A few months ago I was surfing for some info on composting and I came across a link to the City of Edmonton Master Composter Recycler program. I read through the info and immediately knew that this was something that I wanted to join. I put in my application, I was given an interview and I ended up one of the lucky 30 people that were selected to participate in 2014. We had our first two classes this past week. The participants range in age from maybe the early 20’s to the 60’s and everyone seems passionate about the environment and what they can do to minimize their impact. Yesterday’s class was a real eye opener for me. We talked about what items can be put in the blue bag. I was pretty disappointed to discover that probably close to 5o% of the stuff I put in my blue bag was wrong. Did you know that the only plastic shopping bags that are acceptable for recycling in Edmonton are the ones you get from the grocery store….that’s it. They don’t take the plastic bags that we put our fresh produce in, they don’t take shopping bags from retail stores, plastic packaging etc. On the positive side there was nothing that I put in the trash that should have been put in our blue bag. If you are ever unsure about what can be recycled, here is a link to a handy on-line poster that you can print. A good rule of thumb is that is has to be bigger than your fist and smaller than a basket ball (except flattened cardboard, it can be bigger).
I’m really looking forward to Tuesday’s class on composting. We even get to try our hands at setting up a worm composting bin. I’ve been bugging Don for years to have one in the house. Now’s my chance!!
For more info on Edmonton’s programs check out www.edmonton.ca/waste #yegwaste
Life In The Dog House 