Recycling Works in Beiseker!

Former village councilor Fred Walters attended our last council meeting to give a report on the workings of Beiseker Recycling.  Fred has always been a huge supporter of  recycling here in the village, and volunteers countless hours to that program!  He was able to report that the recycling programs here are meeting their goals, and are pretty much breaking even as far as cost is concerned.

Village home owners pay a small bi-monthly fee to have weekly curbside pick-up of most common recyclables - paper, plastic, metal cans, glass, and cardboard.  Residents can also recycle used oil, old batteries, old electronics, paint and paint cans free of charge, at the recycling depot behind the Public Works Shop.

I believe we have one of the most comprehensive recycling programs for a municipality our size anywhere in Alberta!  We should be proud of that.

Most of the materials we recycle get turned into new products which helps reduce Beiseker's overall carbon footprint.  It costs less in energy to recycle a material into a new product, than it does to use raw materials.  For example, producing paper products is cheaper when using recycled paper than producing paper from wood pulp in a paper mill.  Overall, it requires less energy and therefore produces less environmental pollutants, mainly carbon dioxide.

I am concerned that the supporters of creating energy by burning what is now recycled, have not done the math.  Incineration might actually raise the amount of pollutants (CO₂) and therefore enlarge our carbon footprint!

Trash to Power projects questioned

Lately, there has been talk around these parts of establishing a huge complex which would burn garbage to produce electricity.  At first glance it does appear to be a great idea.  It'd save trying to recycle it, or bury it in a landfill site somewhere. 

But I really think there are some questions we need answers to before millions of dollars are invested.

• What kind of emissions will be given off by this complex and how will it affect our "carbon footprint"?
• Everything can't be burned.  What will happen to the rest?
• Will the incineration of possible recyclables have the affect of stunting the growing recycling industry in Alberta?  Proponents of the project suggest that the recycling industry won't be affected.  I really wonder about that.  Right now we can recycle tires, plastic, bond paper, cardboard, compost, newspaper, used oil, all metals, and lead acid batteries.  We can't recycle large tree branches, disposable diapers, and wood furniture but is there enough of that kind of stuff to keep a huge plant like they're proposing properly fed?

I truly believe that these questions must be satisfactorily answered before we move ahead on this.  Let me know what you think.