During the first month of the new Clear Bag waste program results were double what was expected.
During the month of January 2017, the City collected 20% more recyclables compared with January last year. This could have a significant impact on our landfills, a 20% decrease in waste means 4,000 fewer tonnes of waste headed to Kawartha Lakes landfills, representing 400 large garbage trucks per year in saved landfill space, or the equivalent volume held by three Olympic sized swimming pools. If this is sustained, a reduction like this extends the lifespan of Kawartha Lake landfills by one month every year.
Another benefit from this waste diversion to recyclables is that these items are sold, providing revenue to Kawartha Lakes, which will help offset the cost of waste and recycling operations.
These results are not typical, according to David Kerr, Manager of Environmental Services for Kawartha Lakes, who commented that “Based on the track record of other municipalities, we anticipated that the Clear Bag program would increase recycling in Kawartha Lakes by 5 to 10%. In our first month, we doubled this figure, thanks to the outstanding effort of our residents.” For more information the Clear Bag program, visit http://www.city.kawarthalakes.on.ca/residents/solid-waste-services. KG
