The warm weather is here, which means it’s the perfect time to heat up your own at-home recycling game. Ninety-five per cent of Manitobans have access to a residential recycling program, making it easier than ever to cut down on waste. Plus, there are easy ways to make the most of recycling programs.
Before you dispose of a product, consider whether it could have a second life elsewhere. “Always look at whether you can give it away to someone or to a second-hand store if it’s still in good working condition,” says Karen Melnychuk, executive director of Multi-Material Stewardship Manitoba (MMSM).
When shopping, bring your own containers and bags (including mesh produce bags) wherever you can, but when you do need a plastic bag, reuse one. That way, it’s no longer a single-use product, Melnychuk says.
Just because an item doesn’t belong in the blue bin doesn’t mean it’s not recyclable, Melnychuk adds. That’s where MMSM’s Recyclepedia, which is available online or as a free app on both the App Store and Google Play, can help. Put the item into Recyclepedia, and the tool can tell you the closest available drop-off location where you can bring materials to be recycled.
In partnership with MMSM, we rounded up five ways to take recycling to the next level this summer.
For more information or to find out how to recycle an item, visit SimplyRecycle.ca/Recyclepedia.