Squamish, we have a problem.
My wife and I live in a single-family dwelling in Garibaldi Highlands.
We follow the rules for garbage disposal, kitchen and garden waste.
We have three totes: one for recycling, one for garbage, and one for kitchen and garden waste. There are three sizes for garbage totes, and we have the smallest.
The other two are medium size.
Our garbage tote is never more than 25% on collection.
Our recycle tote only contains the allowed contents and is never overflowing.
We have several awards entitled “Recycling Champions.”
The kitchen waste tote has a mixture of garden trimmings, leaves etc., and pre-frozen kitchen waste. The latter is only taken out of the freezer on the actual deployment of the tote.
However, we have these distressing observations in our town: many garbage totes are overflowing, and some are tipped over or explored by sundry wildlife revealing such items as glass jars and ubiquitous aluminum cans (either beer or pop).
One tote revealed a half-full peanut jar.
A great bear attractant.
Many recycling totes have styrofoam and other illegal items poking out from overly full containers.
Some containers on inspection (though not often for privacy reasons) reveal really smelly kitchen waste in plastic bags.
Some of this points to sheer laziness.
Re: aluminum cans: recycle them all by taking them to the bottle and can depot or bag them up and donate them to charity /club collectors.
In cities like Vancouver, there are stiff penalties for such mentioned infringements.
We are now a city! Please help reduce our landfill!
Dave Colwell
Squamish
