I've mentioned this before but I feel it merits mentioning again in light of recent announcements regarding deposits on beverage containers.The province of Alberta is complaining that the recovery from recycling dairy containers isn't high enough - apparently only 23 percent of paper milk cartons are recycled and 60 percent of plastics. Until curb side recycling kicks in (no - Calgary still doesn't have it), you bring milk containers to the same recycle depots where you bring your cardboard, paper, etc. So now they intend to add a higher deposit value on the containers and make them returnable to the bottle depot for deposit refund to try and increase the level of recycling. Seniors aren't happy because it adds more cost to their milk and they can't afford to constantly bring the containers back to bottle depots as many seniors don't drive. Unlike pop (soda), which is more of a treat or luxury, milk is a necessity to seniors.
Once again, I have a better idea. With curb side recycling just around the corner (summer 2009 if all goes according to plan), people will still be saddled with having to put some recyclables in their curb side bin while still having to collect and carry beverage bottles, cans and boxes - and now milk containers - to the bottle depot for refund. What's the point? Wouldn't it be better if we could just put everything that can be recycled in the curb side bin at our home? I can't speak for the rest of our city, but I would gladly forget about the refund on my recyclable container deposits if it would be used to pay for the cost of curb side recycling. It just makes common sense. People without cars wouldn't have to try and find a way to cart their massive collection of containers to bottle depots (or throw their recyclables out - which is most likely what they're doing now anyway).
4 comments:
Hopefully these seniors will reconsider their vote next provincial election. This deposit will only cause further financial suffering to those who can least afford it.
B.F.
I leave my bags of cans and bottles in the back alley. I live in Killareny and I have never seen the bag last for more than 15 minutes. So I'm recycling and helping someone out.
When Seattle first started curb side pick up, we had to seperate into 2 or 3 different bins. Now it's all one huge bin now. But I have horror pictures in my head of what a cluster that has to be to figure out once it gets to the recycling place.
In Seattle city limits it's now mandatory to put kitchen waste in the curbside yard waste pick up. Landfill amounts are WAY down.
i would be all for my pop cans and liquor bottles helping to pay for curbside recycling. i don't drive and i do recycle. i bring my stuff to the recycle depot but it's hard to find a ride to the bottle depot. i could walk to the one downtown but it's a scary place. i could leave them outside for someone else to collect on it, but i don't see the point while i'm bringing my other recyclables to their place.
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