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by Bob Almack Canadians generate more gar- bage per capita than any other people on earth, and the Toronto region generates more waste than any other part of Canada. The costs in terms of wasted resources, environmental impact of disposal, and construction of new landfills are enormous and intolerable. Intensive recycling is an in- novative idea to solve the garbage crisis. Simply put, this technology allows us to move from waste management to resource management. Intensive recycling is catching on throughout North America, Europe and Australia. A New Approach Advocates of intensive recycl- ing are concerned citizens who believe that waste reduction and material recovery is the only ac- ceptable alternative to the pre- sent practice of burying or burn- ing the resources that make up the waste stream. The key to in- tensive recycling is to unmake the trash. Discarded material becomes waste when it is all mix- ed together. If the trash is separated at source, then it can be recovered and diverted from the waste stream. Early separation is necessary to ensure that the recyclables are marketable, com- post useable and the toxins removable. Thus intensive recycl- ing is seen as a low tech solution to a low tech'. problem. How effective can intensive recycling be? Several research projects have been done to answer this question. The most famous study was conducted in 1986 in East Hampton, New York by Dr. Barry Commoner of Queens College. The 300 page study outlines how 100 volunteer families were able to reduce the waste stream by 85 percent over a ten week period. This figure is now considered conservative. The 15-percent of the waste stream that was not recycled included plastics, tetra paks, and disposable diapers which in 1990 have the potential to be recycled or composted. The Environmental Defence Fund estimates that 90 percent of the waste stream can be diverted from landfills through source separation and recycling. Con- sumer says that "recycling could dispose of most of the nations trash." Not only is intensive recycling good for the environment, but re- cent major studies conducted for North Hempstead, New York, Seattle, Washington and Buffalo, New York indicate that source separation and material recovery, which are the key com- ponents of intensive recycling, are cheaper than building new raw waste landfills and incinerators. How Intensive Recycling Works It is universally agreed that the most effective recycling pro- grams require separation of at least some of the materials at source (i.e. home or business). One of the more successful plans requires each generator to sort waste into four components: tox- ics, mixed recyclables, com- postables and non-recyclables. The sorted materials would be placed in color-coded receptacles for curbside collection. This enables intensive recycling to serve as a complete system of trash disposal. ) Components of a Material Recovery System 1. Material Recovery Facility - The Material Recovery Facility recycles paper, metal, glass and plastics. These facilities have the added benefit of providing jobs and generating revenues for the communities they serve. 2. Reuse and Repair Facility - These centres handle bulky items that would originally be landfill- ed because they are no longer needed or require repair. Although this is in place now in a small way with Goodwill In- dustries, it needs to be much more comprehensive. Several com- munities have reuse/repair cen- tres including Wilton, New Hamp- shire, Berkley California and Wellesley Massachusetts. Closer to home, Georgetown is setting up such a centre with financial assistance from Environment Canada. 3. Compost Facility - This facili- ty would receive biodegradable material such as food and yard waste, tissues, food contaminated paper, kitty litter and diapers. Of course, individual households would still be able to compost food and yard waste in their own backyard. Keeping these smelly organics separate makes the job of recycl- ing palateable and more profitable. 4. Toxic Exchange and Detox- ification Facility - In order to en- sure that toxics do not enter the environment they must be separated at source. House and car batteries, paints, paint thin- ners, solvents, cleaners and pesticides must be removed from the waste stream. This will en- sure that the residue left after PORT PERRY STAR -- Tuesday, December 4, 1990 -- 27. Canadians generate the most garbage per capita REUSEABLES Hl COMPOSTABLES SEPARATION OF HOUSEHOLD WASTE RECYCLABLES TOXICS TOXIC CENTRE REUSE/REPAIR CENTRE -- REST AVOIDABLES ~ COMPOST RECOVERY FACILITY CENTRE STORAGE/-- BALEFILL recycling is nontoxic. 