Have you ever thrown something into the recycling bin at your workplace, the mall, or a recreation center and wondered if it actually gets recycled? Or perhaps you’ve heard someone say, "I've done my part; I can't control what happens next!"? Same. So, how do we get around this?
While we see paper straws, reusable bags, and cardboard bread bag tags as efforts to reduce plastics, it’s clear that these measures alone aren’t enough. It’s no secret that "Only 9% of all plastic waste is recycled in Canada," according to Canadian Statistics. Based on what I’ve observed, recycling can often seem difficult to grasp (which might sound silly to some, but hear me out). Someone is standing in front of a recycling bin, unsure whether an item is recyclable. Faced with uncertainty, it’s easier and more convenient to just toss it in the bin, even if you're not sure it’s the right choice. This convenience-driven approach is the road most travelled.
Real Talk
I once had a friend from my hometown who also moved to Ottawa and was adamant about putting styrofoam in the blue bin. Knowing this wasn't something that belonged there based on the City of Ottawa's Waste Explorer, I repeatedly explained it didn't go there, that it was a disruption to the recycling system by leaving it there, and more than once, I would remove it and put it in the garbage bin instead. But in our hometown, styrofoam (of certain colour and size) was accepted in the blue bins. The habit was so ingrained that she couldn't (or you could say, refused) to accept that it wasn't recycled here. This isn't a Disney Princess ending, I would still see styrofoam in the blue bin when I'd go over.
In a recent conversation with another person, we debated why recycling systems seem broken - whether it’s due to public behavior or City management. They expressed frustration over the difficulty of knowing what goes where and argued that the City should provide clearer information. Flabbergasted, I explained that this information was readily available at our fingertips; we just need to look at it.
The Cost of Convenience
In my experience, about 90% of the people in my life won’t go out of their way to understand recycling systems. Over the years, I’ve observed this behavior among friends, acquaintances, and past co-workers. Whether it's due to the circles I've been in over the past decade or my background in construction, it’s clear that convenience often outweighs the idea of diversion. Consequently, I find myself befriending like-minded individuals in our Earthub community and have never looked back!
Tim Horton's cups collected from the ground and construction sites - 2019 to 2022
Choosing convenience can sometimes lead to the kind of waste you see in these photos. However, given our busy lifestyles, it’s crucial to remember that even small changes can make a significant impact. For example, swapping out your 1,000 disposable cups per year for a reusable one can make a difference! Dare I challenge you to collect all your disposable cups for a year and see just how many you accumulate? It just might convince you to make a swap...
Sorting Out Quality
Can you imagine sorting through thousands of items to ensure there’s no contamination and to separate them by material type? If you can't imagine it, just ask an Earthub volunteer. Believe it or not, we go through every single item donated to us. Among these donations, we frequently find items that don’t meet our acceptance criteria or are too dirty (which doesn't follow our donation guidelines). The most interesting (says with annoyed tone) donation method is wish-cycling:
Earthub volunteers are no strangers to wish-cycling and it adds a significant burden to our collection system rather than being helpful. If it's not on our collection list, it means we don't have an end user for it, so our volunteers are left to deal with it. Given that Earthub has collected just over 650,000 (counted) items since we began operating, what do you think that means for the City collecting from over 300,000 curbside locations? Improper recycling can damage equipment, contaminate recyclable materials, and contribute to that troubling 9% plastic recovery rate.
Circular Economy Services
With rising eco-anxiety and growing concerns about greenwashing, it can be difficult to trust what happens after you toss something in the recycling bin. In my opinion, I don’t believe this is anyone's fault. Some individuals might not have grown up understanding recycling, while others with good intentions may not realize that wish-cycling can disrupt the system. Municipalities do their best with the resources and equipment they're provided with. Some producers opt for cheap packaging, while others offer environmentally friendly options that just ain't affordable for many of us.
It really is a vicious circle and it is why I started Earthub to gear towards reuse. But like I've always said, daily life happens and this isn't always possible, which is why I want to take it to another level to help companies achieve sustainability goals. I've launched a circular economy service for your business place where I want eliminate the question of "is this just ending up in the landfill?" Schedule an appointment on our website today to explore how we can implement a system that benefits both your business and your employees. By adopting the Earthub system, your business can stand out in a society that increasingly demands sustainability.
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