tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246639650182663283.post2403542090347051966..comments2023-05-20T07:35:48.401-07:00Comments on Zero Waste Blog: How about some junkets to the Maritimes?Vanessahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18117209574551813385noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246639650182663283.post-9788541802657832372009-07-31T13:08:18.786-07:002009-07-31T13:08:18.786-07:00This is an excellent observation and very interest...This is an excellent observation and very interesting. As a Maritimer that moved to Calgary years ago I was shocked by the lack of diversion. It didn't seem to really be on the minds of people in Calgary and composting was really a foreign concept. With my move to the West Coast I'm glad to be back in a society where diversion is on the radar of the public. <br /><br />One of the factors in the diversion game is that it is expensive in terms of immediate dollars (not long term if you look at the big picture) to setup aggresive diversion programs. Nova Scotia for example has one of the highest waste disposal costs in North America if you look at the per capita cost per person. Local governments spend a lot on collecting, diverting, and managing waste. In Vancouver our cost per capita is much lower mostly because we haven't started to invest in the infrastructure. It's going to cost money to divert waste and refine the system, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. When waste disposal becomes more expensive it makes people think about what they are doing. When I'm looking for customers one of the most common comments is "We don't spend enough to make it worthwhile". Obviously hiking the price overnight will cause all kinds of problems like illegal dumping, etc. but if it's so cheap that it's not on the mind of business owners that signals that the market isn't reflecting the true cost of waste disposal.<br /><br />Colin Bell<br />Managing Partner<br />Keystone Cost Reduction<br />www.keystonecostreduction.comColin Bellhttp://www.keystonecostreduction.comnoreply@blogger.com