Submitted by Jacqui Wakefield,
on behalf of the MNBP Waste Management and Diversion Group
With the solstice on June 20th, summertime has officially arrived! Summer always presents a variety of challenges for the Northern Bruce Peninsula. This is as true for recycling and garbage disposal as it is for parking! During July and August, the amounts of both trash and recycling in the municipality increase two-to-three fold compared with other months. This pattern also raises numerous challenges as we head into the summer.
Since the beginning of 2017, there has been residential curbside collection of garbage and recycling throughout the Northern Bruce on every Monday using dual-load trucks. During this period, despite an increase in overall amount of recycling, the rate of recycling has levelled off at about 35%! This means that the waste we produce is roughly twice as much as we recycle.
If you have not yet picked up your free blue box for curbside recycling, please stop in and ask at the Municipal office on Lindsay Road 5. If you need a second box, they are available at each of the landfill sites for $9, including tax. Placing clean recyclable materials loose in a blue box is much better than leaving them in a clear plastic bag, as the bags are not recyclable and must be opened and dumped by attendants at the recycling facility.
To help make it easier for seasonal residents and visitors who cannot make use of Monday collection, the Lindsay Waste Disposal Site is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every Sunday until October 31st. It is also open during the same hours on Fridays. Its location at 627 Ira Lake Road, very close to Highway 6 on the west side just south of Lindsay Road 20, makes it a handy stop for all those travelling south from Tobermory, Dyer’s Bay, Miller Lake, and surrounding areas. The Eastnor Site is open Saturdays and Mondays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the St. Edmunds Site is open on Saturdays and Wednesdays from 9 am to 5 pm. Thus, there is at least one site accepting garbage and recycling in the Municipality each week-end day. Conveniently, both trash and recycling can be taken to any of these sites!
In addition, there is regular garbage and recycling collection in the towns themselves and at the public beaches, with approximately 50 two stream garbage/recycling containers placed in the towns of Tobermory and Lion’s Head and surrounding areas such as Dunks Bay and the Big Tub Lighthouse. This collection is managed by the MNBP Facilities, Parks and Recreation Department. As you can see from the photo, these are collection bins intended for small quantities! These containers will be emptied in the mornings and again in the mid to late afternoons during the summer. Their use is monitored closely.
It also is vital to keep the most toxic trash out of our waste – to protect the environment and our groundwater! Hazardous waste includes many household and automotive cleaners, batteries of all types and sizes, paints, oils, herbicides and pesticides, medications, fluorescent bulbs and ballast, and many more products. Propane tanks hidden in black garbage bags are especially dangerous!
2021 Household Hazardous Waste Day
The first 2021 Household Hazardous Waste Day in the municipality was June 26 at the St. Edmunds Waste Disposal Site. The next date is August 21, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., at the Eastnor Waste Disposal Site. Notes from the County say: “Attendees MUST remain in their vehicle, windows closed, waste material in open trunk only for unloading. Please do not attend if you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.”
Please remember there are recycling areas at all three Waste Disposal Sites for electronics, household and automotive batteries, tires, scrap metal, mattresses, and polystyrene. Note: Polystyrene is the rigid white foam packing material used for things like electronics, computers, small appliances, toys, etc. Unfortunately, we cannot recycle flexible foam, packing peanuts, styrofoam food containers (including cups and meat trays), or insulation panels.
Every step we take to increase responsible recycling and decrease garbage will help our environment and preserve the precious space in our landfill sites. Let’s all do what we can.
Questions? More details are available at Bruce County and Municipal websites www.northbrucepeninsula.ca/en/live/waste-management.aspx
