Manitobans can use a new smartphone app and website to conveniently map out recycling depot options, Conservation and Water Stewardship Minister Gord Mackintosh announced. The minister also announced a proposed amendment to the Waste Reduction and Prevention (WRAP) Act that would enable the province to begin banning certain dangerous materials from landfills.
“If you need to find a place to recycle your phone or laptop – now all you need to do is ask them,” said Mackintosh. “Green Manitoba’s new online tools make it easier than ever to find the many accessible recycling depots in the province.”
The Eco-depot webpage and app allow Manitobans to conveniently locate recycling depots near their home, he said. The search results include a map identifying where materials such as electronic waste, paint, tires, batteries, compact fluorescent lamp bulbs and other materials can be recycled.
The minister also announced that a proposed amendment to the (WRAP) Act would enable the province to begin banning certain materials from landfills. He noted consultations on what those materials should be are underway with stakeholders and will continue early in the new year.
“With industry providing Manitobans more and more options to put dangerous waste materials to beneficial reuse, the next step is looking at what we should stop putting in our landfills,” Mackintosh said. “We know just one litre of oil can contaminate a million litres of fresh water, so some of the first things we will look at are dangerous materials like used oil, used antifreeze, lead-acid batteries and other automotive products like tires.”
The minister noted the implementation of the new app and website along with the ongoing consultations are part of TomorrowNow – Manitoba’s Green Plan, the government’s eight-year strategic plan for protecting the environment while ensuring a prosperous economy.
Manitobans can visit the new website at www.ManitobaEcoDepot.ca and find the Manitoba Recycling app as a free download in the iTunes store.
More information on TomorrowNow is available online.
