Your Waste Questions Answered at 101

October 20, 2017

As it is waste reduction week, now is a good time to answer some of your questions about waste at 101 I have received:

Why can’t I compost napkins and paper plates at 101?

Municipalities do accept these materials, but they employ a different method for organics processing than we do. Our provider uses anaerobic digestion which uses microorganisms to break down food waste, producing methane that is used to generate energy and create fertilizer.Unfortunately, they do not consume paper fibre.

When paper products get into the anaerobic digestion it can develop a mold which creates a toxic environment, killing the microorganisms.

Very rarely is organic waste processed by traditional composting methods in Southern Ontario due to high volume being collected. It is reserved almost exclusively for yard waste which has less issues of odour and pests.

Paper towels are collected in the bathrooms, why can’t we collect it everywhere?

One-by-one the mills that once accepted recycled paper towels are now refusing to buy it. Since paper products can be recycled only about 10 times before the fibres get too short, there is a limit to gaining additional value from recycling paper towels, which are already at the end of their viable lifecycle. It is anticipated that by mid-2018, there may no longer be paper mills accepting paper towels for recycling.

Knowing this, we will keep our existing collection programs, but hold back form expanding collection. We will continue to monitor the situation.

Can we only recycle e-waste when there are collection bins in the foyer?

You can recycle e-waste throughout the year. There are bins located just outside the loading bay. All materials collected go to OES, which ensures that end-of-life electronics are safely handled using a secure process that reduces environmental impacts. Recovered materials go back into the manufacturing supply chain to be used to make new products.