When I left home two-and-a-half years ago, I was looking for adventure. I was looking to learn new things, see new sites, build more character and discover what lay beyond the sunny coastline of Western Australia.

I never planned to end up at the Hinton dump, that’s for sure. But it’s certainly changed my ways. For the better of me, my town and my world. 

So, how did I end up there? It all came about because I was shocked to learn that thanks to the unsealed pit at the Jasper Transfer Station, there were 20 odd chemicals lying in the table water underneath (no, this doesn’t affect our potable water). How crazy, I thought, and decided I would look into the situation a little deeper.

After a couple of conversations with the appropriate Park’s employees I soon learned that the dump (or pit) section of the station was inevitably going to be closed. Super, I thought. I’m glad to see that one of Canada’s National treasures - Jasper National Park - will no longer have a dumping ground for waste.

However, it had got me wondering where all our trash goes... So, I decided to take a look for myself.

I travelled along the Jasper trash route, from your house to Hinton’s landscape. 

Thanks to some good conversations (education) with Lori Rissling-Wynn, environmental stewardship coordinator for Parks Canada and the municipality, I had a good sense of what should and should not be sent to the transfer station.

So as I stood there, blinded by the beauty of the mountains and sunshine in the background, I watched Jasper’s (including my own) trash tumble from the Parks truck.

Jasper (and I’m sure most of the world) should be ashamed.

I saw tires, fans, cardboard, plastic bottles and beer cans spill from the back of the truck and get crushed into the ground.

My first thought was, but it could be recycled? Standing on what seemed like an endless array of garbage, it felt like an easy solution - just put the recyclables into the recycling bin. Or take them to the bottle depot. Or put the cardboard in the big green bin, that’s sitting beside the garbage bin.

Simple really.

After the mini-experiment of two Jasperites’ trash it was clear to me: diversion is possible and it’s not that hard. Really, it’s not.

The hardest thing for me, personally, is how to get my recyclables, refundables and compost to their respective places. But, I will find a way.

Each time I go to throw something in the trash (that’s going to end up at the Hinton landfill) I reminisce about the smell, the sludge under my feet, the devastating look of all the garbage strewn across a wondrous mountain-filled backdrop.

It’s worked.

I recycle, I compost and I’m probably going to bug you about it! It’s so easy, and it’s an important step to take.

I’m encouraged by the efforts that are put in place to help people - more colourful bins, yes! Even bins for refundable items throughout the town – you don’t even need to take them to the depot anymore – yes! Commercial pick up for compost and cardboard from restaurants - that’s got to save us money, by taking all that heavy waste out of the landfill! 

A green resort mountain town is a great marketing tool for Jasper, but how can we do that when we can’t even separate cardboard from plastic? Beer cans from general waste?

I encourage you: do yourself and the world a favour. Go out to the Hinton Dump and see just where it all ends up. It’ll change your opinion. 

Trust me.