Manitobans are being asked for their input on ways to make the province a leader in recycling and waste reduction. This announcement was made by Conservation and Water Stewardship Minister Gord Mackintosh.
“We have made impressive gains through increased recycling options for Manitobans provincewide. As of 2013, the average Manitoban had increased the amount of blue box recycling by 11.7 per cent to more than 75 kilograms per year,” said Minister Mackintosh. “In TomorrowNow – Manitoba’s Green Plan, our government committed to working with Manitobans to become a waste reduction leader and we’re seeking input on how we can best succeed.”
In support of that commitment, the minister today released a discussion paper, which proposes a goal of cutting the amount of waste going to landfills in half by 2020. That means a reduction to about 400 kilograms a year per person from the current 800 kilograms, which should in turn create an estimated 450 green jobs and cut greenhouse-gas emissions by an amount equal to taking more than 71,000 cars off the road.
“This discussion paper recognizes that industry organizations in Manitoba have made great strides in improving recycling rates”, said Ken Friesen, executive director, the Canadian Beverage Container Recycling Association (CBCRA) and its Recycle Everywhere program. “For example, in response to the 75 per cent beverage container recovery target established by the Manitoba government, CBCRA has increased this recycling rate extraordinarily in a very short period of time.”
Minister Mackintosh said Manitobans are being asked to comment on proposed actions to achieve the target such as:
- improving organic waste diversion through composting;
- establishing targets for recycling of various consumer products;
- banning the disposal and burning of reusable and recyclable materials; and
- increasing diversion of construction, renovation and demolition waste.
Other suggested actions focus on improving recycling of commercial and institutional waste, further reducing the distribution of carry-out retail plastic bags and taking action on hard-to-recycle products such as styrofoam containers, the minister added.
“I’ve seen how much citizens care about our environment and about making this province the most sustainable place to live,” said Tom Ethans, executive director, Take Pride Winnipeg. “We look forward to working with the Manitoba government to help make that happen.”
The Manitoba government previously set a target of diverting 100,000 tonnes of organic waste a year from landfills, which is equal to 15,000 garbage trucks. Feedback from Manitobans is requested on options such as provincewide municipal pickup, expanding composting operations with financial incentives and a ban on dumping organic waste at landfills by 2020, Minister Mackintosh said.
“We are pleased the Manitoba government is moving ahead with this strategy and we look forward to continuing to work with them on organics diversion and other waste reduction initiatives,” said Tracy Hucul, executive director, Green Action Centre. “It’s through a combination of strong policies and programs, government leadership and actions at the industry as well as individual level that meaningful change happens. We’re excited to see this type of multi-pronged approach to address the various issues of waste outlined in this document.”
The consultation paper is available online and the deadline for feedback is March 20, 2015.
This initiative supports TomorrowNow – Manitoba’s Green Plan, an eight-year plan that supports environmental protection while ensuring a prosperous and environmentally conscious economy.