5. Demolition and Construction Waste Processing Facility - The integration of demolition and con- struction waste into the solid waste material recovery system has two advantages: 1. reduction of the quantity of waste being landfilled, and 2. sale of recovered materials to secondary markets to generate revenues. The follow- ing materials can be expected to be received at such a facility: metals including plumbing, wir- ing, nails, sheet metal, castings, structural shapes, tubing. Wood such as plywood, lumber, doors, window frames, structural timbers. Inert materials such as concrete, brick, stone, tile, drywall, glass. Miscellaneous items include insulation, roofing, Santa at Store, Dec. 8 HO HO HO! Santa is coming to the Seagrave Store. He will be here next Saturday, December 8th at 1:00 p.m. There will be cof- fee for mom and dad and candy for the kids, so bring the whole family out to see 'Jolly Ole Santa'!! Hope everyone enjoyed the lovely weekend. Everywhere sure is looking nice with Christmas lights. It is a pleasure to walk or drive around Seagrave and sur- rounding areas. Seems everyone has taken advantage of these past few warm weekends to get out the lights. Certainly puts us in the Christmas spirit. The Seagrave Park Association want to remind everyone of the dance this Saturday, December 8th at the Sunderland Hall at 8: 30. Tickets are $20.00 per couple and the bus is $10.00 per couple. (By the way folks, that is $10.00 per couple, not $10.00 per person). For tickets please call Helena Edinger at 985-7588, Keith Puckrin at 985-2489, Edie Jansen at 985-8842 and Melinda Fish at (705) 357-3507. There are not very many tickets left, so lets get out there Seagrave and enjoy asuper Christmas function with neighbours and friends. Welcome home to Rosalind Stevens after her recent surgery in Port Perry Hospital. Hope you're feeling good soon. Sunday was the first Sunday of advent when Rebecca McDonald lit the candle of hope, Lawrence Nicholls gave a report on the Presbytery meeting which was held recently in Cannington. Next Sunday, December 9th is White Gift Sunday at the Seagrave Church. Please bring non-perishable items and, if possi- ble, wrap them in white paper. Sunday, December 16th is a date to mark on your calendar for the Sunday School Family Christmas social. This should be a wonderful evening so try to attend. Surehope Rev. David Shepherd is feeling better. A little bird told me he had the flu! Rosalind Stevens would like to tank her many firends and neighbours during her recent il- Iness. Thanks for the cards, flowers and balloons. Your thoughts were greatly appreciated. That's it for this week, please call Diane Cooke for news next week at 985-3722. paper, flooring and furniture. (For a detailed account of such a facility readers can refer to the Solid Waste Management and Recycling Plan for North Hemp- stead, New York). Garbage as a Resource Durham's landfill crisis is a timely reminder at the local level that we cannot run a throw-away society on a finite planet. Source separation of the toxics, recyclables and compostables leaves behind a relatively small volume of benign residue. This waste can be compacted and plac- ed down abondoned mines or placed in balefills on nonagricultural land. There is no longer any need to destroy farms, rural communities and run the risk of contaminating ground- water acquifers and surface Free Pickup & Delivery Free Estimates COUNTRY UPHOLSTERY 105-328-1156 water systems with leachate from raw waste landfills. Instead of spending millions of tax dollars trying to perfect the destruction of discarded materials, we should be putting our efforts into recovering them. It is becoming clear in both the short run and long term, that the simpler strategy of source separation and material recovery' will prove to be the more economically, environmentally, and socially acceptable way of reducing our dependence on unac- ceptable landfills. (Bob Almack is an En- vironmental Education Resource Teacher for the Durham Board of Education and chairperson of the Environmental Committee Zero Garbage). DONNA ANDERSON FORDER-PARKS INSURANCE BROKERS INC. 34 Water St., Port Perry, Ont. LOL 1J2 985-8471 PERSONAL ATTENTION TO ALL OF YOUR ~ GENERAL INSURANCE NEEDS 1 YEAR 2 YEAR 115% 11.35% ANNUAL RATES Guaranteed Investment Certificates Best Rates we have Available at Our Office ... 3 YEAR 11.35% (Rates Subject to Change Without Notice) 4 YEAR 11%% 5 YEAR 11%4%