Tips on how to sort waste right this holiday season

It's estimated there was a 29 per cent increase in plastic waste amid the pandemic

Thestar.com
Dec. 23, 2021
Aileen Zangouei

Sorting household waste right is a part everyone can play to help the environment.

Properly recycling, using the green bin, and knowing how to do so is one step towards waste management this Christmas.

The city of Vaughan, which is committed to York Region's SM4RT Living Plan (Waste Management Master Plan), has offered tips on how to properly sort waste during the season when households typically produce an excess of wrapping paper, gift bags, leftover food, single-use plastics and more.

These tips were offered on Dec. 15, the same time Oceana Canada released a report that suggests Amazon generated an estimated 271 million kg of plastic packaging waste in 2020.

Toronto-based Oceana Canada, founded in 2021, is an independent charity established to protect Canadian oceans.

It estimates that this year there was a 29 per cent increase in plastic waste amid the COVID-19 pandemic compared to 2019.

"Amazon's global plastic packaging pollution footprint is growing at an alarming rate at a time when the United Nations has declared plastic the biggest threat to the global environment after climate change," said Oceana Canada plastic campaigner, Ashley Wallis.

"So-called corporate leadership simply isn’t good enough. We urgently need the Canadian government to enact a strong national ban on unnecessary single-use plastic. Federal leadership is needed to hold these corporate polluters accountable," Wallis said.

Oceana Canada is asking Canadians to urge the government to impose a strong single-use plastic ban by signing its government petition at Oceana.ca/EndthePlasticDisaster.

In the meantime, here are some tips from Vaughan on how to properly sort waste, so you can be part of the region's plan to set the stage for waste management to 2059 and beyond, focused on reducing, resting, recycling and recovering. This plan aims to work towards a world in which nothing goes to waste.

Wrapping paper and gift bags that are 100 per cent paper go in the blue box. Ribbons, rope handles, foil-type paper and cards with glitter are all harmful to the recycling process -- put these in the garbage.

Aluminum trays, black plastic containers and disposable cutlery - emptied and rinsed aluminum trays can be disposed of in the blue box -- be sure to wash away food residue. Oils and fat (for example, from bacon or turkey) go in your green bin, never down the drain. Not all plastics are recyclable, even if they have the recycling symbol on the product or packaging. Black plastic cannot be recycled in York Region and must go in the garbage -- this includes black plastic forks, knives, spoons and containers, usually used for takeout.

Paper plates, paper towels and napkins - paper plates, paper towels and napkins go in the green bin. Using your green bin is easy. Place items in compostable bags if you can, but plastic bags are also accepted. Please bag and tie securely and ensure green bins set out to the curb for collection days weigh less than 20.5 kg (45 pounds).

Food leftovers - if you have leftovers, consider taking these actions to reduce food waste instead of just throwing them out and adding to landfills: transform extra food into a new meal; plan meals ahead so you only buy what you will eat; store or freeze perishable items such as meat and produce properly so they last longer; turn your food scraps into garden fertilizer; as a last resort, place leftover food in your green bin which will then be transformed into nutrient-rich compost that is used to fertilize farmers’ fields.