"Re-News" that you might find interesting:
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depot news
AlarmRecycle, B.C.'s new Recycling Program for Used Smoke Alarms and CO Alarms
AlarmRecycle, the new recycling program for used or expired smoke alarms, carbon monoxide (CO) alarms, and combination smoke and CO alarms launched October 1. Pender Island residents are now able to drop off used smoke and CO alarms for recycling at our depot.
Full details about this new program can be found at
www.alarmrecycle.ca or by phoning 1-800-667-4321.
Unplugged B.C.'s new Small Appliance Recycling Program
Unplugged begins October 1, 2011. Qualifying small appliances can be taken to the Sidney Bottle Depot, 5-10025 Galaran Rd, Sidney (Mon-Sat: 9-5pm).
Unplugged accepts more than 120 small electrical appliances, ranging in size from electric toothbrushes to countertop microwave ovens. Products are divided into categories including: kitchen countertop, time measurement, weight measurement, garment care, air treatment, floor care and personal care. The program recycles small appliances designed for residential use only and powered by 12 Volt or 120 Volt power or batteries.
For a complete list of small appliances being accepted visit www.unpluggedrecycling.ca.
Recycle Fluorescent Lights at Pender Island Home Building Centre
You can now recycle your burnt out fluorescent light bulbs at Pender Island Home Building Centre (Home Hardware), the official LightRecycle depot on Pender Island. LightRecycle - The BC Fluorescent Light Recycling Program, began July 1, 2010. They will accept both fluorescent tubes and compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL).
For safe handling, wrap lights in paper or place them in original packaging before taking them to the LightRecycle drop-off depot. For more information on safe handling and clean up, visit Health Canada's website at www.hc-sc.gc.ca or call the BC Recycling Hotline at 604-RECYCLE.
For more information call 250-629-3455.
CRD website myrecyclopedia.ca
What is myrecyclopedia.ca? It’s a 3R encyclopedia (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle).
Myrecyclopedia.ca is a resource for residents of the Capital Region, which includes Pender Island, to identify how to reduce, reuse and recycle. Residents and businesses get the environmental story behind the items they use. The site highlights reuse options and alternative products specifically available within the Capital Region
Check it out at www.myrecyclopedia.ca.
depot events
2011 FALL FAIR Pender Island Recycling Society
PIRS Booth at the 2011 Fall Fair
ReUse/Recycling Competition (Section R)
As we do every year, we asked islanders. "Let your imagination be your guide." The only rule is, "entries must reuse material to create something new," either functional or artistic. There were a bunch of great submissions again this year.
The Prize Winning Entries
Karl Hamson Recycling Trophy (Overall Winner)
Saxaphone Lamp by Bob Blenner-Hassett
Class 1 12 & Under (Functional Item)
1st Prize Bird Feeder by Diego Jones
Class 2 12 & Under (Artistic Item)
1st Prize "Forkest" by Teagan Gosling
2nd Prize Stained Glass "Whale" by Meave Wilde
3rd Prize Homework Robot by Elizabeth Hallsor
Class 3 13+ Individual (Functional Item)
1st Prize Saxaphone Lamp by Bob Blenner-Hassett
2nd Prize "Tie One On" by Krys Kinowski
3rd Prize Earrings by Heather Grant
Class 4 13+ Individual (Artistic Item)
1st Prize Teapot Wind Chime by Dorothy Mawby
2nd Prize Paper Wreath by Esme Gosling
3rd Prize Taproot Sculpture by Bryce Woolcombe
Class 5/6
Family, Friends, Co-Workers (Class 5/Functional, Clas 6/Artistic)
1st Prize "The Hummer" Egg Carton Nest by Susan Currie
2nd Prize Cabin Checkers by Sharon Hallsor
Fall Fair Parade
The Pender Island Recycling Society were awarded the trophy for Best Entry in the parade.
We even had goats dressed in green.
PENDER POST COLUMNS
by Mike Wiley, PIRS Treasurer
January 2012
Welcome 2012, and to 2011 we say, “That’s a wrap!” It was a good year
.
The Pender Island Recycling Depot provides Pender a recycling option comparable to the “blue box” provided in larger BC towns and cities. To fulfill this role, the Pender Island Recycling Society receives a grant from the CRD. We recently had occasion to analyze our operation in order to estimate our actual “blue box” associated costs. That little “cost vs. income” exercise was an eye opener. We knew there was a shortfall, but until we actually came to assigning the dollars and dimes, we really did not have an accurate picture. Don’t worry. We are still in a solid financial situation, but let me assure you that our solid financial situation is even more attributable to membership fees and income from “refundables” (pop bottles, cans etc.) than we had realized.
The good news is that the above financial review is not a preamble to some massive appeal for money . . . and Pender Islanders sighed. Utilities, wages, trucking expenses, and all other costs rise. We all know the ferry rates rise and rise, but the Pender Island Recycling memberships are not going to rise in 2012! Recycling memberships (voluntary) will remain at $10. The best 10 bucks you ever spent on the environment!
Starting in January, we will switch to a calendar year membership. The Recycling Society membership you buy in any year is good for that year. Early in the new year we will have board members at the depot hustling new memberships. Until then, any Depot staff member will be delighted to sign you up for the first time or to renew your membership
.
In October, a new recycling program for small appliances began in BC. The program is entirely funded by manufacturers and/or retailers of these small plug-in appliances, including hairdryers, toasters, coffee makers, razors, and hundreds more (see www.unpluggedcycling.ca for a full list of the items accepted). How timely for recycling those old appliances that Santa replaced at Christmas! At this time the Pender Island depot has not been designated as a drop off recycling area for these items but these products can be dropped off at either the Sidney Bottle Depot (Mills Rd.) where there is no drop off fee, or at the Recycling area at the Hartland dump. The majority of the materials in these appliances (including plastic, glass aluminum and other metals) will be recycled. The program website mentioned above has some startling data regarding how much energy is saved by reusing certain materials (aluminum, glass, steel) compared to producing new aluminum, glass or steel to make the same items. That website again underscores how important it is to recycle.
On behalf of the PIRS board and depot staff, I am delighted to wish you and your families good health and good luck in 2012. My thanks and best wishes also must go to the Recycling Depot staff for their year of cheerful work. Cheerful, even when they are swatting at wasps or rocking back and forth on cold, wet feet, simultaneously trying to answer a recycler’s question while also trying desperately to remember the pop bottle tally they were working on when the question sailed their way. No doubt you already know, but Andy Nowak, Angie Bowns, Anna Herlitz, Celene Wilde, Jane Harrison, Jenn Kaila, Les Quitzau, Michelle Marsden, and Richard Philpot are nine more reasons why they are all good days on Pender.
December 2011
'Tis the season. Hard to believe, but the time of family gatherings, gift giving, special meals, parties, memories, decorations, goodwill to all, wishing we were kids again and, most importantly, thinking of others is here. Speaking of good will, on behalf of the Board and our terrific recycling staff, I am pleased to pass on our best seasonal wishes to you all. In December, the festive greens and reds of Christmas show up everywhere but, unless we plan a bit, the green may not represent kindness to the environment.
What can we all do to make December an environmentally green month? Shop close to home. Buy locally wherever possible. Use environmentally-friendly wrapping. Newspapers are good. Re-used wrapping paper is good. Avoid the non-recyclable fancy metallic wrappings and ribbon and, wherever possible, avoid buying over-packaged gifts. Best of all, if you have photographic talent, or can knit, bake, whittle, carve, paint or in some way hand craft a gift, do it. What more personal, thoughtful and environmentally-friendly way is there to show you care? Years ago I made almost all the gifts I gave. The experience left a lasting impression, both on me and on the recipients. It took a few years, but most of the recipients are once again speaking to me. If your artistic and handicraft skills are like mine, do everyone a favour. Buy from a local artisan or craftsman – good for the environment and good for friendships.
No doubt our friendly little island will see its share of seasonal and year-end parties. If you are hosting such an event, remember that we offer an alternative to plastic cutlery and disposable plates and glasses. For a small donation, the Recycling Depot would be delighted to provide a full range of reusable plates, cups, napkins and cutlery. If we can provide all the plates and cutlery for the Fall Fair dinner, we probably can handle your event too. Just mention your party requirements and the date to any Depot staff member and we will reserve the items you need.
While you are enjoying family time on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, our staff will be doing the same. The Depot will be closed on both Sunday, December 25th and Sunday, January 1, 2012.
Sadly, we announce the loss of Board member Val John in October. Val was an energetic and devoted recycler. Even throughout her illness, recycling remained a cause to which she wanted to lend her energies and support. Our thanks to Val for her efforts and our condolences go out to her family. Val was one of those people who helped ensure that they are all good days on Pender.
November 2011
There was no column published in November.
October 2011
Some organizations have summer hours and winter hours. At the Pender Island Recycling Depot we take a positive outlook. We have summer hours, and not-so-summer hours. Please note that starting in October, the depot will switch to not-so-summer hours. That means no more Friday recycling, and for the other days, the regular hours of operation will be: Tuesday, 8am–3pm, Saturday, 10am–3pm, and Sunday, 1-4pm. Please also note that on Sunday, October 9, the Depot will be closed so our staff can enjoy a well-earned Thanksgiving break.
You may have heard, or soon will hear, of BC’s new Electronics and Small Appliance Recycling Stewardship program. The BC government has designated October 1, 2011 as the launch date for the CESA (Canadian Electrical Stewardship Association) Small Appliance Recycling Program. This new program delineates the collection procedures and sites for accepted end-of-life (EoL) small and portable appliances and electronic items. As yet, we have not been advised of our role in this program nor the recycling procedures for acceptable small and portable appliances. As soon as we hear, we will inform you.
The depot staff reports the public has been both co-operative and understanding of the depot system for dropping off recyclable items and Free Store items. There are two areas of concern that I should mention. Please always check with a staff member before dropping off used paint cans, and be sure to advise the staff if the cans contain something other than paint. Some materials can be accepted only during special Hazardous Material collection periods, and could be dangerous for staff and customers if they are dropped off at the wrong times. Similarly, please check with a staff member before donating items to the Free Store. Some items we do not accept in the Free Store, and some items are only accepted on a consignment basis. Dealing with unacceptable Free Store items can be both inconvenient and costly for the depot.
