Media Clipping – July 10, 2004, The Chronicle-Herald

It’s a dirty, smelly job but most of us do it well

By Marilla Stephenson

I’M GOING to feel a lot better the next time I have to hose out that stinking green compost bin - slime, bugs and all.

Let’s not pretend that any of us enjoy the chore of being environmentally conscious with our garbage. And let’s acknowledge that there is the odd end of a soggy English cucumber, cellophane intact, that ends up in the wrong receptable. (Who, me?)

But, for the most part, Nova Scotians are making a world-class effort when it comes to separating garbage.

This was confirmed in a report this week indicating our reduce-recycle-reuse waste strategy is actually cheaper than the old dump-it-in-the-dump approach.

At first glance, this seems like a stretch. Think of the millions spent to build recycling plants around the province, to collect blue bags and green cart organics, to run composting systems, to sell off stockpiles of used bottles.

How on earth can this be cheaper? Well, remember the millions in compensation paid to the Lower Sackville area for the pleasure of hosting the old dump? And think of the benefits in job creation in sorting recyclables, the impact of cleaner air on our society, and a landfill that fills up much less quickly.

All this means savings of $31 million a year, according to the report released this week by GPI Atlantic, a non-profit research group based in Halifax.

That works out to $33 a year for each Nova Scotian, despite the costs associated with running more complex garbage disposal systems. So, both the province, which has forced stiffer environmental regulations on municipalities, and the municipalities, which shouldered the costs and had to convince residents to buy in, deserve a big cheer.

But the story is not all good news. While commercial producers are required to pay tipping fees to dispose of garbage, few have put source-separation garbage measures in place.

And in terms of packaging, the biggest names in the fast-food industry are also the biggest offenders.

GPI says an earlier government study identified Tim Hortons as producing 22 per cent of all litter in Nova Scotia, while McDonald’s is next at 10 per cent.

Tim Hortons has so far rejected entreaties by the provincial Environment Department to use recyclable or compostable coffee cups, says the report. Perhaps they would prefer regulation instead?

As for the litter, those who dump the cups in the first place need a kick in the hind quarters, too. Not too many kids are drinking coffee, I don’t think.

On the residential side, there has been slippage in recent years.

Just four years ago, 50 per cent of the garbage in this province was being diverted from landfills. That rate has slipped to 46 per cent this year. (Sorry about that cucumber.)

Still, it is encouraging to note there are societal benefits and cost savings derived from the recycling and composting efforts that go on in Nova Scotia homes.

One more thing: Weren’t they smart to release this report in the height of summer, when the bugs and slime are at their worst?

These days, appreciating that green bin is a challenge.