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New city strategy should require businesses to recycle, says Ecology Ottawa
Businesses, industry, and institutions produce over two thirds of Ottawa's waste, but many don't recycle
May 14, 2008
As the city prepares to table a draft strategy to increase recycling
rates for waste produced by the industrial, commercial and
institutional sector, community group Ecology Ottawa released a
position paper today calling for mandatory recycling for businesses.
"About 60 to 70 percent of Ottawa's waste comes from businesses and
institutions, and less than 20 percent of this is recycled," said
Graham Saul, of Ecology Ottawa. "Two privately owned landfills that
serve businesses and institutions are either seeking approval for or
contemplating expansion, and we need to take action to divert this
waste."
The city is currently developing a strategy to deal with the
problem, and a mandatory recycling by-law is one of the options being
considered. The draft strategy is expected to be tabled soon at the
city's Planning and Environment Committee.
"If the city is serious about making a dent in the hundreds of
thousands of tonnes of recyclables sent to landfills each year, it
needs to use regulatory measures to do so," says Lori Waller, Ecology
Ottawa's research associate. "Other cities in Ontario have already done
it, and it's time for Ottawa to follow their lead."
A report prepared last summer for the city estimates that such a by-law
would dramatically boost the proportion of non-residential waste being
recycled, to more than 50 percent. More than 85 percent of local small
businesses surveyed last year said they would fully or partially
support mandatory recycling of paper, cans, glass, plastic and
construction and demolition waste.
Ecology Ottawa has lined up access to a local recycling plant, where
representatives of the community group can be available today for media
interviews.
Ecology Ottawa's position paper can be found at
www.ecologyottawa.ca/policy/greenprints/, under "Mandatory Recycling
By-law for Business and Institutional Waste."
Media Contacts:
Lori Waller, Research Associate, 613-850-9101
Graham Saul, Chair, 613-558-3368
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Greenprint_ICI_recycling.pdf
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