Recycling 101 WorkshopCity of Cornwall Recycling Workshop

September 15th, and 19th 2019

Welcome & Workshop Overview

1. Individual Activity• What is my waste footprint?

2. System Overview• Curb to market- how your recycling gets back in the loop

• City of Cornwall Recycling Video

3. Why should I recycle?• Common myths and realities in the recycling world

4. How can I make a difference? • How one person can make an impact?

• Becoming a better recycler without getting a chemistry degree

What is Your Waste Footprint?

Take a brief moment to fill out the questionnaire in front of you.

• If you don’t have the exact numbers, take a guess

• This is anonymous, so don’t be afraid of what you may have in comparison to others

How many bags of garbage do you place out each week?

• How do you compare to the average?• Above?

• Below?

• The same?

Location Average bags per week Average kilos per week

Cornwall 2 bags 6 kilograms

Canada 6 bags 19 kilograms

World 1 bags 3 kilograms

In your garbage, how much is………

• Organic waste?• Cornwall average - 54% (163.43 kgs per year)• Canadian average - 50% (170 kgs per year)

• Styrofoam and plastic film waste?• Cornwall - 22% • Canada - 63%

• Recycling? • Cornwall - 12.36% (37.22 kgs per year)• Canada - 91% (3.2 million metric tonnes)

• Other (does anyone want to share)?• Cornwall - Hazardous waste: 7.4 tonnes per year• Cornwall - E-Waste: 6.6 tonnes per year

How many recycle boxes do you put out every week?

• Cornwall average- 1 box per week (1.39 kgs)

• Canada average- 1 box per week (0.92 kgs)

• How do you compare to the average?• Above?

• Below?

• The same?

What is the most Common thing you recycle?

• Cornwall - Newspaper and cardboard (84% of all recycling collected)

• Globally - Steel (88% of all materials recycled)

What do you think you could recycle more of?

• Cornwall - Paper and cardboard

• Canada - Single use plastic (plastic bags, straws, forks, etc)

• Globally - Plastic (#1-7) can all technically be recycled but only #1, 2, and 5’s are currently recycled.

What is an item you are unsure if it can be recycled?• Coffee cups - Yes

• Frozen juice containers - Yes

• Juice boxes - Yes

• Plastic Bags - No

• Styrofoam - No

• Chip bags/Candy wrappers - No

• Toys- No

• Pots and Pans - No

Common Recycling Myths

Myth: I don’t need to separate anything: I can throw whatever I want into the blue bin and the

City will sort it out - that’s why I pay taxes.

• Only recyclable materials should go in the blue bin.

• Rule of thumb for paper- if you can rip it, recycle it

• Rule of thumb for containers - if you can rip it, pitch it

• It costs $180.00 per year per household to run garbage and recycling services• the average home only pays $48.00- the rest is financed by

recycling revenues.

• The more garbage in the bin, the more it costs to process, the more money it costs the tax base

Myth: Recycling programs are taking jobs away from the waste industry

• The recycling industry, for every 1 tonne of recycling: • Generates 7 full time jobs,

• Creates $360,000 in wages and benefits

• Raises $700,000 in Gross Domestic Product

Myth: Products made of more then one type of material can’t be recycled

• Composite containers• Are defined as containers with more then one material type

• Highly recyclable and desired in the market as mills have the ability to make 2 different products• think Pillsbury crescent rolls

• Metal

• Cardboard

• Two of the most highly desired materials in the recycling world

• Other examples include juice boxes, cartons, and coffee cups

Myth: Everything can only be recycled once

• Glass and metal can be recycled indefinitely without loss of quality.

• The average piece of paper can be recycled 6-7 times before it is no longer useful for paper.• Paper can continue to be used after for egg cartons

or packing inserts.

• Plastic can only be recycled 1-2 times due to strict strength and food safety packaging requirements. • The biggest new market for existing recycled plastic

is lumber and asphalt.

Myth: Recycling is, at its best, a big government overreach, or at worst, a scam - it has no real

benefits to the planet

• Recycling paper saves 60% of the energy required to make new paper

• The energy saved from glass recycling saves enough energy to power a light bulb for 4 hours.

Scary Truths about Recycling

• Less than 60% of Cornwall homes participate in recycling

• Less than 30% of Cornwall businesses recycle

• The average office worker in Cornwall uses around 500 paper coffee cups in a year

• Each year over 100 billion plastic bags are used in North America

• Post Consumer Recyclable Content in new items is not mandatory

• Canada is making more recycling than the market can take, driving down pricing for commodities - meaning we are making waste faster then we buy and use items.

Why should we Recycle?

How Can I Make A Difference?

• Reduce• Reduce your consumption of products

• Make a list when you go grocery shopping• Buy items that only come in reusable or recyclable containers• Bring your own containers- Farm Boy and Bulk Barn allow it!

• Reuse• Buy reusable items, and ditch single-use items• Bring your reusable shopping bags, plates, utensils, and straws to events• Get a reusable water bottle and coffee cup• Visit a thrift store or second hand store

• Recycle• Only purchase items that are made from recycling that can be recycled again • Look for a high PCR % on the label• Try and keep count of what items are left that you have no alternatives to and write a letter

or a social media enquiry into what can be done to reduce the waste from products

You do not need a degree to recycle……even though it may feel like it!

• Try our Recycle Coach App!• Call our department if you

need help or are unsure 613-937-1777

• Email us with all your questions! wm@cornwall.ca

• Book a tour to understand how things work even further!