In the true spirit of recycling, I have decided to recycle a few thoughts from last month’s column. If you think that that sounds like I am trying to weasel my way out of admitting I screwed up last month you are both unkind and perceptive. In the September column, I directed you to our website (www.penderislandrecycling.com), to check out, among other things, photos of some of the Fall Fair Recycling Competition winners. Oops. We did not have those photos on the website until later in September. Unlike last month, I now know I am correct in directing you to the website for those photos . . . and other good stuff.
I hope you and your families have a terrific Thanksgiving and that you take time to remind yourself of all those reasons why they’re all good days on Pender.
September 2011
September is here and the 2011 Fall Fair is back there. Again Pender Island volunteerism and participation made the FF a huge success. Jams were judged, beer and wine were tasted and an appraised, along with every imaginable homemade food, artistic/creative craft skill and talent. There are good jobs and bad jobs at the FF, but can someone please tell me how one gets to be an apple pie judge? Where do I sign up?
When it comes to FF winners, I guess my bias would be showing if I mentioned that I thought that the Recycling category winners were definitely among the “best in show”. Congratulations to all the entrants. Photos of the winning recycling entries are now on our website (www.penderislandrecycling.com). While on the website, check out the photo of two of our favourite staff members demonstrating their successful Free Store hard sell techniques.
I would like to thank the volunteers who manned the PIRS booth and the ever noisy and fun Imagination Station at the FF. I also thank and commend the Recycling Depot staff for their presence at the Fall Fair. Apart from providing tips and suggestions about recycling, they were also observing to see how future Fall Fairs can be made as close to garbage free as possible.
The FF dinner was again served on our own Pender Island Recycling plates, cutlery and napkins. The staff and Board of PIRS take great pride in helping to ensure that all those people were fed without one paper plate, disposable napkin or one piece of disposable cutlery being added to any landfill. The plates, cutlery and napkins have been carefully washed and await the next event. For the price of a small donation, let the Recycling Depot provide the plates, cutlery and napkins for your next event. Everyone likes a party but an environmentally friendly party is the best kind. For more information, call the recycling depot or speak to any staff or PIRS board member.
Speaking of doing Mother Nature a favour, PICA member and Recycling staff member, Anna Herlitz recently showed me a chart depicting the biodegradation timeline for various items that might end up in the ocean. The chart, originally developed by a Rotary Club in Cote Basque, France, and adapted by Pender’s Derek Holzapfel for PICA, is colourful, memorable and sobering. A so-called biodegradable diaper takes an estimated 1-3 years to biodegrade, an aluminum can, 200 years, and, are you ready for it . . . a disposable diaper (not specifically classed as biodegradable) would take an estimated 450 years! Manufacturers love to assure us that plastic bags and all manner of products and packaging are “biodegradable” and I guess almost everything is, but clearly, “biodegradable” is a relative term. PICA has given PIRS permission to put the chart of ocean biodegradation timelines on the PIRS website, and it can also be viewed on the Recycling Depot notice board next time you recycle.
Finally, a reminder that September is the last month of summer hours and Friday operations at the recycling depot. Friday operations of the depot really helped even out the depot workload during the busy summer/early fall.
There may not be recycling Fridays after September, but the fact remains, they are all good days on Pender.
August 2011
How was your summer – fast like mine? It seems we barely got started and now we are talking about the Fall Fair. Yup, Saturday, August 27, and it is almost here.
The Pender Island Fall Fair is parking in the field or woods, as we did last year, the pipe band, the parade, the competitions in almost every imaginable category – pies, jellies, breads, cakes, quilts, art, photography, woodwork wonders, beer, wine, flowers, vegetables, kids art, mind boggling Lego creations, functional and artistic recycled categories and on and on.
Not only is the breadth of categories an eye opener but, the real fun is to learn who submitted what. People we have known for years submitting winning entries in categories we often never knew they had an interest in, let alone talent for. Best of all, the parking attendants, the ticket takers, the pipers, firemen, booth operators, exhibitors, ribbon winners, stage MC are all friends, neighbours, Penderites. If your neighbour is not on the grounds on Fall Fair Day, the chances are that he or she has been working behind the scenes prior to the Fair . . . doing the hard thankless and unseen work that makes the Fair and post fair meal work so well.
Among the familiar faces you might see are those of out Recycling Depot staff. Depot staff will be at the fall fair observing and educating with respect to reducing the amount of garbage created at Pender Islands biggest event. The staff and board members, will be easily identified.
Because of our on-site role, and the fact that Fall Fair Day has traditionally been a slow day at the recycling depot it will be closed for August 27, Fall Fair Day. Please note, the recycling Depot will be CLOSED all day on August 27.
Speaking of exhibit categories, would I be biased if I said that the best competition is Section R, recycling? Of course I would be biased, but that’s my job. When it comes to resourcefulness and creativity, entries in the Section R, Recycling are always right near the top. Pender Island Recycling Society (PIRS) is proud to sponsor three classes: individual youth (12 and under), individual adult / teen (12 and older) and group (family, friends, co-workers). All entries must re-use material to create something new. Entries can be either a Functional - something useful, or Artistic - visually appealing. The prize money is terrific so check out the Fall Fair Catalogue for more information on entries.
The prize winning Recycling entrees will be on display at the PIRS booth along with different types of composters including the Earth Machine composter which we sell at he Recycling depot, a food digester like the ones we have been testing at the depot for several months and information about both.
If you like noise and creative intensity as only young girls and boys can display, drop by the PIRS sponsored Imagination Station. Hammers pound, saws race to and fro through exotic donated wood, glue and clamps again will be asked to do near impossible things . . . all in the name of fulfilling a kid’s creative imagination.
August 27, meet your neighbours at the Fall Fair and be reminded why they’re all good days on Pender.
July 2011
Now that we are into July, the recycling depot staff heads into its most hectic season. To ease some of the peak season pressure, we have extended both the hours of operation and the days of operation. Please note that the Recycling Depot is now open on Fridays as well as Tuesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. The summer hours are Tuesday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Friday and Saturday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Sunday 1 to 5 p.m. And summer brings wasp season. Please take a little extra care in rinsing the containers you recycle. The staff will appreciate the effort, as will other recyclers who use the depot.
In last month’s column I mentioned that in a single year our Recycling Depot collected 35 bales of soft plastic bags – that’s 7,500 kg. of bags. The question posed was, “How many plastic bags does it take to make 35 bales?” The recycling staff has been actually counting the bags that go into a bale to determine that the 35 bales would equate to at least. . . are you ready? . . . 724,500 bags! Almost 14,000 bags per week. Scarily, that number is a conservative count. Just think of all the bags that don’t make it to the recycling depot. Of the 35 bales delivered, our recipient client can only confirm that a mere 10% are recycled locally. Clearly, if the recycling depot collects 35 bales of plastic bags in a year there must be many thousands that go elsewhere. How many go to landfills, or are casually discarded and left to blow in the wind, land in our ditches and roadsides, and eventually make their way to the ocean?
The photo in this column of a turtle swimming amid ocean-going plastic bags is not exactly the prototype “wonders of scuba diving” photo. But it is the sad reality in thousands of square miles of the world’s ocean today. Plastic like this is often ingested accidently or becomes entangled in the fins, craws, wings and beaks of various sea mammals, fish and marine birds.
You can find the turtle photo on http://blog.mywonderfulworld.org/2009/03/the-great-pacific-garbage-patch.html. Also on this website is a video excerpt of a speech made by Charles Moore of the Algalita Marine Research Foundation, the first organization to discover the great Pacific (ocean) garbage patch. Although Moore’s comments are both informative and a bit frightening, I hope you all take the time to view/listen to the video and ask yourself if you want to part of the problem or part of the solution. Is there one reason to continue using plastic bags? Moore indicates that the plastics eventually break down into a molecular soup that can probably never be removed from the oceans of the world. The least we can do is to refuse to add to the problem.
Enjoy the summer, keep recycling, keep using reusable bags and resisting the plastic variety, and continue to enjoy the fact that they are all good days on Pender.
June 2011
O.K., here is this month’s quiz. Who said “The times they are a changing”? Was it a) Bill Keller, President of the New York Times, b) Bob Dylan, 60’s folk singer, or c) Hans-Kristian Hoejsgaard, new president of Timex Group?
Sorry, but the correct answer is the Manager of the Pender Island Recycling. The times at the Depot are “a changing” to our summer hours in June, and Richard Philpot wants you all to make note of the changes. Not only are the hours different, but the Depot will again be open on Fridays. The new hours for June through September are: Tuesdays,
8 am-3 pm, Fridays, 9 am-3 pm, Saturdays, 9 am-3 pm, and Sundays 1-5 pm.
Sorry about the trick question. Now how about a rhetorical one? Why do we, as consumers, accept plastic bags from retailers? A week ago the Depot trucked 32 bales of soft plastic (plastic bags) to the BC lower mainland. Thirty-two bales, 7,500 kg of plastic bags . . . all of the plastic bags that we’ve collected at the depot during the past year. Next month’s quiz will relate to how many bags the above shipment represents, and what the recycled fate of these bags is.
We receive nothing for the bags . . . in fact we are lucky to find someone who will even accept them . . . but we do incur the expense (truck loading costs, driver’s salary, ferry fares, vehicle gas and maintenance costs) just to dispose of them. The Depot accepts these bags only because the alternative fate would be to send them all to the landfill or just let them blow in the wind, eventually polluting our oceans and endangering an ever-growing number of birds, fish and mammals.
Maybe it is time that we all said NO to plastic bags. Next time a retailer, whether on Pender or elsewhere asks you if you want plastic (bags) just say “No thanks, I have my own reusable bag.” I doubt that you will get Christmas cards from them, but a host of critters, from Orcas to hummingbirds will thank you. Throughout Canada, the US, and overseas, towns larger than Pender Island have gone plastic bag free. Maybe it is time for Pender Island to take a stand. I would be interested to hear your thoughts . . . as will our local retailers.
While the thoughts on plastic bags expressed above are my own, I would be lying if I said that my comments did not reflect the feelings of many good Penderites who have expressed similar concerns to me. Those people are just one more reason why I think that they are all good days on Pender.
May 2011
Last month I talked about the much-awaited arrival of spring. A month later, as I write this, we are still waiting. No more seasonal weather forecasts from me.
One thing we can safely predict, regardless of season or weather, is the value of composting. Not only does composting divert vegetable and other wastes from landfills but more importantly, composting turns kitchen wastes into rich, fertile soil. Again this year, the highly recommended Earth Machine composters will be available for purchase from the friendly folks at the Pender Island Recycling Depot. The Earth Machines sold very well last year and, according to all reports, they worked very well. If you are not already composting, why not start now and do your garden, the island and the planet a favour?
