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in si de ha lto n. co m O ak vi lle B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, A pr il 21 ,2 02 2 | 4 For a complimentary policy review, call 1-855-241-1831 or visit caasco.com/springinsurance. Find a licensed CAA authorized broker at caainsurancecompany.ca/findabroker. 1 Auto and Home Insurance are underwritten by CAA Insurance Company. 2 To qualify for the CAA Member Loyalty Discount, you must be a current CAA Member in good standing (CAA Membership dues paid in full by membership expiry date). A La Carte Members maximum savings on auto insurance is 5%. ®/™ CAA trademarks are owned by, and use is authorized by, the Canadian Automobile Association. Certain conditions, limitations and underwriting guidelines apply. (220550-02/22) We Provide Getting-Spring- Enthusiasts-to- Their-Happy-Place Coverage Going out to enjoy the warm weather? Before you head to your happy place, check that your auto insurance covers you properly. A licensed CAA Insurance1 Agent can tell you if you have options like these: • CAA MyPace™, Canada's only pay-as-you-go auto insurance payment program with savings for those who drive up to 12,000 km/year • Exclusive CAA Member savings2 • Save up to 22.5% for bunding CAA Auto and Home Insurance SUMMERR PROGRAMS FOR ALL AGES AND SKILL LEVELS! SOCCER www.oakvillesoccer.ca AGES U2 - U18 REGISTER TODAY AT: STARTS IN MAY! SPACES ARE FILLING QUICKLY! bag could've been compost- ed or recycled. To help those who are unsure about what to put in their green carts and blue boxes, Halton has created an on- line "Put Waste in its Place" tool (https:// bit.ly/3KJCTVH), where individual items can be searched. Households that choose not to use their green cart identify odours as the main deterrent, said Rivers -- something he feels can be easily overcome. "Reducing food waste, as well as using newspa- pers, paper towels or BPI certified compostable bags to line green carts will help reduce odours," he said. "Rinsing the green cart and kitchen catcher with soap and water will also help keep them clean and re- duce odours." Materials composted through the green cart pro- gram are turned into fertil- izers to improve soil quali- ty, and renewable biogas that's used to generate elec- tricity and converted to natural gas, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, noted Rivers. Meanwhile, items recy- cled through blue boxes are used to produce other materials in an environ- mentally sustainable man- ner. An online survey con- ducted by Halton Region in 2020 revealed that some residents believe blue box items end up in the landfill, despite their best efforts. "In fact, approximately 80 to 85 per cent of material collected in Halton through the blue box pro- gram is recycled into new material," said Rivers. In an effort to increase usage of waste diversion programs, extend the life of the landfill and address cli- mate change by lowering carbon emissions, Halton is creating a Solid Waste Management Strategy (SWMS). The plan includes pro- posed measures like de- creasing the garbage bag limit per household from three bags biweekly to two in 2023, then down to one in 2031. It's initiatives like this that give Halton youth and climate action advocate Spencer Lippa hope for a greener future. "I think that (reducing garbage bag limits) is a re- ally good idea. It would be effective," he said. "It at- tacks the root of the prob- lem, which is garbage is cheap and easy to use. But if garbage is filling up your house, it's no longer easy to use, so people will have to choose better options." The teen was disheart- ened though to hear that 25 per cent of local residents currently don't use the green cart system. "Recycling and compost- ing are very useful and es- sential for a sustainable fu- ture," he said. Lippa said his family chooses to do backyard composting in a sealed con- tainer dedicated to the task -- a method he highly rec- ommends to everyone. Halton is considering a variety of other initiatives in the SWMS, such as: • Expanding reuse and recycling programs to add more provincially desig- nated materials, like fab- rics (textiles) • Supporting local orga- nizations and innovators that design for the environ- ment and/or reduce, reuse and reclaim waste • Improving waste diver- sion in apartment build- ings through increased and targeted promotion and ed- ucation, and limits on the amount of garbage being collected. Further details on the strategy are expected to come later this year. In the meantime, infor- mation can be found at https://bit.ly/3JBoKbG. STORY BEHIND THE STORY: In recognition of Earth Day, we wanted to take a closer look at how Halton's recycling and composting programs are faring, and what the re- gion has planned to in- crease waste diversion rates going forward. EARTH DAY REGION CREATING WASTE MANAGEMENT STRATEGY Continued from front Halton has among the highest blue box participation rates in Ontario at 95 per cent. Metroland file photo SCAN THIS CODE for more Earth Day coverage. Earth Day 2022