Login | Register

Recycling plan working
Friday July 25 2008 The majority of Halton residents are on board with the Region’s new waste diversion program.
According to the Region, about 80 per cent of all Halton residents are now using their GreenCart and Blue Box on a weekly basis.
“I thank all Halton residents for their enthusiastic participation in the GreenCart program and their increased use of the Blue Box for recycling,” said Regional Chair Gary Carr. “While the final waste diversion rate needs to be averaged over the full calendar year, early reports indicate Halton Region is on our way to achieving the goal of diverting 60 per cent of waste away from the landfill.”
Since the launch of the weekly Blue Box and GreenCart collection on April 7, the Region reports it has received many comments from residents indicating their support for weekly collection and in particular the GreenCart program.
“Our family is just amazed at how much waste is going to recycling now,” said Georgetown resident Christine Upton.
“It’s hard to believe how little ‘real’ garbage there is even after two weeks. There has been so much support in Halton Hills for the GreenCart Program that there is no turning back. Green is the way of the future and people are really buying in!”
“We’ve had our GreenCart for a while now and have noticed changes it has made in our household,” said Acton resident Mary Jordan. “First it took us a while to get used to separating one more thing for garbage but once we had that routine in place we had reduced the amount of garbage we put at the curbside for pickup. We are down to two small bags every two weeks, a huge improvement with minimal effort. I personally can’t imagine the impact in decreasing the amount of garbage being sent to our landfill using both the Blue Box and GreenCart programs. With this joint effort from the community and the Region I think we are on the road to protecting and preserving our environment for the next generation.”
To build on the early success of the new programs and increase diversion rates, the Region is preparing to launch a series of advertisements that will encourage residents to think about all areas throughout their home, both inside and out, when it comes to diverting waste away from the garbage and ultimately the landfill.
Ads will be placed in local newspapers over the coming weeks identifying materials commonly located in different rooms of a typical household and where they should ultimately go for processing to avoid the landfill. This includes the Blue Box, GreenCart, Charity or Reuse Centre, Household Hazardous Waste Depot and the Take it Back! Halton program, where residents can take items such as batteries, light bulbs and plastic bags to participating retailers to be reused, recycled and disposed of in an environmentally-safe way.
“By embracing weekly collection of both the Blue Box and GreenCart programs, residents are diverting a significant amount of waste away from the landfill site and also contributing to help protect the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and creating useful recycling and compost products,” said acting Commissioner of Public Works and Engineering Services Mark Meneray.
“Since the first phase of the GreenCart program has shown high rates of participation, the Region is now beginning to investigate the feasibility of expanding the program to townhouse complexes and apartment buildings.”
For more information on waste collection services contact the Region at (905) 825-6000 or visit www.halton.ca.





 

North Peel Media Group Newspapers: The Brampton Guardian Caledon Enterprise Independent & Free Press Orangeville Banner