Are we up for a little refresher quiz? The three R’s of recycling are? Reduce (extra packaging wherever possible), Reuse (think of secondary uses for objects and materials that might otherwise be disposed of after one use), and Recycle, the one we all know. In recent years, because over packaging has become so commonplace, we have added Refuse – refuse to accept over-packaging by politely handing it back to the retailer and asking them to pass the message back to the suppliers. In anticipation of warmer weather (he wrote, hopefully), we should re-emphasize that other R, - rinse. Rinsing the containers that we drop off at the depot greatly reduces the numbers of flies and wasps that both our staff and customers have to deal with. We had tremendous co-operation on this one last year and the staff thanks you in advance for similar diligence this year.
Speaking of “clean” the staff also wanted me to pass on their appreciation for the conscientious job you have done in separating the various plastics. Pender Island recyclers have been very diligent and patient in separating out the # 3 and #6 plastics. All that squinting and peering for those little numbers is important. Syntal Products (Victoria) Ltd. is our customer for the #1, 2, 4,5 and 7 plastics. Syntal re-fabricates these plastics into “plastic” wood (brand name, Altwood) to be used for decks and fence boards, and for other situations where resistance to rot, insects and weather are important.
Apparently Syntal rejects about 30% of the stuff if receives as not usable. The people at Syntal made a point of complimenting Andy Nowak on the fact that the Pender Island plastics are very well screened and sorted. Andy graciously accepted Syntal’s compliments and asked me to pass them on to the thoughtful recyclers of Pender Island.
Speaking of thanks, I want to thank several of our recycling staff members who have been working with the school to develop recycling awareness at this very important level. We are very fortunate on this island to have teachers, administrators, volunteers and kids who care. Small wonder that they are all good days on Pender.
April 2011
The crack of the bat and the smack of a ball into a hand oiled and softened leather glove. Welcome spring sounds have returned to Danny Martin Park. The flashy shouldered male red-winged blackbirds are vying and battling for prime territories in anticipation of the imminent arrival of the female red wings. Daffodils are struggling out of the ground, slightly behind schedule but always welcome.
Spring has officially arrived. Spring is a time to think and act on those gardening plans – seeds, bulbs, plant soil, and fertilizers, environmentally friendly ones, of course. Spring is a time of renewal, and a time to have a serious peek inside the compost bin to see if we really have been doing it right.
Committed composter, neophyte, or someone just thinking of beginning your composting career, you should hear what Nashira Birch, from the Greater Victoria Compost Education Centre, has to say about all the do’s and don’ts of successful composting.
Ms Birch is an expert in the field and we are delighted that she has agreed to be the guest speaker at the Recycling Society Annual General Meeting.
"Be the change you want to see in the world - learn how to compost”. Ms Birch will lead an exciting workshop that will cover the basics of composting - including backyard digesters, vermicomposting, composting meat scraps, hot composting, and speeding up your backyard bin.
At our house, we have been composting for some time, but I am afraid we really don’t know exactly what we are doing or how to get the most out of our efforts. For people like us, or those who have contemplated but not yet started composting, Ms Birch can provide the “Expert” leadership as well as the answers to all those composting questions we may be too shy to voice. The Pender Island Recycling Society A.G.M., mark it on your calendar: Friday, April 29 at 6:30 p.m. in the meeting room at the Pender Island Public Library.
In addition to learning all you ever wanted to know about composting, you also will hear how, with your help, your Recycling Society fared in 2010, as well as what challenges lie ahead. The AGM will feature the election of PIRS Board members. If you know someone interested in joining the Board, April 29th is the time to nominate them. We have added some energetic and conscientious new Board Members in the last year or two, but we are always searching for good people with energy, new ideas and new commitment. See you on April 29th.
Finally, think of Japan, think of Haiti, think of Christchurch and remember how fortunate we are that they are all good days on Pender.
March 2011
Can you believe that March is already here? Every month brings new events and new challenges. Currently, the Pender Island Recycling Society Board is busy planning this year’s Annual General Meeting.
Each year it is a challenge to come up with the ideal speaker . . . one who will appeal to Penderites, an expert on a topic that we care about. Nashira Birch, from the Greater Victoria Compost Education Centre, is just such a person. "Be the change you want to see in the world - learn how to compost!” Join Nashira Birch for an exciting evening that will cover the basics of composting - including vermicomposting, backyard digesters, composting meat scraps, hot composting, and speeding up your backyard bin." “Expert” in the field is probably an understatement in describing Birch. Not only will her talk be informative and entertaining, but she will be able to answer all our questions as well as many more we may not have even thought of. Whether you are a neophyte composter or an old hand, the evening will offer something for everyone. Mark your calendar and plan to attend the Pender Island Recycling Society AGM, Friday, April 29, 7 p.m. in the meeting room at the Pender Island Public Library.
Now, here is a hypothetical question. You need a new car and, after exhaustive research, you come down to a choice between two identical cars. One happens to cost 2,000 times more than the other. Which would you choose? Would the manufacturer’s advertising convince you to opt for the ridiculously expensive one? The answer seems pretty obvious, but when it comes to water many people pay 2,000 times more than necessary. We know the water that flows from our taps is stringently regulated, in many cases far more regulated than bottled water, yet many people succumb to the advertisers’ promise of “pure spring freshness.”
I found this bottled water data shocking. I urge you to check out the CRD’s entertaining and educational website, http://myrecyclopadia.ca/ for more details, including the names of two major soft drink manufacturers that decided that tap water was definitely pure enough for them to bottle and sell! This excellent website is well worth checking out on a regular basis.
Did you know that even though the annual tonnage of recycling handled locally increased again in 2010 (slightly), the car count was lower than the previous year? This could be at least partially a result of “team recycling”. The recycling staff has noted a few of their favourite customers are teaming up and combining recycling loads . . . two recycling loads, one car trip! We know who you are. The environment appreciates you and we salute you. We also add you to the list of reasons that confirm that they are all good days on Pender.
February 2011
I am writing this column on a sunny day in January – no doubt a good omen for February weather on Pender. Don’t question this, just accept it and look forward with cheerful anticipation.
Apart from sunshine, February also brings us Valentine’s Day and a chance to show our loved ones we care, or to send a card to that neat girl or boy you think is so cute. Please note that the last option is for kids, and does not apply to you married or committed folk! One suggestion that does apply to Valentine wishers of all ages is to avoid the seasonal over packaging, and nothing says over-packaging like some glitzy Valentine chocolates. Better still, give a gift that says you care about today, and tomorrow. Reduce your Valentine’s Day “footprint” by making a homemade organic cake; giving island-made organic chocolate, art or crafts; reusing a card from a previous year; or giving flowers grown close to home and not wrapped in cellophane. With thoughtful shopping, we can show both our loved ones and the planet that we care.
When it comes to caring, Penderites are first rate. Last March we combined with Pender School’s Home Based Learners, officially known as Spring Leaves Family Learning, to operate a depot-based bottle drive to raise money for the Haiti earthquake victims. With the help of generous Penderites we raised $1,545. The story of who received this money and how it is being used is posted in the Depot Events & News section (scroll towards top of this page). The story confirms what your generosity is helping to accomplish in Haiti. We were delighted to help and even more pleased to know that the funds are being put to efficient use.
Last month, I whined about accidentally volunteering to be in charge of the membership table at the depot one January Sunday. The volunteering was no accident, but I was more than a little apprehensive about the January weather. Weather-wise, I absolutely lucked out. I got to hang out with our staff, the island’s nicest, steel-toed boot-wearing recyclers, and had a chance to renew acquaintances with some fine Pender Island recycling supporters. Thanks to all of you. While on this subject, a special tip of my recycled hat to PIRS Board members Davy Rippner and Ursula Poepel. Both took their membership sales turn last month in much colder weather and set a membership sales goal that we all envy. Way t’ go you two! If you missed these winter membership renewal opportunities, don’t worry. There will be more. And remember, the depot staff is always ready, willing and able to sell a new membership or take a receipted donation.
I guess the thrill of membership sales duty is hard to resist. No doubt that opportunity was a key motivation for Mimi Fujino to join the board. Welcome aboard Mimi. Nothing like a volunteer to reconfirm that they are all good days on Pender.
January 2011
Happy New Year! The start of a new year brings the opportunity to plan for the coming year, and to reflect on the year past.
If you are a New Year’s resolution type, or even if you are not, 2011 is a fine time to add a touch of diligence to your recycling lifestyle. Think of clever ways to re-use and recycle. Ask a retailer to take back some of the excess and unwanted packaging that accompanies so many products. Make a concerted effort to buy locally in order to avoid the costly transportation energy needed to ship faraway goods to us. Check out the www.myrecyclopedia.ca website for new and innovative recycling ideas, plus interesting facts that confirm how important recycling is. We hope that 2011 will be a fine year for our staff and of course all our customers. Just to be sure that the year starts well, I should remind you that the Recycling Depot will not be open on Satuday, January 1.
A glance over our shoulder confirms that, from a recycling viewpoint, 2010 was a pretty good year. In 2010, the economics of recycling showed signs of recovery in some areas (cardboard, paper and scrap metal). The signs were small but the trend was welcome. The good people of the Penders continued to show great support and generosity to our operations. While each of the recycling operations on the Gulf Islands is partially supported by a CRD grant, what keeps the Pender operations at or near the financial break-even point is primarily membership dollars and your continued generosity in the form of refundable bottles and containers. We could not succeed without your support.
I must thank the members of the Pender Island Recycling Society (PIRS) board who have taken the time to man the membership table at the recycling depot. I especially commend those Board members who had the foresight to man the membership table before the temperature started to dip. I, on the other hand, innocently raised my hand for a point of clarification at the last Recycling Society board meeting and apparently volunteered to do a turn at the membership table at the Depot on January 16th. It does pay to listen. See you then.
Community support makes everything possible, but if Pender Island recyclers had to deal with grumpy, unmotivated staff members, that support could dry up in a heartbeat. In the summer when the wasps are humming and in the winter when fingers and toes start to feel numb, I try to make my recycling forays brief and efficient. No such luck for the staff. For them, summer’s wasps and winter’s numb fingers and toes are everyday stuff . . . and they still keep smiling.
The theory of recycling is noble and environmentally correct, but the Pender Island Recycling staff makes it fun. Our huge thanks to the staff - Andy, Angie, Anna, Celene, Jane, Jenn, Les, Matilda, Michelle, and Richard – to our Board, and to all who support us and help to prove that they are all good days on Pender.
