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How can BC’s waste management system be made more sustainable?

How can BC’s waste management system be made more sustainable?

BC’s waste management system consists of average blue bin recycling, landfill waste, some depot recyclings, etc. In 2011, according to a survey by Stewardship Ontario, three-quarters of Ontarians considered the weekly act of sorting and disposing as their “primary environmental effort.” However, our current ways of sorting and disposing of the waste are not the most sustainable way. Canada does not recycle as much as we can, the tiniest things if we break it down, can be sorted and recycled. To compare, Germany is known as one of the countries with the best waste management system. They have a brilliant solution named “the green dot system”, the green dot system makes manufacturers and companies pay to get a green dot on their products. The more packaging, the higher the fee. This is a smart idea because it uses the mindset of our society towards money to reduce waste. Businesses are likely to act if higher payment is involved, for their profit will decrease, and businesses exist to make a profit. Instead of trying to change people’s mindset about waste, they took advantage of our economy and our mindset about money to create an incentive to produce thinner, lighter packagings. Belgium also introduced sustainable waste management techniques, the Ecolizer and The green event and assessment guide. 75% of Belgium’s waste is recycled, reused or composted. The Ecolizer promotes sustainable designs for products, it considers transport, process, etc to figure out a way to reduce harmful impacts. The green and assessment guide plans and informs event planners about sustainable methods to reduce waste. Sweden uses waste smartly to funnel their energy for heating homes, they generate energy through burning waste. Many other countries use similar ideas like the green dot system, where if you recycle, or if you don’t, immediate consequences follow. Indonesia allows free health care if you recycle, Columbia has a vending machine where you can recycle a PET bottle for a reward ticket.

As seen from other countries with effective waste management systems, Canada as a wealthy country who consumes a ton of products should implement some changes to our waste management systems. Many developing countries put effort into waste management, while BC consumption increases with no decrease in waste. BC’s education system should include recycling and basic waste management knowledge. If we include specific instructions on blue bin recycling, most people will ignore. So starting from a young age, make sorting and recycling a habit. Just like many environmental issues, people aren’t determined to act as long as it’s out of sight, far away. Adapting techniques from Columbia, Germany or Indonesia, such as higher fee or tax on heavy packaging, and immediate consequences or awards for recycling can bring the issue close and personal to people in BC.

 

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