Citizens taking action ~ Vancouver, Lower Mainland, and beyond.


Monday, January 21, 2008

Styrofoam ban in Toronto?

Communities do their best to pick up after the Throw-Away Society. This is a thankless task that costs local residents and businesses in North America tens of billions of dollars each year and engenders more complaints than kudos.

But when a city goes to the trouble to recycle a product only to find there's no market for the collected materials ~ what's the solution? Check out this interesting article by Adria Vasil in Toronto NOW magazine:
"The new year did not commence well for Canadian recycling, especially right here in Toronto. In late December, 10 months before the city was poised to start adding polystyrene, aka styrofoam, as well as plastic bags to its blue bins, Canada’s only dedicated styrofoam recycler sent out a closure notice, effective immediately...." (pic: NOW)

4 comments:

Gibsons Recycling said...

The home of "Beachcombers", Gibsons BC, is a truly beautiful and wonderful place. But, sadly, we have had our recycling program, hijacked by our power hungry and unethical regional district, who have abandond the spirit of ethical recycling, and traded it in for a "make work" project for its employees. The Sunshine Coast Regional District takes all the recycling they collect in Gibsons and truck it to a processing site in Sechelt BC. By doing this, they transport recycling 1200 klms. per week. For 4 and a half years. That is transporting recycling from Gibsons, to Sechelt and then back trhough Gibsons, whence it came, on its way to Vancouver a total of 260,000 klms. so far. Yet, there is an eco friendly recycling depot, one block from their site, which travels Zero klms. and is private and ethical. yet, they recieve no governemnt funding or assitance. Many local governemnts have discovered that recycling creates jobs and increases general revenues. Thus, abdicating the principals of clean and green recycling. $1,400,000 of tax payers money has been wasted doing this. The private recycling depot that recieves no governemnt help, recycles e-waste, rechargable batteries, Styrofoam, ink jet cartridges, cel phones, plus the usual paper and plastic products as well as tin cans and glass. The SCRD, which recieves all the funding for our area, $31,000 per month, recycles only tin cans and the paper and plastic products. Thats it. No new recyclables added in over 4 years? Where are the "green" politicians?" I thought we were green? Seems, it is trendy to speak "Green" but not actually to "Be Green". Hold politicians accountable! Ask questions in your area!

www.gibsonsrecycling.ca

Unknown said...

Helen,

I would really like to speak with you as I am currently organising a petition to attempt to ban polystyrene in BC. I look forward to your advice. Kind Regards, Julie

Gibsons Recycling said...

Hi Julie. What is proposed to replace Styrofoam? I know that paper products are used but these require more trees? I have seen the machine that can recycling Styrofoam. I went to Portland Oregon and saw it in operation and was impressed. Check out the EPS Group on Google or my site www.gibsonsrecycling.ca I would like to hear what options you guys have there? Thanks

GTozzi said...

Biopack Enviromental Solutions Inc has products that are made from natural, renewable materials (bagasse, straw, wheat stalk, reed, and bamboo). These raw materials leave a small environmental footprint and they regenerate very quickly and abundantly in nature. Unlike bioplastic products made from corn starch or paper, which may drive up the prices of these commodities and encourage deforestation, Biopack’s products are truly environmentally and socially conscious. Biopack’s products are also 100 percent biodegradable and compostable. So why use polystyrene or paper? http://www.biopackenvironmental.com