December 2010
That “naughty or nice” time of year has arrived. If you are like me, you may have to scramble a bit to make up sufficient ground to get onto the “nice” side of the ledger. During my first year on Pender, Andy Nowak gave me some wonderful advice to ensure this preferred pre-Christmas classification. Andy explained that on Pender I could achieve “nice” by purchasing a Recycling Society membership for the upcoming year. Even if you have been good all year, renewing your old membership or purchasing your first membership is a really good thing to do. We are very lucky to have a strong and viable recycling operation on Pender, and it is worth repeating that our membership dollars are an important piece of that viability equation. Paying more than the $10 fee and getting a tax receipt is anther option. P.I.R.S. memberships are always available at the recycling depot, either from the staff members or from PIRS Board members who set up a table at the depot from time to time to make it even easier to purchase your 2011 PIRS membership.
While you are thinking of good Christmas things to do for your family and friends, may I make some suggestions about good things you can do for the planet at this time of year? You can make or buy crafts locally, avoiding the energy expenditure required to transport goods from afar. As well as saving energy, buying locally or making crafts will reduce the over-packaging so prevalent at this time of year. And why not consider wrapping gifts in a recycling-friendly way? Reuse newspaper, reuse cards, and avoid the flashy metallic paper and fancy ribbons that often cannot be recycled.
No matter how hard we all try to reduce our exposure to excess packaging at this time of year, we know that the recycling depot will be going flat out over the Christmas season. When the weather gets nasty and fingers move less nimbly, and cars keep poring through the depot, a cheerful comment or Christmas wish for the staff will always be appreciated.
While we are still on the subject of Christmas, the recycling depot will be closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, and on January 1, so that the staff can enjoy time with their families.
In the first paragraph I made a tongue-in-cheek reference to mythical advice from Andy Nowak. Andy, after more than 20 years of thoughtful and passionate leadership, has stepped down from his management role in Pender Island recycling. He now is looking forward to limiting his role to that of PIRS truck driver. His reduced PIRS responsibilities give him more time to spend in the garden, and to enjoy his and Mary’s recently completed straw bale and cob house. I doubt that Andy will miss the phone calls, and he is confident that Richard Philpot will continue to provide creative and sound management of the operation. Andy has been a great help to me, and to the board. Happily, his experience and wisdom will still be available to PIRS.
We all wish Andy well and thank him for being one of the reasons that they are all good days on Pender.
November 2010
Fall Fair, wasps, a few rainy days and bingo, it’s November. November marks the official start to selling next year’s Pender Island Recycling Society memberships. Is there any better bargain on Pender than the $10 Recycling Society membership? Not a chance. Don’t feel badly if you can’t remember if you bought a 2010 membership. Start with a clean slate and sign up for 2011. It’s a great way to show that you support recycling and appreciate the friendly and helpful depot staff.
As you may have read in an earlier column, operating the recycling depot on Pender Island is not exactly what business people would call a cash cow. The grim economics of recycling have eased a little in the last year. Although our main income is a CRD grant, we could not provide the service we do without the generous support of the community in the form of membership fees and refundable bottles, cans and tetra paks (water, pop, juice, beer, liquor and wine). The community support helped us through the last few tough years and, considering the political belt tightening which has become a fact of life, we will continue to cherish and appreciate your support. Over the next few months Recycling Society Board members and other keen supporters of recycling on Pender will set up shop at the recycling depot to make your new membership purchase as easy and painless as possible. If you want to renew your membership and no board member or volunteer is on membership duty, just ask any staff member. Staff members are also committed recyclers and always pleased to welcome new and ongoing members. If you would like to pay a little more when renewing your membership, and many do, we will be happy to accommodate and provide a tax receipt as well.
In case you missed it, the recycling depot is now on winter hours, which are Tuesdays, 8 am – 3 pm, Saturdays, 10 am – 3 pm, and Sundays 1-4 pm.
In the last few columns I have chosen a few Reduce, Reuse, Recycle suggestions form the CRD’s website (www.myrecyclopedia.ca). I looked for a few gems for this month’s column but instead I am just going to urge you to check out that website. The site’s A to Z product list covers aluminum to zinc, and everything you can think of in between. For each “product”, the website provides suggestions to reduce, reuse and recycle. I highly recommend a quick tour of this website for some great ideas and innovative, environmentally friendly suggestions.
Next time you visit the Pender Island Recycling Depot (before or after renewing your Recycling membership) take a moment to remind the staff how much we appreciate the fine job they do. A committed, cheerful staff, another reason they are all good days on Pender.
October 2010
October, the “I can’t believe summer is over” month, has arrived. Autumn brings flashy colours, cooler mornings and evenings, shorter days and, most importantly, the Pender Island Recycling depot’s switch to winter hours–non-summer hours, if it makes you feel better. As of October 1, the non-summer hours are Tuesdays, 8am to 3pm; Saturdays, 10am to 3pm, and Sundays, 1pm to 4 pm. Please note that the depot is no longer open on Fridays. These new hours are listed in our yellow pages ad in the Pender Island telephone directory under Recycling.
Watching the last vestige of summer shuffle on its way is never a good thing but if this year’s bumper crop of wasps leaves with it, there is at least an upside.
This month’s tip from the CRD’s “myrecyclopedia.ca” website is about that nasty stuff, Styrofoam. Styrofoam is the Dow Chemical brand name for polystyrene. Polystyrene comes in either foamed (packing material, meat trays, etc.) or non-foamed (CD cases, disposable cutlery, etc.). In either form the material does not break down if relegated to the landfill, and gives off a host of dangerous chemicals if burned. The CRD website calls polystyrene “one of the most challenging items to recycle or reuse”.
The best solution for polystyrene is to reduce its use. Look for products in greener packaging materials (aluminum trays or foil, corn based food trays). The second best strategy for polystyrene is “refuse” . . . return the Styrofoam packaging to the retailer. Returned polystyrene will be a huge inconvenience to the retailer. If enough customers returned the packaging the retailer might soon speak to the manufacturer about finding an alternate packing material.
One final quote from the myrecylopedia.ca website on polystyrene: “Polystyrene makes up a significant part of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a slowly rotating collection of plastic in the centre of the North Pacific Ocean Gyre. There are 3.3 million pieces of plastic per square kilometre in the garbage patch. Over 8 billion kilograms of plastic ends up in our oceans each year, much of it polystyrene. These plastics do not biodegrade, but rather break into increasingly smaller pieces which can cause harm or death to sea birds, fish, turtles and other marine life.”
Fall Fair 2010 was another “only on Pender” delight. My special favourite (and of course I have no bias) was the always popular Imagination Station, where kids hammer, saw and glue with enthusiasm, youthful creativity and ear-splitting volume. Our special thanks to Dave Dossor and his team of overseers, and to those who donated some pretty classy wood pieces for our junior woodworkers. Finally, a big hand to all the entrants and the winners of the various categories in the PIRS competition of artistic or useful article made from recycled material. This year brought our best entrants and closest competition ever. Speaking of the Fall Fair, could anyone watch Denny Goertz and his young violinists providing musical interludes while each succeeding sheep fluffed its curls prior to entering the ring, and not understand why they are all good days on Pender?
September 2010
First things first. The P.I.R.S. is looking for a bookkeeper. The position does not require many hours a month, pays reasonably well, and is a very important cog in the recycling operation on Pender. If you are interested, please call me or contact any other P.I.R.S. board member.
What a July! We waited a long time for summer sunshine, and when it arrived Penderites reacted exactly as we knew they would, heading for boats, golf course, tennis courts and hiking trails. In hot weather, everyone knows the importance of staying hydrated, and one look at the pop can and plastic bottle tally from the Recycling Depot confirmed that we all did a fine job of preventing fluid loss! Over a three-week period, 5,184 aluminum pop cans and 7,200 single-use small plastic drink bottles appeared at the Recycling Depot. Depot staff estimates that more than 80% of the recycled single-use small plastic bottles were water bottles. These are big numbers, especially when the numbers do not include any of the aluminum beer cans or glass beer, cooler, wine and liquor bottles dropped off at the depot, or any of the thousands of glass, aluminum or plastic containers returned directly to stores, or perhaps mindlessly tossed along road allowances, public trails, or beaches.
Yes, plastic bottles can be reprocessed into a new item, but this process requires new petrochemicals and loads of energy consumption to make it, package it and ship it to market.
Good alternatives to single-use plastic water bottles exist. In North America, more regulations govern the quality of our tap water than govern the quality of bottled water. So turn on a tap, and fill a safe, washable, reusable metal water bottle. If you still prefer bottled water, fill your metal water bottle from a much larger multi-gallon container of commercial water.
The clean Air Council of the US (www.cleanair.org/Waste/wastefacts.html ) estimates that Americans throw away 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour. Every hour! Hopefully, on a per capita basis, we are nowhere near that level of consumption or disposal. Shouldn’t we all support the trend to move in a more environmentally sensible direction?
Depending on when you read this column, I hope you will enjoy or have enjoyed Pender’s 2010 Fall Fair. Many of you are involved behind the scenes and on the day. Such participation ensures that the Fall Fair will continue to provide a classic example of community cooperation and fun. Another reason why they are all good days on Pender.
August 2010
"Always say please and thank you." That’s what our parents taught us. In previous columns, I said please rinse your recyclables before taking them to the Recycling Depot. Now, on behalf of the recycling depot staff and Pender Island recyclers, I say thank you for rinsing. Recyclers have been doing a good job of rinsing recyclables. That little extra effort really reduces the wasp hazard and makes the depot safer for both staff and recyclers. For the few who haven’t yet got the message, for everyone’s safety, please rinse before recycling.
There is no bad time to examine our lifestyle to see if we can adopt more eco-friendly habits. Summer presents some especially good opportunities, with August bringing an abundance of locally produced veggies, fruit and other foodstuff. Buying local produce reduces some of the fossil fuel required to bring food to our table and eliminates some of the packaging required for long haul shipping. Toss in the fact that buying locally also supports our Pender Island neighbours and economy, and it is an easy choice. Best of all, buying local produce ensures fresher, tastier, and often more organically grown foods.
Did you know that “Aluminum is one of nature’s great recycling success stories. Aluminum is completely, endlessly recyclable. One pound of aluminum makes approximately 30 cans; using recycled aluminum uses 95% less energy than mining new bauxite ore for new aluminum. It’s one packaging product you can feel good about using, and reusing.” I just learned (and quoted) these facts on www.myrecyclopedia.ca, the CRD’s excellent website dedicated to recycling. The site has many fine recycling ideas, tips and thought-provoking recycling facts. Check it out.
