NIPAWIN — Nipawin continues to deal with unusual and potentially dangerous items in its recycling bins, like dead geese and used toilet paper.
“This fall we had two different pickups that had dead geese in them,” said Sandra Astrope, owner and secretary of MTN Disposal. “We’ve had toilet paper where the person has wiped with both ends before putting in the recyclables. It becomes a health hazard for our guys that are actually picking through the material and getting it bailed because the human waste that’s on some of the products.”
Other items that are turning up in Nipawin’s recycling that shouldn’t include used needles, dead foxes, used tampons and dirty diapers.
“Sharps [used needles] are one of our biggest concerns because of the health hazard for our guys, and medical waste we have had too that still had the liquid in.”
Used needles were found in a load as recent as March 22 by MTN Disposal. When a truckload is contaminated and it presents a health risk, the entire load of up to 500 carts will be sent to the landfill rather than be recycled.
“We weren’t going to risk our guy’s health by digging through sharp contaminated material,” Astrope said. “All those diehard 499 who take the time to recycle properly and whoever threw those in there made it useless for all those other people that just recycled.”
According to the Boreal Area Waste Authority, what goes into the local landfill doesn’t ever degrade.
“What goes into the pit is a last resort, so if you have a whole truckload of potentially recyclables that are contaminated and have to go in our pit, is taking space away from everybody,” said Jason Volke, chair for the Boreal Area Waste Authority. “It’s actually long-term storage because the construction of the cell is lined. It doesn’t break down or go into the soil or anything else. It’s always going to be there.”
This was communicated to the community at an open house about recycling on March 26, where MTN Disposal and Boreal Area Regional Waste Authority was around to answer any of the public’s questions.
The main message MTN Disposal wanted to get out to the community at the open house was “be aware of what’s going into your recycle container.”
Astrope said Styrofoam is one of the biggest items in Nipawin’s recycling that shouldn’t be, as well as some plastic items.
“No plastic wrap, no plastic bags, at any time at all,” Astrope said.
Some plastic items can be recycled, and those items have a one to seven recyclable marking on them. These items include pop bottles, laundry detergent bottles, shampoo bottles, milk jugs, disposable plastic cups and food and beverage containers.
Other items that can be recycled include household tin and aluminum as well as mixed paper and cardboard such as milk and juice cartons, newspaper and flattened cardboard.
