Debunking the Top Common Recycling Myths in Toronto
Toronto is Canada’s largest city and with that size comes challenges, one of them being waste management. Though our recycling system has come so far in the past decade, the GTA still carries a lot of myths and misconceptions about what’s recyclable and what isn’t in Toronto.
Debunking the most common of these, we hope to shine a light on how recycling’s moving forward in the GTA as an industry and as a waste management policy shared between stakeholders from all backgrounds.
Myth – Everything’s recyclable
You’d think by what Torontonians put into their recycling bins, anything and everything is recyclable. Unfortunately this isn’t quite true yet. What ends up happening is called cross-contamination. When recycling bins are contaminated with food, food by-products, or non-recyclables, this affects what can be recycled.
Myth – Biodegradable is recyclable
Just because something is biodegradable does not mean it is necessarily recyclable or an eco-friendly product. Biodegradable means that a product degrades in a natural environment. In degradation, a product can emit very toxic fumes and technically, still be considered ‘biodegradable’. Also, some biodegradables require specific conditions for them to degrade. If conditions aren’t met, a product can sit in our lakes or in our streets and take a very long time before eventually degrading.
Myth – A lot of recycling still goes to our landfills
This is, in part, true. Recyclables that are contaminated or without value get sent to landfills or diverted towards waste-to-energy facilities. The numbers however of how much recycling is diverted has been exaggerated.
Myth – Recycling in Toronto doesn’t include electronics
There are recycling depots in Toronto accepting electronics, hazardous waste materials, and more. If you have what you believe to be a recyclable item, go online and see if there’s a recycling depot nearby. If you cannot find a recycling facility near you to accept materials excluded from your bin, you may find luck with a local charity organization if it’s something reusable.
Myth – Recyclables are always recyclable
Unfortunately, there are numerous ways to render your recyclables as close to worthless as is possible. The most common is contaminating it with grease, such as a cardboard pizza box covered in grease from the pizza. The cardboard is recyclable but once it’s covered in grease stains, it can’t be recycled anymore and has to go in the waste bin. This sort of stuff happens frequently in Canadian recycling facilities. In fact, sometimes, entire bins have to be given as waste because of a food-related contamination.
Myth – Recycling’s not worth the trouble
When we recycle, we make such a positive difference to our environment. We reduce greenhouse gas emissions when we recycle, save energy in the production of new materials, conserve water and reduce water use, protect our natural resources in Ontario from development, and that’s not all. Economically, we conserve available landfill space, and recycling continues to create 1,000s of jobs for Canadians in and around Toronto as well as all over Canada.
Myth – Canada’s recycling industry as a whole is in a state of crisis
When China decided it was no longer going to be accepting waste from foreign countries, Canada’s recycling industry was set spinning – albeit briefly. In cities like Toronto, recycling continues to be collected and diverted into reuse. In cities alone, thousands of bales of paper, plastics, and metals are created, and the recycling industry hasn’t stalled.
Myth – Torontonians don’t want to recycle
Toronto has taken a very hands-off approach to recycling, somewhat shocking consider the number of new residents the City welcomes every year. New and existing Canadians in Toronto want to recycle but they may not know what’s accepted. This requires the city to distribute education and to make it a point to communicate to citizens what’s recyclable. As the industry continues to advance, we expect to see the list of recyclables increase significantly. An education-based approach should already be in effect but unfortunately this isn’t the case.
Myth – Canada’s recycling is being refused from countries like China
China has refused to accept only certain recyclable plastics and paper, alongside other waste products. Canada continues to send high amounts of recyclables and scraps to China. Approximately 25 percent of all Canada’s exported paper continues to go to China.
Myth – It doesn’t make enough of a difference for households to recycle
You may look at the landscape of waste disposal, recycling, eco-friendliness, ‘being green’, greenhouse gas emissions, and climate change, and think, “I’m just one person. I’m just one household. I’m not making that big of a difference. So what’s the point?” Well, the truth is recycling’s a good thing no matter what. If every household on your street did their part in recycling, that’s a lot. If more households in Toronto recycled, that’s a lot of power. Do our corporations and larger companies need to do their part – absolutely! BUT, everyday households and Canadians have more influence than you may think in how recycling works.
Myth – Single use products are ok if they’re biodegradable
The elimination of single-use non-biodegradable products is something we’re going to have to confront in the years ahead. That said, what about single-use that are biodegradable? Well, though they’re an improvement, why some environmentalists may disagree with their use is because of the fact that they can’t be recycled. In efforts to get to a waste-free society, the elimination of single-use products including those that are biodegradable is a subject up for debate.
Myth – All plastics are unrecyclable
There are nearly a dozen different kinds of plastic – some recyclable and others which aren’t. Unfortunately right now Canada-wide, only 11 percent of our plastics are recycled. The rest end up in our rivers and waterways, in landfills, or mixed in with other waste products. Toronto and Canada aren’t doing enough to tap into our plastic recycling potential.
Myth – Recycling is complicated
Recycling in Toronto, as a part of the GTA’s waste management strategy, is not simple but it’s solutions-oriented. Needless to say, it’s far from complicated. The industry is still developing, with new technologies and facilities arriving every year. There’s a lot of promise ahead, jobs to be created, and economic prosperity.
As advocates for a more eco-friendly, sustainable Toronto, we support high-efficiency waste management and recycling in the GTA. For waste disposal, junk removal services, dumpster rentals, and more, contact Core Mini Bins today.
