687 replies to this topic

[Mike K.]

Unfortunately for several years now, no condos or apartments in Victoria have their glass recycled (other than refundables). Glass is only recycled in the city blue box system.  It's because there is no market for glass recycling on the island (too heavy to ship out). I'm surprised this is not talked about more.  

 

I live in a condo & our old provider stopped picking it up so we switched to a new one because of it (but when I called the new provider & asked we realized they are picking it up but just putting it in the garbage) - I tried to make signs so at least people are aware (as it's unfortunate that people are unaware & think it's being recycled) 

 

I now buy all pasta etc in tin cans instead.  Wrote the city about it a few years ago (about it filling up city landfills but they basically wrote back to me that glass is inert.) 

 

There are a few TC articles about it in the past:  https://www.timescol...e-glass-4668727

 

Yes, it's a dirty little open secret.

[vortoozo]

Yes, it's a dirty little open secret.

 

Dropping glass off at a depot is still an option for anyone in those condos. Same process any single family dwelling resident would do for styrofoam, soft plastic, etc.

[Mike K.]

Dropping glass off at a depot is still an option for anyone in those condos. Same process any single family dwelling resident would do for styrofoam, soft plastic, etc.

 

It all ends up in the same place: the dump.

 

You know what else nobody talks about? The massive volume of water used to clean containers before they are put out to be recycled by the user. It's shocking how much water, energy and chemical substances are used to clean containers before they leave households as recyclables that eventually end up at the dump, or if the right type of material, maybe find their way into a secondary use scenario.

[Victoria Watcher]

Yes indeed. We could be washing our cars with that water.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 29 November 2021 - 11:32 AM.

[sebberry]

If all you have is a jam jar or two, just toss it in the dishwasher.  No need for 'all that extra water'.  

 

Peanut butter jars?  Microwave to soften the peanut butter up before washing it off.  

 

Or just garbage it.  Since Victoria took my plastic grocery bags away, I've been less inclined to peel the paper from the tins and jars, scrub the peanut butter from the tub, etc... and now just use bigger garbage bags to catch it all.

[Mike K.]

Yes, my points exactly.

 

Microwave, dishwasher, water to wash items inevitably destined for the trash, etc.

 

It's bonkers. There is no proverbial trash that gets cleaned before it gets turfed, but we've created this giant lie around recyclables.

[Danma]

I'm still of the opinion we should have a deposit system for glass jars. Choose some standard sizes (125ml, 250ml, 500ml, 1L ...) and set it up to return for deposit... works for beer bottles.

 

Reuse is the forgotten of the 3 "R"s.

[Victoria Watcher]

I... works for beer bottles.

s.

Does it?


Returnable bottles need to be cleaned, requiring extra energy. They are heavier so they won't break and must be shipped both ways, meaning fuel use and costs are significant for all but the smallest regional breweries. The larger breweries - Anheuser-Busch, Miller and Coors - gave up on returnables years ago because their costs multiplied with national distribution.

https://www.cbsnews....ing-extinction/

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 29 November 2021 - 12:14 PM.

[Mike K.]

They must also be moved to the depot. Imagine how much energy is consumed moving recyclables from the home to a depot, the depot processing them, then moving them again to another facility.

 

Instead of one garbage truck operating to your home, we have a garbage truck, a 'recycling truck,' and individual trips to depots to recover deposits. All three of those jobs could be handled by a single truck, on one trip.

[Victoria Watcher]

We need a garbage truck that takes in bottles on one end, and sells fresh bottled beer out the other end as it drives down your street.

That could come on Fridays.

On Mondays we need the truck that takes in kitchen scraps on one end and sells vegetable/fruit juice out of the other end.

Then a third truck for paper > confetti.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 29 November 2021 - 12:24 PM.

[Nparker]

...Instead of one garbage truck operating to your home, we have a garbage truck, a 'recycling truck,' and individual trips to depots to recover deposits. All three of those jobs could be handled by a single truck, on one trip.

And it takes at least 3 days/week to accomplish this. 

[mbjj]

You don't have to remove labels from tins. I keep telling my husband that! 

 

I zealously guard my plastic shopping bags and reuse them every week. 

[Matt R.]

Does it?


Returnable bottles need to be cleaned, requiring extra energy. They are heavier so they won't break and must be shipped both ways, meaning fuel use and costs are significant for all but the smallest regional breweries. The larger breweries - Anheuser-Busch, Miller and Coors - gave up on returnables years ago because their costs multiplied with national distribution.

https://www.cbsnews....ing-extinction/

There is a reason why breweries are moving away from bottles and into cans.

[vortoozo]

It all ends up in the same place: the dump.

 

 

Glass collected in the capital region on behalf of Recycle BC is processed into new materials at a facility in Abbotsford. It does not end up in the dump.

Glass collection has been suspended since Nov 22nd because that Abbotsford facility is not currently available.

[Victoria Watcher]

Paper is sold to companies in B.C. and the U.S., as well as overseas. B.C. used to send most of its paper to China, however starting Jan. 1, 2018, the country banned some imports of waste, including plastic and paper.

https://vancouversun...b550415b78/amp/

Although the change has made it more difficult to sell recyclable materials overseas, Lefebvre said the province has one of the lowest contamination rates in North America and has been able to find markets in India, Indonesia, Vietnam, South Korea and Taiwan.




what do those countries do with it? why don’t we just do the final processing here, even if we operate at a small loss?

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 29 November 2021 - 01:56 PM.

[Nparker]

I always practice the three R's with TP.

[Mike K.]

Glass collected in the capital region on behalf of Recycle BC is processed into new materials at a facility in Abbotsford. It does not end up in the dump.
Glass collection has been suspended since Nov 22nd because that Abbotsford facility is not currently available.

Yes, some of it ends up there. But a huge swath ends up in the dump because it’s not dealt with at-source.

It’s like trying to stop a river with a bucket.

[Victoria Watcher]

Yes, driving to Hartland is a great way to save the planet.  

 

 

 

 

Greater Victoria residents can now drop off refundable beverage containers at the region’s first express recycling station.

 

https://www.vicnews....tland-landfill/

 

Located at the Hartland Landfill and operated by the Capital Regional District (CRD), the facility which opened Nov. 24 allows people to drop off pre-bagged beverage containers – with no sorting necessary.

 

Refunds are then granted via Interac e-transfer or cheque, a model that improves recovery rates by making recycling more convenient for British Columbians, a release said.

 

 

 

 

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 07 December 2021 - 11:28 AM.

[Nparker]

Yes, driving to Hartland is a great way to save the planet....

Just take the bus...oh wait. 

[todd]

You’re assuming we don’t live at the landfill

https://youtu.be/48iqu02BO3Y (viewer discretion)