In landfill . . . Read the rest of the post here
The ‘worst performers’ in waste management in Canada: Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta
(04 April 2019) – Three provinces lag significantly behind the others in solid waste management in Canada: Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. And what’s worse, their low diversion rates (ranging from between 16 and 18%) have not changed much over the last eight years, according to the latest data from Statistics Canada.
The data measures the disposal and diversion of industrial, commercial and residential streams of used paper, plastics, glass, metals, textiles, organics, electronics, white goods (such as fridges and appliances). . . Read the rest of the post here
Paper’s Circular Economy:
Video courtesy of FEFCO
Most of the boxes and cartons made in Canada are 100% recycled content.
We want them back!
