|
|
| |
 |
Currently, the Waste Management Campaign group has several goals to reduce waste in the City of
Calgary, as well as encourage and increase recycling. If you are
interested in joining our group, provide us with some useful information,
or would like to inquire about our goals please e-mail Shane Bill. |
Challenges and Opportunities in Waste Diversion
The City of Calgary Waste and Recycling
Services department released a report in December to
coincide with a decision to conduct a pilot project for
curbside pickup of recyclables and organics. This report
is a comprehensive look at Calgary's residential waste
stream and the challenges and opportunities in future
waste diversion. One of the most exciting goals outlined
is an intention to reverse the current ratio of 80%
landfill/20% waste diversion to 20%landfill/80% waste
diversion by the year 2020. As well, there is a goal to
reduce or eliminate the air and ground water pollution
from our landfills. We believe the best way to achieve
these goals is twofold.
- Educate and motivate Calgarians to
rethink their lifestyles to reduce consumption and
fully embrace the 3 R's.
- For the City to introduce legislation
to include incentives and disincentives for
eliminating recyclables and organics from the waste
stream, thus further reducing landfill contributions.
Calgary's landfills have approximately
30 years left (in 2002 it was estimated to be 50 years).
Lack of incentive to reduce waste heading to the landfills
is due to: low tipping fees ($36/ton), lack of public
awareness of alternatives to landfilling waste and the
environmental repercussions, limited options for
composting yard waste, not enough green bin recycling
depots and no City bag limits.
What You Can Do
- Increase your understanding and awareness of the
issues around waste and start to practice better waste
reduction habits in your household.
- Help your friends and neighbours to improve as well by
spreading the word and setting an example.
- Please send a letter to your alderman stating what you
want to see changed in the existing recycling programs
offered by the City of Calgary. We have prepared a sample
letter (
 ) that you can use as template to get you
started.
|
|
Campaign Initiatives
 | Promote a City Organic pick-up program
We are continuing to work with the City of Calgary to
expand their leaf drop off program so that it is
better promoted, available for a longer period in the
fall and potentially in the spring as well. We are
hopeful that the pilot for curbside pickup of
recyclables and organics will lead to a city-wide
organics pickup in the future.
|
| Creating a Brochure to Education Households on
How to Reduce Waste
The Calgary
Foundation has provided funding to allow us to get
some much needed information to more Calgarians. We
are designing a brochure to highlight the 4 R's
(Rethink, Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle) aimed at
increasing awareness and participation in waste
diversion.
|
| Increase Recycling Participation
We would like to increase participation in
recycling through improvements in our city recycling
programs, for example: more green bins and
"micro" green bins for apartments and small
inner-city parking lots. This work is done through
letter writing and working with the City of Calgary
Waste and Recycling Services.
|
| Increase
Recycling Programs in Public Schools
We believe we have to tackle the issue of the four
R's (Rethink, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle) within our
schools to help promote waste reduction in Calgary. We
have started working with schools to help them design
a campaign that will be fun and effective.
|
| ON HOLD - Increase Corporate Recycling
We are currently working on plans to collaborate with
companies that recycle on a large-scale, such as
corporate and commercial companies. We are seeking out
ways to promote the economics and sustainability of
alternatives to putting products in the land fill that
have market value, and promoting more
"green" offices. Send us your ideas! |
|
|
