Three years ago Jasper residents wondered why in a national park community they were not able to recycle milk jugs. Similarly, more questioned why there was no program in place to recycle plastic containers. I too was part of this probing population of environmentally-conscious residents. When I started my position as the Environmental Stewardship Coordinator I had clear focus and motivation to improve recycling programs in Jasper. Since the inception of the milk container and the “all plastic bottles” recycling programs, Jasper has diverted more than 18 metric tonnes (18,000 kg) of waste from the regional landfill in Hinton. Visualize 110, 40-foot semi-trailers full of plastic, the amount that didn’t go to the landfill — a great accomplishment. Yet, even with our existing diversion programs in place we are still sending unnecessary plastic to the landfill. 

What you may not know is that there are many challenges to face in the world of plastic recycling. First as a good eco-citizen, it’s up to you to decipher what can and can’t be recycled. Information, advertising and signage make this easier, but there are still a few grey areas — especially when it comes to plastics. Often I get inquires like: “Can I recycle #3 and #6, and what about #7?” Oh, the dreaded plastic numerology, definitely not as straightforward as painting by number I assure you.

The number in a triangle that you find on the bottom of a plastic container indicates its type. This represents an identification system developed by the Society of the Plastics Industry. The numbers 1 to 7 identify the resin content and type of plastic that the product is made of. Number 7 is the catch-all for everything that doesn’t fit into the other categories. Unfortunately, as you know, the presence of the code does not mean that the product can be recycled everywhere. In Jasper, most of the plastics being recycled are beverage containers, all plastic bottles and milk jugs consisting largely of #1’s (PET) and #2’s (HDPE). 

The programs that have been implemented in Jasper do not require residents to sort by number. The “all plastic bottles program” which prompts you to “check the neck” captures up to 90 per cent of the household plastic we generate, the #1’and #2’s. These two types have consistent end markets and are made into viable products. Did you know that the green recycling trailer has to fill up twice before we can bale it and that it takes more than a year to accumulate enough bales to fill a truck and ship it to a plastic recycler in Vancouver?

Some other challenges we face when recycling plastic include market forces and contamination. Since plastic material markets are driven by the economics of supply and demand, they are subject to fluctuations in market availability and costs/revenues. For Jasper, a small market player, it is hard to justify accepting certain types of plastic because the market is unstable and because the volumes we collect are small. Also, plastic is what is considered to be a dirty commodity; firstly, containers are contaminated with residual product (food for example) and secondly, containers and other items that don’t belong are co-mingled in the product stream. For the user, washing out your plastic really does make a difference — as does keeping out what doesn’t belong in the first place.

But to achieve further waste reduction we’ll need to expand our existing plastic recycling programs. For the past six months the Municipality of Jasper has contracted an environmental consulting company to  conduct a waste audit. This audit took measurements of Jasper’s garbage in the low, medium and high seasons. Now that we know exactly what Jasperites are throwing in the trash the municipality can set waste reduction targets and move forward. 

In the meantime, to minimize your households waste, start by purchasing items with less packaging, use reusable cloth bags to avoid plastic ones and find alternative uses for your plastic containers. Plastic egg cartons make great golf ball holders or mini greenhouses for seedlings. Plastic yogurt containers can be used to organize the garage, store leftovers or be used for crafts. 

Keep up your recycling efforts and rest assured that there are always new developments on the horizon. It wasn’t so long ago that milk jugs were being chucked in the trash. Can you imagine?.

Nicole Ward is the Environmental Stewardship Coordinator for the Municipality of Jasper and Parks Canada.