My Civic Action Challenge

Last week, I wrote about an idea to improve my local recycling system, and as promised, I outlined my plan in a letter to a township council member. Happily, I received a positive and enthusiastic response. The member I contacted liked the idea and challenged me to present it to the council in person.

I have to admit, I’m much more comfortable being a ‘keyboard advocate,’ the idea of presenting before my city council feels daunting. On the other hand, it’s an exciting opportunity and a chance to work for a better future.

Below, I’ve included a copy of my correspondence so far, starting with my initial letter to Councillor Kim Richard. I’ll keep you updated as things progress!

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Dear Councillor Richer,

Lately, Canadians have been hearing about just how terrible our recycling system really is. With garbage and contaminated recyclables rotting overseas, our once proud recycling reputation is in the trash. Provincial and federal governments can use policy to make some crucial changes, but in the meantime, what can we, as individuals and small municipalities do?

I am proud of the work that the Township of Langley has done, but there are still areas that can be improved. As a passionate recycler, I have found that our system remains incredibly limited when it comes to recyclables beyond the scope covered by RecycleBC. We are told to bring items like Styrofoam, plastic bags, electronics, batteries, lightbulbs, metal, clothing, and wood to our local recycler... but what does that actually mean?

For me, it means a headache; a proactive approach to understanding the minute differences between a plastic cereal bag and a plastic bread bag; and a lot of driving in my fossil-fuel burning SUV. Also, I have noted that the RecycleBC depots are functioning at over-capacity. This means dangerous driving conditions, over-worked employees, and recycling categories that reach maximum capacity in a few short hours (just try recycling granola bar wrappers or Styrofoam after 10:30am).

Finally, public education for recycling 'beyond the blue box' appears dismally low. RecycleBC is doing a great job at providing helpful resources, but I suspect most of the general public isn't aware of this. I doubt many newcomers to the area know how to navigate this resource.

I commend the ToL's helpful and informative tools. I especially like the 'what goes where' game on the ToL's website. I introduced this game to a Mandarin-speaking friend, who was delighted to find the tool in her own language.

But now, it's time for us to do better.

I suggest that many of these issues could be mediated with a one-stop recycling facility run by the Township for everything not collected curb-side. If this is done, our fractured recycling services can be brought together while still providing valuable materials to our recycling partners. A closer relationship with commercial recyclers also brings the added benefit of ethical municipal oversight, hopefully avoiding a disaster like the one we've witnessed in the Philippines.

I think the perfect spot for such a facility would be near the current waste transfer station. Having a central recycling location station would make things much less confusing, reduce illegal dumping, aid in public education, and might just reduce the amount of recyclable material ending up in the landfill.

What do you think of this idea? How can we work towards achieving it?

With warm thanks for your time and service,

Charity Gosling

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Hi Charity:

Thanks for your thoughtful email and ideas about expanding our waste transfer facilities to include more recycling options. I think this is a great idea!

I am forwarding your email to the Township’s Administrator, Mr Mark Bakken, to see if something could be done about this.

I appreciated receiving your email and thank you very much for taking the time to send it.

Sincerely,

Kim Richter

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Good morning Councillor Richter; (Mark Balkan, Chief Administrative Officer for my Township)

Thank you for your email.

This would be a welcomed initiative and likely be best triggered by a delegation followed with a notice of motion to direct staff to explore opportunities in collaboration with Metro Vancouver and report back to Council with potential benefits, costs and implications. 

Thank you.

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And so you have it, a taste of my new bureaucratic adventure. Now it's up to me to put together a 5 minute presentation with some nifty handouts! Wish me luck!

-Charity