Why Should I Recycle?

The Council for the Township of Conmee has implemented a recycling program for the Landfill site. This program is designed to do two things. The first is to divert solid waste from the actual trench. Why is this important? It is important because the Ministry of the Environment has only approved a small area at the Landfill to be used to actually bury garbage. A ring of monitoring wells has been established around this approved area. The Township must employ a qualified individual or company to monitor the groundwater that appears in those wells. This monitoring will alert us to any migration of contaminates into the groundwater. This monitoring program costs several thousands of dollars per year.

Not only is the actual landfilling area small, the Township is also required to cover the trench on a regular basis. The Township uses sand in the summer and snow in the winter to provide the cover. The covering of the trench is designed to help prevent the birds and elements from moving the garbage out of the trench. Unfortunately, it is a fine line between providing enough cover to keep out the birds and filling up the trench with sand instead of garbage.

Once the current landfilling area has been used, the Township will have to apply to the Ministry of the Environment for permission to expand. A new ring of monitoring wells will have to be established. The Ministry of the Environment may require further studies of water and groundwater which can be costly.

So obviously then, the more items we can recycle to other uses, the longer our Landfill will last. Paper and light cardboard, cans and number 1 and number 2 plastics can all be recycled. Although other items can also be recycled, there is currently no facility or company in our area that will take them. The Township does have a separate furniture pile and even a glass pile. These items are crushed before they are put into a trench. This compaction will help prolong the life of the trenches.

The second reason for recycling is obviously our environment. Each and every piece of garbage we put into the ground will contaminate or change it in some way. Reusing items delays the time it takes to make it to the Landfill. Reusing materials also ensures that we don't use up all our natural resources, including trees, water and minerals.

So what can you do to recycle? First, pick out the things you can recycle from your regular garbage and make sure they go in the appropriate place in the Landfill. Paper and light cardboard (like cereal boxes) may go into the green recycling bin. Heavier cardboard can be broken down and folded flat and placed in the trailer. (To see if it is heavy cardboard, look at the end of a side. If you can see corrigations or wavy lines between the smooth outer layers, it is heavy cardboard.) Aluminum cans may be placed in the appropriate place in the green recycle bin. Pop cans should be placed into the wire basket bin at the Landfill, or the one located at the Municipal Office. We must pay ReCool to remove the tins from the green recycle bin, but the wire basket at the Landfill is collected on behalf of the Rural Food Cupboard, and the proceeds from the one at the Municipal Office go to the Kakabeka School. These bins are picked up for free. Placing your pop cans into these containers will mean that we do not have to call ReCool as often, AND you will be helping out the food bank and the school ...page 2