Sarnia: “R” you ready to reduce waste?

Sarnia: “R” you ready to reduce waste?

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. It’s the classic mantra of environmentalism.

It’s also a new song for children by the popular artist Jack Johnson. Some of the lyrics go as follows: “If you're going to the market to buy some juice, bring your own bags and you'll learn to reduce your waste”. Reducing is in fact the first step. Consume less and you’ll have less to throw out. You’ll reduce your energy use, burn less fossil fuels and de-clutter your life. Use less when you can, and don’t use a material when you don’t have to.

The song continues, “And if your brother or your sisters got some cool clothes,
try them on before you buy some of those.” Couldn’t be more correct. The more we can reuse the less new stuff we need to buy. And the money we save can be spent on services or donations that aren’t harmful to the environment. Reuse is a great place to be creative!

“And if the first two R’s don’t work out and you gotta make some trash, don’t throw it out. Recycle, you gotta learn to recycle.”

Yes, Jack, we do.

If a child can grasp these concepts – and often is it they who do it first – why can’t we? It would be a redundant addition to years of blue box lecturing the public has received if I were to emphasize this further to you as the consumer.

It is at the municipal level where this third action can be acted upon, and in a big way. We already recycle paper, cardboard, aluminum and glass. Sarnia also recycles plastics 1 and 2. Each number is a different type of plastic, and they can usually be found on the bottom of the container. Lambton Shores recycles 1, 2 & 4. I’m not sure what Sarnia’s waste diversion goals are, but our recycling program must be able to accept a lot more if we’re going to meet any appropriate targets.

Landfills in Lambton and Elgin Counties have received approvals to expand, likely spots to take Toronto’s waste when Michigan closes its border to the trucks. It’s currently a terribly wasteful process, with excessive particulate emissions polluting Sarnia and Point Edward’s air. But no doubt that people living near this Watford landfill will oppose its expansion. No one wants more garbage in their backyard.

The City of Toronto could fill its Roger’s Centre (Skydome) to the top each year with its waste. Instead they send it to Michigan, and perhaps soon, to Southwestern Ontario. Their other options include closer landfilling or clean incineration. Or they can reduce their waste – which they seem to be doing.

Some have added a fourth R: rethink. Just like the young people who wear “unlearn” shirts, which question social conventions, “rethink” teaches us to question our deeper held beliefs, particularly our needs and our wants.

We can criticize Toronto for its waste problems, but not until we do what they do: accept milk cartons, diapers, fish scraps and margarine tubs (all plastics, not just one’s and two’s). Their green bin program sees which takes in all food scraps and more achieves a 90% participation rate. The City is working towards achieving a diversion rate of 60% by 2008 and 100% by 2012. Is Sarnia up to a similar challenge?

Okay, so it may be redundant. But 95% less energy is used to make new aluminum cans than to recycle old ones and throwing away a single can is like dumping out six ounces of gasoline. Please recycle.

Darcy Higgins is a native of Sarnia who is currently completing a degree in Environmental Studies. He can be reached by e-mail at darcyhiggins@gmail.com