The annual Household Hazardous Waste disposal day at the recycling depot was again a very worthwhile endeavour . . . lots of nasty stuff left our island in a safe manner. If you missed the event, do not attempt to transport these goods yourself to the Hartland Disposal site without first checking with BC Ferries and the Department of Highways. There are stiff fines for transporting some goods without the proper paperwork and authority. Pender Island Home Hardware Building Centre has been designated as a drop-off site for fluorescent light tubes and compact fluorescent light bulbs. Although energy efficient, these types of lights contain a small amount of mercury and therefore must be disposed of in a very precise manner. Do not, under any circumstances, break these bulbs when they are no longer useful. Take them to the Home Hardware drop-off site.
The Fall Fair is almost upon us. Time to start working on your entries for the artistic or functional items made from recycled material categories. Check the Fall Fair catalogue (page 61) for details. Big prizes, fun projects! The Fall Fair totally embodies the fun, the community involvement and the co-operation that is Pender . . . a huge example of why they are all good days on Pender.
July 2010
For several months we have been touting the upcoming July 17 Hazardous Waste Day at the Recycling Depot. No doubt the excitement has been building, dates have been circled on the calendar and times noted. Hazardous material, unknown chemicals and mysterious “nasties” from your property have been assembled for delivery. As the clock ticks down, I have one question. Can you wait an extra 30 minutes?
The date for Hazardous Waste Day at the depot remains unchanged - Saturday, July 17 – but please note that the originally announced start time has been changed from 10:00 to 10:30 a.m. That extra 30 minutes will help our friends from the CRD to get properly and safely organized for the event. Remember, only hazardous waste will be accepted at the depot on July 17.
Speaking of the CRD, check out their website, www.myrecyclopedia.ca. This site has some great tips, particularly on the reuse portion of the solution. Similarly, remember to check out our own website, www.penderislandrecycling.ca for more information on what we take, who we are, and what is new in recycling on the Penders. Our website shows the new summer depot hours but let me remind you again, Tuesdays 8–3 pm, Fridays, 9–3 pm, Saturdays 9–3 pm, and Sundays 1–5 pm.
The Rs of recycling, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Refuse (redundant packaging) are all acts of kindness to the planet. Now that the wasp season is clearly upon us, we urge you all to add another R to the recycling mantra – Rinse – as an act of kindness to our staff. Last year, thanks to careful staff members and thoughtful rinsing recyclers, we had a wasp sting free season. Please help us duplicate that feat in 2010.
Finally, a tip of my PIRS hat to two thoughtful Pender Island recyclers who have taken kindness to the planet one step further. Julie Johnston and Amanda Griesbach “car pooled” their recycling. Instead of two people making two trips, these thoughtful ladies teamed up to bring both loads of recycling in one car. Now that is a good idea. Mother Nature needs all the help she can get. Thanks Amanda and Julie for providing one more reason that they are all good days on Pender.
June 2010
This month’s column is mostly about summer, starting with a quiz. The first day of summer is a) June 1, or b) June 21? I do not want to embarrass all those bright lights out there waving their hands and yelping, “June 21, June 21!”, but on Pender Island in the world of recycling, summer starts on June 1. It must be summer because that is the day the depot switches to summer hours, namely Tuesdays, 8 am–3 pm, Fridays, 9 am-3 pm, Saturdays, 9 am–3 pm, and Sundays 1 pm–5 pm.
The trick “first day of summer” question is probably a good time to remind you how important it is to bring only clean cans, bottles and plastics to the recycling depot. There is no good time for the staff to have to deal with dirty containers, and warmer weather brings the added complication of flies and wasps. The staff appreciates your efforts and thanks you for your co-operation.
While I am on a summer theme, I should remind you that Saturday, July 17 will be Household Hazardous Waste day at the recycling depot. On that day, the depot will take only household hazardous waste material. Take the time to look around your house and property and start setting aside those nasty items that you have been wondering how to dispose of.
Summer is also a time when composters do their best work at processing all those garden clippings and appropriate household scraps, turning them into nutrient-rich soil. If you have never tried composting or if you need a second or third composter, you can’t find a better composter at a better price ($65) than the Earth Machine Composters we now have for sale at the depot. We were only able to get a limited number and, at that price, they won’t last long. On your next visit to the depot, ask any staff member about the Earth Machine Composter . . . if there is still one left, grab it!
Finally, if you haven’t renewed your Pender Island Recycling membership, June is an excellent time to do so. Pender Island Recycling Society board members are often on duty selling memberships right at the depot, but any staff member will be happy to help you renew your membership or become a member for the first time. Recycling is important to our small island, and your membership dollars are important to the continued efficient operations of the depot.
In closing, I would like to apologize to all those who got the quiz question wrong, but does it really matter? They are all good days on Pender.
May 2010
When you think of May, do you think of Tire Month at the Pender Island Recycling Depot? Oh, okay, but after Mother’s Day, did you think of Tire Month? Hmm, apparently for most of you, Tire Month does not immediately spring to mind. That is precisely why I have been asked to remind you. If you have any old tires that you have been meaning to dispose of, May is the time to drag them to the Recycling Depot. Throughout May, the Depot will accept tires at no charge - a maximum of four tires per customer, maximum size 16 inches and the tires must be removed from the rims. Should you bring more than four tires there will be a nominal charge of $2 per tire.
Do you know how hard it is to write about old tires and seamlessly change topics to discuss food scraps? If there is a way, I could not find it.
Food scraps and garden clippings – we all have more than enough. Good, rich garden soil - few on Pender can boast of having enough. The Earth Machine Composter is the perfect solution to both problems, and, thanks to a bulk purchase by the CRD, these composters are now available at the Recycling Depot for a mere $65.00. Well designed, constructed of sturdy recycled plastic, Earth Machine composters will do a great job and last for years. For composter details, refer to our website, www.penderislandrecycling.com.
Last month I mentioned that Household Hazardous Waste Day at the Depot would be held in July. We now can confirm the date – Saturday, July 17. On that day, the Depot will accept ONLY hazardous household waste. Please refer to our website www.penderislandrecycling.com for a list of what will be accepted. There will be further reminders in subsequent Pender Post columns and ads, as well signs at the Depot.
June 1, 7:30 p.m., in the meeting room of the Pender Island Public Library. Mark that time and place on your calendar and join us for the Pender Island Recycling Society Annual General meeting. We are pleased to be able to confirm that a representative of the Community Farmland Project will address that meeting to bring us up to date on that very important project and to discuss how the project fits into the three Rs of recycling.
On behalf of the PIRS board, the recycling staff, and the students and parents of the Spring Leaves Family Learning group, I want to thank you all for supporting the Spring Leaves Recyclables for Haiti project throughout March. The students and parents worked along side our staff and handled and sorted refundables, raising $1,545 for the people of Haiti. It was a very successful drive and another example of how the people of Pender, people of all ages, step up to the plate when others need a hand. Another reason why they’re all good days on Pender.
April 2010
I say “summer” and you think . . . golf, cycling, hiking, kayaking, sailing and of course, tennis. What a surprise that not one person mentioned Hazardous Waste Disposal Days at the Recycling Depot! It is never too early to start gathering and organizing the hazardous material you have stored on the property. Include those tins that contain some “no longer identifiable” substance. Plan ahead for the Hazardous Waste Day coming to a recycling depot near you – the exact mid-July date to be announced.
According to the hard working staff at the recycling depot, Penderites are pretty efficient at separating plastic into the correct #1 to #7 categories. Congrats! Placing clean plastics in the right container is a huge help to our staff. As recyclers, we also must ensure that our plastics are all plastic. Any metallic bits attached to the plastic could damage the processing equipment of the companies to whom we transport our plastic material. A common source of metal contaminant is the spring in soap and similar plunger-type dispensers. The depot will take the plunger and the metal spring, but we simply do not have the staff hours to separate the two. Thanks for your co-operation.
I was asked the other day if the depot accepts old cell phones. We do, for a $2 fee - a pretty good deal compared to taking them off-island.
In February, I mentioned our newest Depot addition, the smiling face of Angie Bowns. This month I am delighted to announce the arrival of another brand new, smiling face. On February 18th. Depot staffer, Jenn Kaila and her husband Scott announced the birth of Rubin, a little brother for big brother Ferris, and big sister Ada. Welcome to Pender, Rubin, and congratulations to Jenn, Scott, Ferris and Ada.
Finally, a big thanks to Pender Islanders. Families from the the Spring Leaves Family Learning group were at the Recycling Depot throughout March helping us sort and count refundable containers as they were delivered to the depot (see photo of Parker family, right). All the money raised from these refundable container deposits will be donated to the people of Haiti through the Red Cross. You pitched in, we pitched in, and the kids from Spring Leaves pitched in. To no one’s, surprise, the Refundable drive was a huge success, and I have been asked to pass on Spring Leaves’ sincere thanks for your generous support of this project. New babies, kids helping less fortunate people whom they have never met . . . small wonder that they are all good days on Pender.
March 2010
What do you do when you have a chance to tie in recycling with kids, education, fund-raising and helping people in Haiti? You jump at the chance.
The Pender Island Recycling Society and the depot staff have been asked to assist in a fund-raiser to be carried out by the students of the Pender School’s Home Based Learners, officially known as Spring Leaves Family Learning. The beneficiaries of the fund-raiser will be the people of Haiti, a country still hurting from the January 12 earthquake. The fund-raiser is a worthwhile venture and a terrific opportunity to show our young people that they can help those in need, half a world away, and do it through something as universal as recycling.
PIRS is delighted to announce that for the entire Month of March, we will donate the proceeds from all refundables. Refundables include juice containers, plastic and glass bottles (all sizes of plastic pop, juice and water bottles, and plastic liquor bottles, plus glass liquor, wine, beer, soft drink and juice bottles purchased in Canada), and uncrushed aluminum cans (pop, juice, beer and non-alcoholic beer cans). The Spring Leaves Family Learning students will be active participants, and we ask all Penderites to join in by dropping off their refundables for this terrific project.
For the last ten years, the PIRS financial scorecard has been kept by Reneé Watson. Ten years! The PIRS Board was surprised and saddened when she advised us that she will be hanging up her PIRS general ledger. Reneé has other jobs and two sons that keep her, and husband Chris, hopping. Not only did Reneé always have the answers to our "How are we doing" questions, but she possessed a wealth of information, background and history. She knew what we did in the past, why we did it, what worked and what did not. We will miss her. Reneé has kindly agreed to stay on for a short time while the PIRS Board looks for a new Treasurer. If you have some financial background and expertise, and want to serve the cause of recycling on Pender, the Board would like to hear from you.
