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x wp 6 -- Scugog Citizen -- Tuesday, July 9, 1991 EDITORIAL Bottled up " Onuario residents consum® ihe contents Of about 163 mil- lion alcohol and wine bottles every year. That's a lot, even with trends towards moderation. 'What happens to those 163 million bottles after the contents have been sipped is another problem completely. With the introduction of the Blue Box program in most communiticse one would assume the vast majority of these bottles end up at the curb each week, destined to be picked up for re-cycling. "¥ Not so. A recent study by Pollution Probe found that only about 17 per cent (about 30 million) empty wine and liquor Bottles end up in the Blue Boxes. If that figure is accurgfe, and there is no reason to suspect it's not, it means that in excess of 130 million bottles are being dumped, most of them in land- fills, which in southern Ontario, anyway, are rapidly filling 10 capacity. One reason suggested for this low figure is that people are "embarrassed" to put their empties irt the Blue Box at the curb. Seems they don't want their neighbours to know-how many bottles of hooch they guzzle in a week. Fair enough. tis a ticklish subject. Nevertheless, the fact that so many empties are ending up as mountains of broken-glass in landfills rather than in the Blue Boxes for re-cycling, has to be worrisome in this day and age when all of us are wrestling with the issue of what to do with our trash. ' With this in mind, it was encouraging last week to leam that the union which represents LCBO employees wants the provincial government to do something to stop all these emp- ties from finding their way into landfills The union suggested 10 environment minister Ruth Grier and Marilyn Churley, her counterpart in the Consumer Affairs Ministry that Ontario's environment might take a green tum for the better if the wine and alcohol containers were standard- ized. Customers would pay a deposit at the'LCBO outlet and bring the containers back when empty. These containers could then be shipped to wineries and dis- tillers for re-use, thus halting the steady flow of empties to landfills and re-cycling plants. Re-cycling, by the way, is fine, but itis the least environ- mentally-friendly of the Three R's, because it takes huge amounts of energy to pick up, sort and then breake down empty bottles at re-cycling plants Re-using them (up to cight times) makes far more sense from an environmental point of view. Companies that make the containers aren't so thrilled as they see lost revenue and lost jobs. And the wine and liquor: on the LCBO shelves in bottles that all look the same. Mrs. Grier thought the idea of re-using was a good one, worthy of more study. But she softened this slightly within a "day or two (perQaps under pressure from workers in the glass industry) The government must get a handle on 'this issue soon. It's tooserious just to say "we'll take a look at it." In the Greater Toronto Area, which includes Durham and Scugog Township, the space at existing landfills is rapidly running out. In fact, the problem'is so serious that the search is on for a new landfill for Durham only trash and Grier announced last week that two dumps in Metro will be given extensions, if necessary, without the benefit of full environmental hearings. That's an indication'of how serious. Stopping the flow of empty booze bottlés to landfills is not going to solve the horrendous problems we face. But having customers take their empties back to the LCBO for re-use would help. And the:-way things are going 4n the garbage issue, Ontario needs all the help it can get. companies aren't excited about the prospect of their products | "My husband is never at.a loss what to do this summer!" , _ Pirjo Selistemagi (pronounced 'Perry') is an artist living just north o Sonya. A grandmother of two, Pirjo has been drawing since she was a wee child. "According to my father, I was using my finger to draw pic- tures on a newspaper on the floor." These days, she uses a pencil. » LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Is dump crisis heating up? To the Editor: . The dump crisis for the Durham arca appears 10 be heating up again. A recent meeting was held in Blackstock between Zero 'Garbage executive, reps from Dillon Engineering, and the provincial Interim Waste "Authority. According to provincial offi- cials) a longer list of potential landfill sites located within the Region of Durham will be announced by the end of this year. Sometime by the end of 1992, a preferred dump site will be select ed from the list. While the engineering firm claims dump capacity' will be tdi- lored to Durham's needs, the export of Toronto garbage 10 this site has not been ruled out by the province. The transport of solid waste from urban centres on the lakeshore to Scugog Township could only be described as the "export" of garbage, a procedure which out GTA minister Ruth Gner claims she does not believe in. ! According to her previous statements, waste should be dis- posed near its source of genera- tion. If this 1s true, why would the province consider trucking solid waste to any location north of the Oak Ridge Moraine into the Kawartha drainage basin? Why should our essentially rural area be contaminated by the importation of colossal amounts of garbage generated by the remote urban centres? Since there 1s no sewage teat ment plant of the type necessary anywhere near Scugog Township which would be capable of treat- ing dump Jeachates, our ground- water would be under enhanced threat of considerable contamina- ton. . David Dietlein, Zero Garbage Nestleton. Quick response to letter a big help for Animal. Shelter To the editor: «What a quick response to Kathy Faint's request (letter Scugog Citizen July 3) for blan- kets, towels and a freezer for the Ammal Shelter. We have had three calls for freezers dvailable and blankets and towels left at our door. Be assured we will make good use of them, with any surplus offered, 10 vetennanan clinics in Port Perry and Uxbridge Thank you so much, please drop by the Ammal Centre 10 say hello We may just have the right dog or cat for you. We are open 1-5:30 PM and 10-12 noon on Saturdays. Or give us a call at 985-9547. ' Ann Barrett Animal Control Officer Scugog/Uxbridge. 4 . 36 Water Street Port Perry, Ontario Phone: 985-NEWS Fax: 985-1410 The Scugog Citizen'is delivered free of charge to more than 8,500 homes in Scugog Township every Tuesday. Printed on 10% recycled newsprint. Published by Scugog Citizen Publishing Ltd. Co-publishers: Valeriz Ellis - John B. McClelland - {Cathy Olliffe News: \ John B. McClelland - Cathy O}liffe Advertising Manager: + Valerie Ellis Advertising Sales/Circulation: Doug Olliffe Bookkeeper: Darlene Hlozan Receppon: Mary Wallis Proud Canadians «proud to call Scugog Township 'home"'. \