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Why should we sort our waste?
Every one of us has an important role to play in reducing the quantity of waste buried in landfills. Sorting waste in order to recycle or compost it are efficient means to reduce garbage.
But why should we do it?
- Because our consuming habits have evolved considerably since the previous generation. We consume more intensely as new products are put on the market and consequently, we produce an ever increasing amount of waste. Two-third of that waste can be either recycled or composted.
- Because waste ending up in landfills produces leachate and landfill biogas that are harmful for the water we drink and the air we breathe. Biogas contains mainly methane, a greenhouse gas that is 25% more powerful that carbon dioxide (CO2).
- Because the management of our waste is a clean way of living that shows how much we respect the people closest to us. Waste sorting decisions we make today will encourage our children to learn and influence the quality of life of future generations.
How should we sort our waste?
Via the 3-way collection: recycling - composting - burying
Materials involved in the cycle :
- Recyclable materials
- Organic waste
- Residues
1. Recyclable materials
Paper, cardboard, glass, plastic, and metal. They should be put into the blue bin. Recycling is the first step of a sound waste management process.
The blue bin contains: paper, bottles, glass and plastic containers, aluminum plates, etc.
What is the recycling process ?
Collecting – sorting – recycling
Residual materials are transported to our plant in Chertsey, where they are sorted according to the type of material. Sorted materials are then transported to the appropriate processing plant to be recycled into new, usable materials.
What becomes of recycled materials ?
Your beverage and tin cans, aluminum plates, etc. may become:
Your newspaper, magazines, milk cartons, cardboard boxes, etc. may become:
Your plastic bottles, caps, containers, etc. may become:
Your glass bottles and containers may become:
2. Organic (compostable) waste
Most organic waste can be put into the brown bin. Composting is the second step in a sound waste management process.
How do we make compost ?
Collection – sorting – transformation – sale
After going through the sorting process, the future compost is stored in a special tunnel to decompose during 21 days. It is then shredded and sieved before maturing for another 8-10 months.
The mature high-quality compost is returned to the community through the ecocentre.
Would you like to buy compost?
Call us at 450
753-3765, 450 882-9186 or 1-888-482-6676 or write to info@comporecycle.com
3. Final waste
Burying waste is the third step in the 3-way collection. The grey or green bin contains disposable diapers, cotton swabs, vacuum cleaner dust, etc.
Where does waste go?
Final waste (waste that cannot be recycled or composted) is transported to the nearest landfill and buried. The quantity of buried waste must be reduced as much as possible to protect the environment, since buried waste eventually produces lixivium that affects groundwater, and harmful biogas released into the atmosphere.
Source reduction
Unfortunately, we cannot recycle or compost everything. That is why the best way to reduce garbage is to consume less.
Quebec Policy
I would like to know more about the Politique québécoise de gestion des matières résiduelles 1998-2008.