In closing, let me say that Reneé Watson’s contributions did not stop at her treasurer’s duties. She was always a hard worker and willing volunteer in our role at the Fall Fair. When we needed a meeting place or a location for the Christmas party, she offered her house as well. We thank Renee’s husband, Chris and their sons, Nigel and Gavin for sharing her with us for all those years. The Board thanks you Renee’ and, personally, I thank you. Hard working volunteers like you are among the reasons that they are all good days on Pender.
February 2010
Christmas decorations have just been put away, and it only takes one quick glance in the mirror to confirm that the Christmas turkey was certainly “put away”. The branches and litter from our January winds have been picked up and Valentine’s Day is virtually upon us.
As we race into 2010 we also race into a new PIRS membership season. Last year we had a phenomenally successful membership drive, thanks largely to conscientious people of the Penders, and to a brilliant suggestion to set up a “membership” table right at the recycling depot. The post-Christmas/New Year’s depot rush is over so look for the reappearance of the membership table, usually with a PIRS Board member in attendance to answer questions and sign you up for another year. Your support is vital and very much appreciated . . . the best $10 you can spend on Pender!
The depot has been taking plastic bags for a long time but, because there have been no markets for them, we have been baling and stock piling them - obviously not a long term solution. Let’s all try to avoid the use of plastic bags as much as we can. In last month’s column I wrote about reusable cotton or nylon bags for veggies instead of using the plastic in-store bags provided. I have since bought two more. It is surprising how easy it is to replace the ever-present (I wanted to say “ubiquitous” but I have been told that is a very pretentious word) plastic bags. Even if we don’t have a cotton or nylon vegetable bag, it still helps if we simply re-use a plastic bag. The earth, air and ocean will appreciate our efforts.
In the spirit of things we can do . . . remember when you are lavishing chocolates and flowers on your Valentine, cellophane cannot be recycled. Cellophane might dress up the flowers or chocolates a bit, but it is better to send your loved one a message that you really do care. Decline cellophane whenever you can. Slightly less glamorous than presenting flowers is dealing with wire coat hangers. If they are in good shape (not bent or rusty), Sidney Cleaners, next to Capital Iron in Sidney will be happy to take them off your hands.
In our effort to make our depot the best it can be we have added another new staff member. The new, “brighten-your-day” smile at the depot belongs to Angie Bowns! Angie started in January and fits in with the crew and the work very well. Next time you see a new face and a big smile at the depot be sure and say hi.
I know what you are thinking, and yes, Angie has already driven the forklift. You may recall my barely concealed jealousy the last time new employees got to drive the forklift. I am handling a bit better this time because, in January, I finally achieved my lifetime goal of driving the forklift . . . not during regular hours of course, and certainly not inside the building (that would be really foolish) but I did drive it! Big new smiles at the depot and a chance to drive a forklift . . . two more reason why they’re all good days on Pender.
January 2010
Happy New Year!
Another Lantern Festival is behind us, and the Olympics lie ahead. Well O.K., none of the Olympic competitions will actually be on Pender. Did you know that we almost had two Olympic events on Pender? Had the International Olympic Committee not vetoed our offer of using Mount Norman for the downhill skiing and Oak Bluffs for the ski jumping competitions, those events would have been here. The reasons given for vetoing the Pender sites involved some nonsense about insufficient parking at the Mount Norman venue and some silly safety issues regarding the ski jump venue.
We are tough on Pender. Let the mainland have their games. We will bear no grudge. We will just carry on and deal with more important things, like plans for 2010 and how we can make the world a better place. We don’t have to start big – baby steps will do. Renewing memberships in the Pender Island Recycling Society is a fine first step. The start of a new year has traditionally been a popular time to renew PIRS memberships so we wanted to fire off this little reminder. The next time you are in the depot, any staff member will be delighted to accept your renewal.
The recycling depot has managed to survive these brutal economic times, due in no small measure to the conscientious people of this island (permanent and seasonal) who support recycling, both with their memberships and by continuing to drop off those revenue producing plastic and glass drink bottles. A big thank you to you all.
I am not a big New Year’s resolution guy but the start of a new year is probably a good time to consider doing things differently. We might try to see how many ways we can reduce plastic in our lives. We have come a long way in learning to use recyclable cloth bags instead of plastic. Are we ready now to try an alternative to the clear plastic produce bags at the supermarket? The plastic in those bags does not go away. Sooner or later it winds up in landfills or worse still, in our streams, lakes and oceans. There is an alternative, a product called Onya bags. They are washable, reusable and designed specifically for use as produce bags . . . waaay better than plastic. On Pender, these bags are available at the Medicine Beach Market and Southridge Country Store. Obviously, using an Onya bag takes a little more effort and thought. But what is a little effort when it comes to doing a small favour for Mother Nature?
On behalf of the recycling staff and board, accept our best wishes for 2010, another year full of good days on Pender.
December 2009
I checked back over the past Pender Post columns and apparently, we really did have our full quota of 12 months. Thanks to a very successful membership drive and your continued and generous recycling of cash-generating items like returnable bottles, we have managed to maintain our financial stability. We encountered deep snow, dusty wasp-filled summer days, and this fall’s rain, rain, rain. Throughout these tests, our customers have been very patient, co-operative and generous. The staff and Board of PIRS want to extend our thanks for your support.
As we head into Christmas, there are some key reminders. In addition to reminding you about the winter hours (Tues 8-3pm, Sat 10-3pm and Sun 1-4pm), please remember that the depot will be closed all day Boxing Day, Saturday, December 26. We also suggest that you think recycle when you wrap your gifts. When our children open a gift wrapped in yesterday’s newspaper (instead of non-recyclable shiny, silver-backed new Christmas paper) they will appreciate the fact that the giver cares about the future of the world they will inherit . . . not a bad Christmas message. Newspaper is not the only thoughtful, earth-friendly wrapping choice. Check out some of the clever wrapping ideas on display at the depot.
The Depot staff reports a huge upswing in shredded paper in the last month or so. Shredding paper makes sense when it comes to confidentiality and identity theft protection. However, because shredded paper is much bulkier than unshredded, we urge you to be selective about what you choose to shred. Thanks.
Please note that December marks the start of our winter membership drive. Memberships are up and each one counts, and each one helps . . . $10 (or more if you wish), money well spent!
Our terrific depot staff and the board of the Pender Island Recycling Society all wish you a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, or whatever seasonal greeting is appropriate. And, of course, we wish you a Happy New Year, one that again will remind us that they are all good days on Pender.
November 2009
“Business before pleasure, Michael.” That is what my mother used to say. Of course she was right, not a lot of fun, but right. In honour of mom, the first order of business this month is to remind you that the recycling depots’ winter hours are in effect: Tuesdays 8-3 pm, Saturdays, 10–3 pm and Sundays, 1–4 pm. The work part is done.
Andy Nowak and 20th Anniversary MC, Leslie McBain
Business done. Now can I talk about the party? The 20th anniversary PIRS celebration held in late October at the Community Hall was a great party, a great celebration. The sellout crowd consisted of ex-staff members, ex-board members, avid recyclers, special friends of the Recycling Society and Depot, representatives of the other Gulf Island recycling community, and especially, some of the key players who had the combined foresight to establish the Pender Island recycling operation in the first place.
Ted Scoles, ex PIRS President, came all the way from Winnipeg, to renew acquaintances with Max and June Allan, and to rub shoulders with others who had been there in the early days, laying the groundwork for what we enjoy today. It was great to some of the original volunteers like Peter Kearvell, master of the can crusher, whom Andy Nowak said took “early” retirement at 84!
I can’t speak for all the potluck dinner items but the ones I sampled were exceptional. The Community Hall never looked so good, thanks to the decoration committee. Many generous supporters kindly donated a variety of obviously appealing silent auction items, resulting in a competitive auction and a healthy contribution to the recycling operation. Thanks to all those who put in a ton of hours to make the evening a success. If you missed our 20th, mark 2039 on your calendar, I am sure there will be another celebration for that milestone, and more proof that they are all good days on Pender.
October 2009
The busy summer recycling season is over, so this is a good time for both reviewing and looking forward. The staff had some very busy days and wanted me to pass on their thanks to the customers. Your patience and co-operation was much appreciated.
There are still a few customers that are irked by some of the new requirements for separating recyclables . . . separation anxiety? We think that it is important that our customers understand that these requirements are not imposed by our staff or management. The need to separate materials the way we are now doing reflects what the specific requirements of the companies to whom we sell/deliver the materials that we collect. Thanks for the co-operation and understanding.
While I am on the subject of the depot operations I should remind you the Recycling Depot has now switched to our fall/winter hours: Tues 8am-3pm, Sat 10am-3pm and Sun 1pm–4pm.
Not only is another summer behind us but so too is another Fall Fair. The dinner was great as always and this year we took a more hands on approach to handling the food and non-food dinner scraps. That system worked very well and we were able to further reduce the amount of material heading to a landfill site. A big thanks to the volunteers that handled that new, and not very pleasant chore.
This is the first year that the Pender Island Recycling Society has not been involved in organizing and collecting the recyclable waste from the Fair grounds. This year Pender Island Waste Management volunteered to take over that responsibility. They did a great job, and as one recycler to another, congratulations on a job well done!
Dave Dossor’s Imagination Station was a big hit again this year . . . more young people, more sawing, more gluing, more hammering and, on Dave’s part, more appreciation for silence when it was all over. I still think that hanging out at the Imagination Station is the most fun anyone . . . adult or kid . . . can have at the Fall Fair. Every year we get a load of interesting scrap wood from Chuck Burgess and this year Andy Nowak added to the Burgess supply. Thanks for your support, guys.
We had an increase in entrees for both art from recycled material and useful items built from recycled material. Congratulations to all the participants and especially to Jungen & Brisio Cousins, winners of the Karl Hamson Recycling Trophy.
There is nothing better than a Fall Fair wrap-up to remind me that they are all good days on Pender.
September 2009
Twenty years of recycling on Pender – and we are throwing a party!
