GTA Residents and ConsumerPlastic Recycling
Many Canadians need more information on what plastics can be recycled in order to improve waste management.
Recycling programs across Canada are struggling to decrease the amount of contaminated plastic waste discarded through recycling programs. Contamination in recycling is a big issue in the GTA, with many not properly recycling or trying to recycle materials that can't be recycled, or putting it in the wrong place.
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However, people try to follow recycling guidelines as best as possible, or want to use more sustainable or biodegradable products to reduce their carbon footprint.
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The Ontario Waste Management Association says many Canadians need more information on what plastics can be recycled in order to improve waste management.
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"We need more data to know what plastics can be recycled in order to improve domestic recycling efforts, but people need to be educated on what we know so far in order to have a good start," said Steven Crombie, with Ontario Waste Management of Brampton.
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New legislation in Ontario requires municipal approval to make new landfills, which has made it difficult for communities within the GTA to find areas to put their garbage.
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"With the amount of waste that GTA residents throw out, we think that more landfills are needed for big cities like Brampton and Toronto," Crombie said. The provincial environment minister should have a larger say in landfill approval over local municipalities.
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In order to get more insights on how GTA residents think about recycling, I conducted a quick unscientific survey asking 20 people about plastic recycling.
Most recyclable plastic packaging, like beverage bottles, should be washed before recycling to avoid contamination, but only 35 per cent of peoplesurveyed claim they do so, which is a lower number than originally estimated.
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The survey found just how many individuals bring their own useable containers to grocery stores or restaurants .Only 12 people bring their own bags when grocery shopping, with 25 per cent saying they sometimes do, and 20 per cent that said they do not.
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Starbucks is a large corporation that is introducing new ways to recycle and to be more sustainable by asking their customers to bring their own reusable Starbucks cup to reduce waste, and save 10 per cent off the purchase. Only two people say they bring reusable cups, and eight people said they do not, leaving the remaining half claiming they sometimes do.
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The Ontario Waste Management Association continues to encourage everyone to wash and recycle their consumer plastics in hopes of better recycling standards for the province.