Recycling contaminants at GFL Transfer Station.--SUBMITTED PHOTO
GFL collects the recycling each week from the curbside blue bins, takes it to a transfer station in Medicine Hat and loads it onto a large trailer that is hauled to Lethbridge, where there is a large recycling facility, for sorting.
Jamie Garland, services manager for city assets, explained the recycling contract GFL has with the City of Medicine Hat states that once it is collected, it is GFL’s responsibility, and they must prove to the city that what is collected is actually recycled.
The biggest issue for GFL, according to Randy Wong, manager of southern Alberta for GFL, is contamination. Yard waste is of particular concern, especially anything with soil, as it will contaminate the entire load. If the load is too contaminated, all of it might have to go to the landfill. GFL also has extra charges applied to it by the City of Lethbridge for contamination.
Hazardous waste (paint and solvents), tires and household siding are other things frequently found in the blue bin which don’t belong. Siding and other PVC plastics (such as garden fencing) are not recyclable. PVC is “a very difficult material to process a second time and should be thrown in the garbage as there aren’t any markets for it,” stated Wong.
Most household plastics can be recycled. Laundry detergent bottles and milk jugs are both No. 2 plastics. They are high density polyethelyne (HDP) and have a higher value than other plastics. The key is the number in the recycling triangle, if the plastic item you are holding doesn’t have one, it belongs in the grey bin.
If it’s not a PVC plastic but doesn’t have a number it is likely an item made of multiple grades of plastic, including shopping bags, which are mixed up and ground together. Once that happens, it can’t be broken down again and is waste at the end of the object’s life. Many items, such as toys, plastic pallets, curbside stoppers, fence posts and decking boards are made from mixed plastics.
The other contaminant that causes a huge problem is food from containers and cans that have not been properly rinsed out. It is OK to leave labels on, but all food must be removed and the item dried before putting it in the blue bin.
“Lots of things get compressed in the recycling world,” explained Wong, “so now that contamination will explode everywhere.”
Due to the rounded bottoms of most cans, they can’t be crushed. Wong advises, after giving the can a good rinse and ensuring it is dry, to leave the lid partially attached, shove it into the can so it can’t come out and then crush the top together.
No glass should be put into the blue bin as it creates a hazard. All glass should be taken to the bulk recycling depots and put in the marked container. At present, glass is not recycled, but repurposed, and is used as a drainage layer at the landfill.
Mixed items are also an issue and should not be placed in the blue bin, this includes lids off glass jars, envelopes with plastic windows and plastic/cardboard mixed packaging. Unless the resident takes the time to fully separate the different items, it belongs in the grey bin.
“Education is a big thing,” said Wong, “to get people to put the right things in the blue bin.”
Wong has started to randomly check bins by walking down alleys. Sometimes he’ll knock on the door but often he will leave something at the bin, either a ‘thank you and good job’ or ‘I found a couple of things that shouldn’t be in the system.’
For more information, the City of Medicine Hat has a printable PDF on its website under a link titled: properly prepare your materials for recycling. GFL also has a page dedicated to acceptable materials for recycling on its website.
