Site Search powered by Google

Nova Scotia has become the first in Canada to reduce solid waste disposal by 50% over 1989 levels, a nationwide goal set that year by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment. As part of the strategy, a highly successful deposit/refund system for beverage bottles was implemented. The return rate on beverage containers sold in Nova Scotia is nearly 80%, with 215 million containers returned annually. Half that annual revenue goes directly back to municipalities in a yearly lump sum, and another quarter goes into waste education funding and equipment to reduce waste. The remainder goes to private waste diversion businesses. The strategy has also helped boost employment. In this province of 940,000 people, there are 3,000 jobs in waste management and recycling, with 1,000 new jobs since the strategy began. New and innovative companies that utilize recyclables continue to spring up. For example, Novapet, based in Amherst, grinds up PET plastic (used in items such as soft drink bottles), then sells the material to Canadian and U.S. manufacturers to make carpet and clothing. Thermo-Cell, which has a facility in Debert, manufactures cellulose building insulation from old newspapers. Other businesses specialize in recycling items such as paint and used lumber. Nova Scotia's program is attracting inquiries from Russia, China, Ireland, and other Canadian provinces. The Department of the Environment also hosts environmental science students from France and Britain who wish to work with and learn from the program. Excerpt from: "A less trashy Nova Scotia - Recycling" by Lindsey A. Greene. View the entire article here.