Much has changed since 1989. Buildings have been added, staff has changed from a predominantly volunteer, but dedicated group, to a fully paid and equally dedicated crew of 10. We now boast balers and compactors and forklifts that the early staff could only have imagined having on site. Twenty years of progress and dedication has paid off, and we want to take this opportunity to thank our great Pender Island “customers,” all past employees, past board members, and the many fine people who have provided such key assistance along the way.
The celebration will be at the Community Hall on Saturday, September 26. Festivities will begin at 5 p.m., and the evening, promises to have all the important ingredients - old friends, a potluck supper, cash bar, silent auction, live music, and a display of recycling memorabilia (including collectors item quality photos of the young and dashing Andy Nowak). Tickets, in limited supply, are available at the Recycling Depot for a mere $5 (children under 12, free). Mark September 26 on your calendar, and plan to join us.
This summer has been a busy one, especially with the new separation of plastics and the belt tightening, both at the depot level and with our end customers who receive our “production” by the truckload. The staff wants to pass on their huge thanks for all the co-operation and cheerful diligence that has been displayed by our customers and members. In these tough economic times we have received extraordinary customer support as evidenced by the continued inflow of refundables. That kind of support has been crucial in our battle to maintain a positive bottom line . . . thanks! Your support further underlines the fact that they are all good days on Pender.
August 2009
Psst . . . don’t look now but I think that August 22 and the Fall Fair are just around the corner. Granted, events like Christmas always arrive before I am ready, but the Fall Fair seems to be developing a similar talent.
PIRS is proud to sponsor two competitive categories, both for homemade items using recycled material . . . one category for functional items, and another for artistic items. Check out the Fall Fair catalogue for more details, including the big prize money being offered. Judging both competitions will be that intrepid recycler and arbiter of recycled creativity, Wally Foster.
Despite all the great crafts, artistic displays and the corn-on-the-cob, my favourite part of the FF is the PIRS-sponsored Imagination Station. Girls and boys, with the tips of their tongues peaking out of the corners of their mouths, determinedly whack away at a crucial nail or attempt to make the final saw cut in their prize project. It’s loud and it’s fun, and nobody has more fun than Dave Dossor and his helpers.
Right next door to the Imagination Station is the PIRS booth where we again will present a recycling quiz, with more prizes. Best of all, the good people at the PIRS booth will be delighted to sell you a PIRS membership and, of course, membership renewals are also welcomed. New and old members should note that due to the Fall Fair, the recycling depot will be operating on a reduced schedule, closing at 1 pm (instead of the usual Saturday closing time of 3 pm.)
Quotation of the day? Canadian film maker, Ian Connacher, gets my vote for, “Remember when you throw something away, there is no ‘away’,” Connacher’s film, “Addicted to Plastics” is being presented by the Pender Island Film Society on Saturday, August 1 at 7:30 p.m. at the Community Hall. The film provides an intriguing look at the path of plastics over the last 100 years . . . what we know about them, what we think we know about them, and what we were never told about them. Connacher, who spent three years making and editing this film, points out that only about 5% of plastic is ever recycled and, sooner or later, 80% of disposed plastic ends up in the ocean. His film is an eye-opener, but Connacher does attempt to provide some hopeful perspectives about our future with plastics. Mark August 1 on your calendar.
The staff has asked me to thank all you recyclers who have made a real effort to reduce your speed as you travel through the depot. Any speed at all raises a lot of dust and increases the risk of injury to staff, customers and the various pets that pop out of cars to help with the family recycling. Regretfully, some people still haven’t seized the connection between vehicle speed and danger. To those few we urge you to ease off the accelerator, for everyone’s sake.
Thanks, and remember, they are all good days on Pender.
July 2009
This month’s question month is, “How is the departure of the Lone Ranger similar to the summer operations of the Pender Island Recycling depot? “A cloud of dust and a hearty Hi Ho Silver!”
I believe that is the way the Lone Ranger used to depart at the end of each episode. If you guessed that the Lone Ranger/recylcling similarity is the cloud of dust, you win 30 minutes shopping in the free store!
Dust is a problem at this time of year so we have posted 5km/hr speed limits signs. To make it safer and more pleasant for both staff and customers, please drive very slowly through the depot. Thanks.
It has now been two months since our recyclers have been asked to separate plastic types #3 and #6 from the others. The recycling public has been very co-operative in separating plastics at the depot and we thank you. However, during that 2-month period we have collected over 30 large bags of the #3 and #6 plastics. These plastics are the bad guys, the ones that release carcinogenic toxins when melted in the recycling process. Next visit to the grocery store check any of the plastic containers you buy. If they have a #3 or #6 inside the tri-arrow recycling emblem, don’t buy - find a product packed in friendlier packaging. The environment and future generations thank you for your considerate shopping.
Part of being a grown-up is being able to be happy for others who achieve goals that you yourself had hoped to achieve. Easy to say and admirable to do but darn it, when do I get to learn to operate a forklift? The Recycling Depot is delighted to announce two more people who will learn to operate a forklift before I do. Celene Wilde and Anna Herlitz are the newest beaming faces there to greet you at the depot. Both had their first few shifts in June and we are delighted to welcome them to the staff . . . and yes, I am going to try to be very gracious, when, in the next few months, they realize my long held fork-lift ambition.
Speaking of staff changes, we also lost two long-term staff members at the end of June. Danette Stranan and Jane Harrison have turned in their steel-toed boots in favour of owning and operating the Medicine Beach Market. We, and hopefully all the many friends they made at the depot, look forward to supporting them in any way we can. Best wishes.
Finally, we need some detective work. This is the twentieth year of recycling on Pender Island and we are trying to contact all the previous Board and staff members. We have three people we cannot seem to track down. If anyone has any tips on how to contact Dianna Barnett or Brett Christensen (both ex-PIRS Board members), and ex staff member, Julie Leeson, please call the depot 629-6962.
Remember, they’re all good days on Pender.
June 2009
As I write this it does not feel summery. Have faith. Summer and warm weather will soon settle in. For the Recycling Depot that means two important changes.
Firstly, the summer brings a change in the days and hours of Depot operation. From the June 1 until September 30, the depot will be open on Fridays. In addition to adding Friday to the schedule, we have also re-jigged the hours: Tuesday 8-3pm, Friday 9-3pm, Saturday 9-3pm and Sunday 1-5pm.
The second summer change is wasps! Of course wasps are attracted to any food remaining on cans, bottles and plastic. I have already spoken to the wasps about changing their habits . . . don’t think they listened. Okay, so wasps won’t change their behavior. Our fall back solution is that we change our behavior. Pender Island recyclers already do a good job in rinsing the cans, plastic, and bottles they bring to the depot. During the warm weather months if we all take a little extra care in washing the cans, plastic and bottles it will make a difference . . . making the depot a much safer place for both customers and staff. Thanks.
Prices for recyclables remain depressed but we keep on truckin’ . . . we still have to haul truckloads of recyclables off the island. Ferry costs go up and gas and insurance costs still remain high. In order to somewhat offset our transportation costs, the depot offers a backhaul service – soil, bark, mulch, gravel etc. Please call the Depot at 629-6962 for details.
Last month one of our customers surprised us with a generous cash donation to the PIRS. When a staff member asked if there was any special reason for her generousity, she told about the “Green Angel”. Apparently our generous benefactor had firewood to be split and a friend told her to call the Green Angel. She did and the “angel” split the firewood free of charge. He enjoyed the exercise and the good feeling of helping, but he would not accept payment. When pressed, he suggested that instead, she could make a donation to a favourite charity. PIRS was the beneficiary of her decision to “play it forward.” We have since learned that the Green Angel is Dave Howe. Dave and his partner Ina Timmer, operate a tourism consulting firm, Greenangel, which specializes showing resort real estate developers how to make their operations greener and more environmentally friendly.
Aah, playing it forward, right here on Pender. Small wonder that they’re all good days on Pender.
May 2009
This month’s column . . . black rubber, some hard plastics and green paper.
My Oxford dictionary and I agree on the meaning of “tire” and of “retire” but apparently Mr. Oxford knows nothing about “detire”. Although it is not included in Oxford’s rather large and know-it-all compendium, “detire” means to remove the rubber from a wheel. Okay, so I made up “detire” but it should be a word, and May would be a good time to use it because May is Tire Month at the Recycling Depot.
Throughout May, recyclers can, at no charge, drop off up to four tires – maximum 16”, no rims. Additional tires accepted for only $2/tire . . . a heck of a bargain. If you have “detired” your car, this is your chance to rid the yard or garage of something that will not, in the next 100 years, break down into fine vegetable growing soil.
All hard plastics are not created equal. Take a look at the various plastics that enter your house. In the middle of the tri-arrow recycling symbol on each package, you will see a number from 1 to 6, each denoting a different type of plastic. There is no market for, and no recycling use for #3 and #6 plastics.
In order to be able to market our other plastics, we now are separating the #3 and # 6 plastics. We still accept them at the depot but you should know that, ultimately, they can only be incinerated or buried in a landfill. Wherever possible try avoid them at the store level. In Mid-April, the recycling depot started asking recyclers to put the #3s and #6 in separate bins. It may sound daunting at first, but Pender recyclers actually seem to be enjoying the learning and helping experience.
Finally, some very good, very “green” news. We all use writing, typing or computer paper, and wherever we can, to be environmentally responsible, we use both sides of each sheet. Now Pender Islanders have access to the finest recycled paper – Harbor 100 - at only pennies more per 500 sheets. This paper is not only made from the highest possible percentage of post-consumer paper fibres . . . like the mixed paper collected at your recycling depot . . . but also, it is produced close to Pender island (i.e. minimal imbedded transportation cost) by a “green,” employee owned, manufacturer. Several Pender businesses have agreed to use this paper and Marty Swan of the pharmacy is now bringing Harbor 100 in for resale at the Pender Island Pharmacy. Thanks Marty for making this happen. For more details about Grays Harbor Paper, check out www.ghplp.com.
Who or what is the Green Angel? In next month’s column I will talk about that and other reasons why they are all good days on Pender.
April 2009
Photo: Wally and Patty Foster's cordwood home still under construction.
Ah spring – finally. Spring is such an “up” time of year.The sun is up earlier and higher. The daffodils crocuses and tulips are up or getting up.The redwing blackbirds have come back up to Pender and are chirping away as they attempt to establish prime territories.
Lots of “up” at this time of year but in answer to questions from many of you . . . no, markets for most recycled materials are not up. In fact, at present there is no market for plastic bags or tin cans. We are therefore stock piling these items in hopes of a future recovery of these markets, at least until recyclers will accept them. The markets for other materials from our Pender recycling depot continue to be very weak. In some case we now pay to dispose of goods that we used to be able to sell. That kind of turnabout is very tough on our bottom line!
