Do you think about what you’re putting in the garbage?
Katherine Ross, a waste management technician with the Region of Durham encourages you to take a moment and reflect on what you’re tossing in the trash.
“At the end of the day, our goal is to minimize the waste that is going into the black bag,” said Ross.
For nearly 20 years, Durham Region has hosted electronic waste and hazardous waste recycling events. Over time, these evens have evolved to incorporate a focus on “reuse” and have been rebranded as Durham Environment Days.
These recycling events involve dropping off items like old cellphones or household hazardous waste products to make sure they are disposed of safely and in an environmentally responsible way. Charities such as Diabetes Canada and the Salvation Army are also present at these events, accepting clothing, shoes, home goods and toys.
The events happen annually in the summer and fall around the Durham Region.
According to the Durham circular economy information page, local waste reduction is supported by the region promoting the five “Rs” (Rethink, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Recover).
Ross said one of the main goals of the Region of Durham is to increase accessibility to see more use of these resources.
Waste collection events such as Durham Environment Days and September’s Curbside Giveaway Days provide more accessibility for the people of Durham to recycle their items safely and give away items that they no longer need, but others may.
Ross said the goal of these recycling events is “to provide residents with additional opportunities to drop off items for reuse, recycling and safe disposal within the community.”
Ross emphasized that as a society, we tend to throw away old electronics in favour of the newest ones. “A lot of products still have a lot of life left in them and we need to think beyond that disposal method,” she said.
Recycling electronics can lead to issues such as electrical waste ending up in landfills with municipal waste. In situations like these, hazardous chemicals like lead, cadmium and mercury can be released into water streams and contaminate local populations.
As well as reducing the amount of electronics thrown away, it’s important that the ones that are thrown away are done so safely.
“Hazardous and special waste products contain harmful substances and if they’re released into the environment, they can have detrimental effects,” said Ross.
She added that it is important that these items stay out of the green, blue and black bins. If the harmful substances are liquid, it is also important to not pour them down drains to dispose of them.
This can lead to environmental issues, specifically water pollution.
Ross encourages everyone to use the Durham Region Waste app. The app includes a “know before you throw” tool that allows residents of Durham to identify how and where to dispose of every day items.
“We just really want to put emphasis on knowing where materials should be going and disposing of them in correct manners,” Ross said. She added that the ultimate goal is “to keep harmful substances from entering the environment.”