Every year, Canadians throw away 3 million tonnes of plastic waste, and only 9% of which is recycled. The majority of plastics end up in landfills and about 29,000 tonnes finds its way into our natural environment. (Canada.ca/Environment-Climate Change)
On Earth Day, our Argus team did our small part in cleaning up the garbage around the neighbourhood. We found lots of plastic packaging, napkins, coffee cups, and bottles to name a few.
Some other items that we found:
- 23 x Masks
- 10 x Parking Tickets
- 4 x socks
- 2 x Condoms
- 2 x Needles
- 1 x shoe
- 1 x pair of shorts
- 1 x hat
Items like needles need to be handled with care using gloves, and with a trash picker if you happen to have one handy. Do not place any needles in a garbage bag, as it will poke out and harm somebody. Here are the steps to follow if you find a needle:
- Find a rigid plastic container with a secure lid, like a plastic drink bottle with a wide mouth.
- Carefully pick up the needle by the centre of the syringe barrel.
- Remove your gloves and wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.
- Drop off the sealed container to a local health unit.
Most of the other plastic and paper items are recyclable. We can all do our part to Recycle, Reuse, Reduce.
The Regional District of Central Okanagan has a recyling guide that will show what can be recycled (in our home blue bin), and where to bring items that are not recycleable in our blue bin, but can be recycled at recycling depots around our area.
Let’s remember to protect our home and our environment, and do our part each day.
