Waste solution proves to be clear choice

The 2007 Waste Reduction Week, October 15 to 21, will mark a milestone of sorts for residents of Digby County. Literally. Your sorting of recyclable trash before it's collected has led to a marked reduction in trash going to landfill - and the reason appears to be the introduction of clear bags.

Recent statistics presented to Digby Municipal council show the amount of waste going to landfill had dropped by more than 200 metric tonnes over identical three-month periods in 2006 and 2007.

From April through June 2006, the municipality sent almost 700 metric tonnes of landfill waste to Clare, for the same period in 2007, that fell to 462, a reduction of close to 238 metric tonnes or a whopping 34 per cent.

Digby town clerk Tom Ossinger is proud of those kinds of results. He said with the introduction of clear bags for trash in April, the start of the period covered, people paid more attention to where things went - diverting more waste as organics and recyclables.

"We are pleased with what we see," said Ossinger.

Provincially, the combined municipalities of Yarmouth and Digby rank second in the province in meeting targets for waste reduction. Ossinger said the region sat at 44 per cent with the province's diversion target upped from 50 per cent to 60 per cent.

Waste Check, the region's waste managers, has a system in place where residents use two blue bags to separate their paper recyclables from other recyclables. Although the region switched to clear bags this year, each residence can still use one green bag for personal, non-recyclable, trash.

"It's an efficiency thing," said Ossinger. "They (trash workers) can more easily sort when doing recyclables."

Waste Check manager Gus Green said the use of clear bags for trash was not without controversy when they were introduced in April. He said Waste Check estimates about 80 per cent of the population is now using the clear bags, and they have seen no other changes that could account for the decline.

"It's been good," said Green in an interview. "We've been trying to educate people for 10 years, and a simple change can get that effect."

Clean Nova Scotia's Kari Riddell said the news from Waste Check was "excellent" heading into Waste Reduction Week activities. Clean Nova Scotia is a non-profit organization that emphasizes individual action to make environmental change and is creator of the Great Nova Scotia Pick-Me-Up, a program to encourage people to pick up litter.

Riddell said use of dark green bags makes it possible for people to hide things they otherwise would have separated and Clean NS is supportive of initiatives that work.

Clean NS organized one of the nation's first Waste Reduction Weeks some 14 years ago, and this year they are hosting events that include the province-wide Just Between Families contest where households compete to see who reduces the most over any week in October.

Green said Waste Check carries out a number of programs throughout the year, including the use of "curbside monitors" who travel door-to-door throughout the region helping people with sorting and other advice to reduce waste. They also provide presentations to community groups and schools and provide help to businesses. He said their main Waste Reduction Week activity is an annual community swap. People bring things they no longer want and other people can help themselves.

"It's sort of like a yard sale, but with no money changing hands," said Green.

This year's event will be held at Oct. 20 at the Hebron Recreation Complex and for more information about Clean NS programs, visit their website at www.clean.ns.ca.