Tuesday, August 07, 2007

Make the most of it

A garbage strike in Vancouver, Canada, has had some interesting results. Workers have been on strike for a week, and instead of complaining, residents are recycling more and many have started composting. While the city works on ending the strike, it is also encouraging people to recycle to reduce the amount of trash they accumulate.

Here are some of the things the city has suggested, but I think we could all try some of these to reduce our impact:
an environmentalist's dream: separating wet garbage, crushing cans, adding grass clippings to the compost, letting grass grow longer (and setting your mower to mulch instead of throwing grass away), and put fruit and vegetable waste in the compost.
Will these waste-reducing residents hamper the striker's leverage? Possibly. If people use less, reduce their garbage, and learn to recycle and compost, the garbage collectors may not be as critical as they thought. The garbage strike won't be fun long-term, but it may get people to think about their consumption, and where it all goes.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love recycle. I think the garbage men might get a little nervous. I think it's great that the city people are buckling down and recycling. This weekend I went to my sons house and saw cans and cardboard in his trash. I have such a hard time with that. They don't have recycle out where he lives yet and they can't burn, forest fire danger. I wanted to go through his garbage and pull it all out and separate it but I didn't, should have, but didn't. I love to recycle everything. Funny thing, I go to the store and carry this big bag with handles I got from home depot and the clerks kind of look at me funny. They seem to love to put all the groceries in the plastic bags that take about 10 to my one bag. Did I say I love recycle? love, mom

terra said...

Recycling is great, but do you remember my favorite thing? Reduce and Reuse. More on that later!

(I can't believe Daniel doesn't recycle.)

terra said...

I guess Daniel is so rural that it would cost the city a lot to run 2 trucks. I wish we had the yard waste removal like you do, Mom. Sometimes our entire garbage can is full of leaves and weeds.

Interesting note - our recycling can is a lot smaller than our garbage can (city-provided). Maybe people would recycle more if the recycle can was bigger than the garbage can. We get a $2 discount for recycling.