Cities across Canada are losing Millions every Year from Bad Recycling Practices

 Toronto has long been representative of environmentally-friendly, green recycling trends across Canada. According to recent data in Toronto, which corresponds to similar data in urban centres like Calgary, there is millions of dollars being lost annually in bad recycling practices.

This marks a huge problem for Canada. As Canada seeks to improve and expand recycling operations across the country, existing practices need to be improved upon or risk losing millions more. Even worse is that these are not federal dollars being lost – these are municipalities losing millions on recycling that is being mixed in with garbage and vice versa.

A recent report published by Toronto’s Public Works and Infrastructure Committee revealed that 25 percent of all material placed into recycling in 2017 was non-recyclable. That number is actually expected to increase this year to 27 percent.

Toronto’s Solid Waste Management Services have reported numerous items having found their way into recycling including dirty cardboard, coffee pods, freezer bags, black plastic food containers, and more unexpected items such as dead animals, garden hoses, and more.

The main thing to address when it comes to why recycling practices are so bad comes down to education and contamination. As some consumers do not know what materials are non-recyclable, they end up contaminating a batch of otherwise recyclable product with non-recyclables. Should estimates for this year’s 27 percent contamination rate hold, that will equate to approximately $4 million the City of Toronto will have to pay in additional processing fees.

The reality between what needs to happen and where things are moving today with recycling in Toronto is not promising. Process and infrastructure changes are recommended however this comes at a time when the City is already struggling with what to do with existing waste and recycling materials. In the meantime, many corporations and research groups are attempting to find ways to change their own processes to create more recyclable packaging. This is perhaps where most of the hope can be put at this point in time as these companies have more financial resources available to them than the City. If there’s change coming around the corner in the Toronto waste management and recycling industry, it’s likely to come from small businesses, commercial enterprises, and corporations stepping up to the plate.

Things are not all bad in Canada, as it pertains to recycling though. In some areas, including West Vancouver, the contamination rate is as low as 3.6 percent – which is admittedly a far cry from Toronto’s outstanding 25 percent and growing.

At the end of the day, what there is to be done is ultimately for more efforts to be made in education and for more companies to step up to the plate. The impetus is on us as individuals, small business owners, and corporate managers to seek new ways to effectively mitigate the consequences of our waste. The future of Canada’s reputation in recycling heavy depends on it. There is a responsibility there that should not go unnoticed.

So if you own a commercial enterprise and think there is more you can do to make the most from your waste output, contact Core Mini Bins today. As Toronto waste management specialists, we are passionate about recycling and would be happy to set you up with a representative to discuss further options for your business. When it comes to waste production, accountability is key. Through more targeted recycling, we are confident we can cut down contamination and improve recycling processes in some very significant ways.