We would not want you to start putting tins and plastic in the garbage and ultimately the landfill, but we all should try and avoid or refuse these material wherever we can, and reuse them as often as possible. From a financial point of view, PIRS thanks you for your continuing financial support by way of memberships, donations and for generously bringing us you refundable items such as beer and liquor bottles, juice cartons, pop cans and water bottles . . . they are all important to us.
Speaking of thanks, I would like to thank that good crowd that joined us for our AGM in March. No doubt the presentation by Wally Foster on his unique and green house had a lot to do with the solid turnout. A big thanks you to Wally. His presentation was first rate and he fielded a ton of questions from the crowd . . . so many questions that we finally had to cut off the discussion and let Wally continue fielding questions on a one-on-one basis.
Unfortunately, in doing so, Wally did not get the opportunity to thank the many who provided volunteer labour for this building project. In addition to their very skilled family, Wally and Patty asked me to pass on their thanks to: Gord Bailey, Dave Dossor, Rob Eaton, Gino Gemma, Gordie Gorrie, Tim Groh,
Terry Hansen, Glenn Henderson, Wim Honing,
Herb Katz, Mark MacKinnon, Ron Miller,
Wayne NcNab, Doug Patterson and Mike Wiley.
As one of those volunteers, I know I can speak for the rest when I say that is was our pleasure to work with Wally, Patty and there family . . . a good example of why they are all good days on Pender.
March 2009
There are two sides to every story, but there are sixteen sides to Patty and Wally Foster’s newly completed cordwood house. The unique shape and the cordwood building system are just two factors that make the Fosters’ house an interesting story. The Pender Island Recycling Society (PIRS) will hold its Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, March 11 at 7:30 p.m. at the Pender Island Public Library, and we are delighted that Wally has agreed to be our keynote speaker. He will share some of the stories behind this unique house.
“The House that Wally Built” is an “only on Pender” story of recycling, ingenuity and perseverance . . . a thought that became a dream that became a reality. Beams, windows, walls, roofing, doors, a feature window made out of a hollowed out log, and an assortment of highly skilled and not-so-skilled volunteer labour – each has its own story. Hear Wally’s stories on March 11 at the Pender Island Public Library (see the ad on the back of this issue of the Pender Post).
The Fosters’ sixteen-sided house is one recycling story. Another important Pender Island recycling story is the current softening of markets for our recycled paper, cardboard, and scrap metal. All prices are down, and in many cases processors that used to pay us for material are now charging us to take it. This changing economic reality and how it might affect us will also be discussed at the AGM.
Mark Wednesday, March 11, 7:30 p,m. on your calendar and please join us at the Pender Island Public Library.
They are all good days on Pender. February 2009
Valentine’s Day stares me in the face and the first thing I want to talk about is the last few days of ’08 and first few of ’09. I guess that speaks volumes about the winter of ‘08/09.
Firstly, a special thanks to Glenn Grimmer - when we were knee deep in snow, he took time from his already busy day to help us get the recycling depot plowed out. Not only did Glenn find time for us but he also used remarkable skill and ingenuity just to get his equipment up the hill to the depot. Glenn found a way and the staff and customers are most appreciative. Thanks, Glenn.
Secondly, thanks all you recyclers, especially you valiant post-Christmas types who braved the elements only to find the depot too snowed in be operational. We did manage to change our telephone message, hopefully sparing some a fruitless recycle run. When we finally got plowed and shoveled out, there was a tremendous onslaught of cars, stuffed like Christmas turkeys with the remnants of Christmas packaging and over-packaging. It is hard to avoid the excess packaging at that time of year. Through all the delays, crowds, parking limitations, and cold, our fine Pender customers just carried on without complaint or hassle. Boy, did we appreciate that attitude.
Finally, a HUGE thank-you to the staff - even before the first vehicle arrived on January 4, the staff had already spent hours shoveling, scraping and chipping. Judging by the traffic count . . . 48 cars in the first hour and 81 in the first three hours . . . we can assume that our staff had no rest after their “above and beyond” pre-opening heroics. Did I mention cold? Some days were bone chilling and there were some very unhappy fingers and toes by shift’s end. Thanks for a great job, cheerfully done under trying circumstances. The depot operations were impressive in their own right but even more so when you consider the fact that so many staff members and their families were involved in keeping the Lantern Festival on track . . . relocated and re-themed, but on track. If they weren’t performing, arranging, organizing, and spotting (for stilt walkers or the gigantic orca), staff members were pulling extra hours at the depot so their fellow workers could do their Lantern Festival thing.
While we did get through that tough early ’09 period, I must mention that we are still faced with increasingly tight recycling markets. There are no changes to what we do or do not take but anything you can do to further reduce, reuse or refuse (excess packaging), would be greatly appreciated. I also promised to include a reminder in this month’s column. For those who hadn’t realized, we now take milk and juice cartons – no more unnecessary burning.
Thanks to the people the Penders, even in bad weather, they are all good days on Pender.
January 2009
As Christmas and the rest of 2008 fill the rearview mirror,we can begin to look forward to what we hope will be healthy and prosperous 2009 for us all . . .
In the last two months of 2008, the staff and board of the Pender Island Recycling Society (PIRS) started to see changes in the economic reality of recycling, and we expect those trends to persist into 2009. The markets for recycled materials are shrinking, and prices for these materials have also gone down. In some cases, where we used to receive money for our recycled products, we now have to pay – OUCH!
Despite these changes, the Depot is open for business as usual, with no changes to the materials that we can and can not take, and we still have outlets for all of the materials that we collect. The movement of recycled materials usually slows during the winter and then recovers in the spring. We are hopeful that the markets and prices will also recover somewhat by spring. Until then, it wouldn’t hurt for all of us to think twice when purchasing anything in a package. Could we buy a product with less packaging, or, if plastic packaging, could we choose plastic marked with the No. 1 or No. 2 recycling symbol? The market is stronger for these two types of plastics. In the area of packaging, the message is not a new one - REFUSE if you can, REDUCE (in this case, the amount of packaging), REUSE, and finally, RECYCLE (what's left over).
Remember that we cannot recycle shiny metallic Christmas paper or the bows and ribbon, so these items are primary candidates to be saved and reused.
The staff and board of the PIRS thank you for your friendly and enthusiastic support and participation - we all benefit. Your response to our membership drive has been really appreciated. If you haven’t renewed your membership we will be happy to take care of that item on your next trip to the depot. Due to the financial pressures mentioned earlier, memberships, donations and recycling of items such as pop bottles that we can redeem for cash, are more important than ever.
2008 was a great year. The staff and board of PIRS wish you and your families all the best for 2009 and we look forward to seeing you at the recycling depot.
They are all good days on Pender.
December 2008
Here comes Santa Claus
And with him and his trusty elves, a day or two off for our very own elves, the hard working and ever cheerful staff at Pender Island Recycling Station. The depot will be closed on Tuesday, December 25 and on Tuesday, January 1st, 2008. I'll just bet you were eager to go there on Christmas Day, weren't you? Oh, and by the way, please recall when you are sorting the Christmas debris, i.e., wrappings and packing materials, that Styrofoam, foil paper and cards with photographs are not recyclable.
It's a Wrap
On the wrapping note: if you have not already wrapped your parcels, how about using paper bags - you can decorate them with all those unsolicited stickers sent by charities - or better yet wrap in reusable cloth bags. For more ideas on wrapping with recyclable or recycled materials, have a look at what our ingenious recycling elves have used - on display at the station from now until Christmas. There are some rather nice small cardboard boxes there, too, for wrapping smaller items: homemade soaps, mittens, diamonds(?). Yours free or for a small donation.
December is the Cruelest Month
Now I know that is said of April but by April the days are longer, the nights are balmier and the wind and the rains at least here on the We(s)t Coast - are somewhat less than in the dark and gloomy month of December. "What," you say, "has that to do with recycling?" Not much really except that the staff works in the dark for the last part of the day on Sundays during the cruelest months. So please make a note that Sunday hours from October to end of April, recycling are, and effective immediately, 1:00-4:00 rather than from 2:00-5:00.
When in doubt about opening hours, consult the latest Pender Post or phone the station at 629-6962.
Happy New Year
Yes, 2008 is looming and I offer one last little nag for 2007: please renew your membership on your next visit to the station if you haven't already (Goodness, that reminds me!). We on the Board of the Pender Island Recycling Society and the staff at the station wish you and yours a happy holiday season and a wonderful 2008.
November 2008
The depot is staffed by your friends and neighbours. Dedicated recyclers for sure but the friendliest people you could imagine. Even on a dull, rainy day the staff manages to have fun and make the recycling experience fun for our “customers.” Don’t be intimidated by your lack of experience. Who knows, you could be recycling rookie of the year!
The staff, always gentle with first timers, will be delighted to show you around, explain what goes where, what becomes of the recyclables after they leave your hands, and, with great pride, they will tell you what is “on sale” at the Free Store.
One of our staff members bakes spectacularly good bread and another was a golf pro. If a staff member challenges you to a putting contest better hope it’s the bread baker!
Tips for new and old recyclers:
1. To avoid a fruitless Recycling Depot trip remember that the post summer hours and days of operation are in effect (October-May), namely
Tuesday 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Saturday 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Sunday 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
2. In the interests of customer and staff well being, please remember to clean up your recyclables before dropping them off. Dirt or food encrusted material not only attracts unwanted insects and rodents but could also act as host for a variety of germs.
3. Lots a goodies in the Free Store. Take a look and you may find just what you’ve been looking for . . . at the best possible price. Please check with staff before adding anything to the free store. Everything must be recyclable and in working order but some things are better handled on either the “give & take” board at the depot or the “give & take” segment of this website.
The Pender Island Recycling Society has four sources of funding:
a) An operating grant from the CRD which helps offset the cost of handling the many items for which there is no adequate resale market
b) A small capital grant from CRD
c) Resalable recycled items such as drink bottles, scrap metals, cardboard and paper
d) Membership sales and donations.
November is the start of our 2009 membership selling period (although we will gladly sell you a 2008 membership if you have thus far forgotten to renew). Similarly, November is a great time to make a tax deductable donation. While the new building was staff-built (under the leadership of Danette Stranan) and we have amazing technical assistance from islanders to keep some of the old equipment plodding along, we still incur new equipment costs from time to time (like $15,000 for a new hard plastic bailer this summer) so donations are always needed and appreciated.
