The Changes

There's a tiny patch of trees that rest between the Island Hwy and Metral Drive in North Nanaimo. This is an area I pass several times a day on my way home. I've seen people from the neighbouring houses use it as a dumping zone for yard waste. McDonald's and Tim Horton's litter the outer-skirts and there's a wide trail that winds through it.

When is recycling going to be mandatory outside the family home?

I've decided to sort the mounds of recycling I've been saving from work. A chance at a closer look at what is pouring into our landfills out of local businesses. Here is a tally of my last two weeks.

Newspapers: 20
Plastic Bags: 171
Coffee Lids and Sleeves: 39
Take-Out Food Containers: 44
Tin Cans: 8
Milk Jugs: 39

Yes, after a few hours being cooped up inside an aluminum alloy tube ingesting recycled air, airplane food is the last thing you need. But next time you plan on leaving your breakfast (featuring the infamous green eggs and ham) untouched, consider the following...

Haven't you always wanted to go to the landflll for the day?

I'm just as clueless as everyone else. I've been working in the industry for 4+ years and think I have seen enough. Day after day I report to work with immense guilt.

Next week I'll be speaking at an event called "Trash Talk: Collaborations in Business Garbage and Recycling" with Louise Schwartz of Recycling Alternatives.

We'll be talking about our experiences in moving towards zero waste and how companies might work together to reduce their environmental footprint.

Yesterday we visited Bhat-Bhateni Super Store and stumbled upon a brand new environmental initiative.

Bhat-Bhateni is now encouraging shoppers to use re-usable plastic bags and is also selling re-usable branded bags. I quickly visited the Bhat-Bhateni web site and found their CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) page which says: