Pin down that bin knowledge

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Landfills are over-flowing with ev­er-growing mountains of garbage increasing in size and diminishing the available space to store waste. Even with technological advance­ments providing eco-friendly al­ternatives such as solar panels and electricity-powered vehicles, tack­ling this issue requires taking the problem back to the original roots, and choices that may seem to be minor can be capable of making the biggest dif­ference.

Many students living away from home choose to recycle, but how many of them are doing it right? Each household should have two large blue bins, one designated for paper products and the other for containers.

The paper products that can be re­cycled include empty boxes of cere­al, cardboard, catalogues, detergent, tissue, phone books, egg cartons, miscellaneous sheets such as flyers, envelopes, writing paper, newspa­pers and magazines.

Container products that can be re­cycled include ice cream tubs, milk and juice cartons, drink boxes, card­board cans, aluminum and steel con­tainers, aluminum foil, pie plates, glass bottles and jars as well as any plastic bottles and tubs with number 1-7 noted at the bottom of the con­tainer.

Some products that are not ac­cepted include construction paper, drinking glasses and dishes, paper tissues, Styrofoam, wood, plastic bags and wraps, batteries and coat hangers.

In order to make the recycling pro­cess go as smooth as possible, make sure to rinse all items, flatten card­board, set bins/recyclables at curb­side by 7 a.m. on collection dates, with bins weighing no more than 18-kilograms.

A thorough list of the accepted items can be found online at lon­don.ca, and non-acceptable items must be discarded in garbage bags for removal or donated to a recycling centre. Changes may be made to the government’s discretion and house­holds are encouraged to keep up to date with modifications.

Another great method to recycle is the LCBO Bag it Back program. In 2007, the government of Ontario developed a plan that would expand recycling programs by freeing up space in blue boxes. Returning wine and spirit bottles to The Beer Store diverts these items to recycling facil­ities rather than to already full land­fills.

What’s better, under the Ontario Deposit Return program, residents are given money back per bottle. In this case, it really does pay to drink, while reducing the amount of waste each year. For a full list on eligible items and return rates, head to bagit­back.com.

With hopes that this article was capable of providing new informa­tion to help students create a greener planet, the Black Eyed Peas may fi­nally get their answer to their ques­tion, “Where is the love?” A sustain­able world is an obligation possible through the collaboration and cour­tesy of all. Further questions may be answered on the “Garbage and Recy­cling” section on london.ca