Recycling Stinks (But, It Shouldn’t
How would you like to spend your entire work shift picking through the dirty diapers, rotten food, and smelly containers that were dumped without rinsing?
That is what people at our town recycling plant here in Altona are forced to do. Not because they chose to, not because they want to, but because some residents are creating that work environment by deliberate choice. That beautiful sorting machine bought just a few years ago, that brand new building, smell like an enclosed dump now. And it’s not even summer yet.
This was a problem long before the recent reduction in garbage bag allotments, but it has gotten worse. Neglecting to rinse cans and milk containers as some people do is bad enough, but it’s worse than that. Some residents are deliberately putting dirty diapers, rotten food, pet feces, and other garbage into the blue bins. Those items then get mixed into the recycling in the trucks before getting dumped out at the recycling plant. If it weren’t for health restrictions related to the pandemic, I’d encourage people to arrange to go see and smell the results for themselves.
This is not a result of the recent town decision to reduce the number of garbage bags, nor is it the fault of Blue Sky who offers the service. This is on the residents who deliberately choose to put biohazards and waste into the blue bins and put the people at the other end of the line at risk. There are real people there who must deal with your decision to put that garbage into the recycling stream. If you wouldn’t want to pick through someone else’s pet waste, then think before putting yours into your blue bin.
There is a saying to the effect of: “Good character is doing the right thing even when no one is looking.” Many residents are diligent about rinsing their recycling and making sure that their recycling doesn’t stink. It only takes a few people to lay waste to those good efforts. Other towns have had to institute fines and punishments to address this problem. We shouldn’t need to.
Peter Wohlgemut
As always, if you’re not sure what can go into your bins, please check https://altona.ca/residents/waste-collection/ where you will find guidance