On Point Radio: Canada Fibers Discusses Blue Box Contamination

“You have to imagine, somebody who lives on the border of Halton and Toronto who have different things that go in the blue box … so there is genuine confusion and a real need for more communication,” said Badger.

On this visit, Badger pulled a lampshade, winter parka, and a piece of a wooden chair from the sorting line. Another worker opened a plastic bag to reveal a coffee maker. None of these items are recyclable in Toronto’s blue bin program and all can cause problems at the plant.

The second driver is what Badger described as a “mushrooming” of packaging items consumers are faced with differentiating. Packaging like the standup pouches containing things like laundry pods or chia seeds or popular freezer items like frozen fruits and vegetables are made with a mix of plastics and materials that make the items unrecyclable.

https://globalnews.ca/news/5104582/toronto-recycling-blue-bin-contamination

When these items are mixed in with other recyclable blue box materials like newspaper, these stand up pouches can ruin the bale of newspaper slated for market. If the packaging product can’t be recycled, it goes to landfill.

The third driver is all about organics — that smell in the air at the Canada Fibers facility was due to organic waste being mixed into the blue bin. Some of the main culprits include jars of peanut butter, jam and yogurt containers that have not been rinsed.

“That residue can contaminate a whole tonne of paper,” said Badger.

When these items are mixed in with other recyclable blue box materials like newspaper, these stand up pouches can ruin the bale of newspaper slated for market. If the packaging product can’t be recycled, it goes to landfill.

The third driver is all about organics — that smell in the air at the Canada Fibers facility was due to organic waste being mixed into the blue bin. Some of the main culprits include jars of peanut butter, jam and yogurt containers that have not been rinsed.

“That residue can contaminate a whole tonne of paper,” said Badger.