Spaghetti dinners and bowling balls: the weird things ending up in Winnipeg recycling bins
All sorts of items that can't be recycled are ending up in blue bins in Winnipeg – things like an entire spaghetti dinner or a bowling ball. It’s a problem the city hopes will stop soon.
Winnipeg resident Owen is careful with every item he drops in his recycling bin.
"You can put in a plastic bottle, but don't leave water in it or liquid in it. Empty it out. Just follow the instructions," he said.
But it seems some Winnipeggers are having a bit of difficulty following the city's recycling guidelines.
At the City of Winnipeg's recycling plant, there is 49,000 metric tonnes of material processed each year. But a percentage of the stuff arriving at the plant shouldn't be.
"We do deal with a bit of contamination, which is items that are not acceptable within our program," said Mark Kinsley, the superintendent of waste diversion at the City of Winnipeg.
Those unacceptable items include a lot of things you might expect - plastic bags, Styrofoam, disposable coffee cups and foil takeout containers.
"So we're always encouraging people to get knowledgeable, get educated with the acceptable list in Winnipeg," Kinsley said.
People shouldn't need any education to know that items like tires, bowling balls, and pizzas aren't supposed to be recycled, but all of these items have been thrown in blue boxes.
"Finish the pizza, and then recycle your box," Kinsley said.
He said in 2019, as many as 4,000 dirty diapers were arriving at the recycling depot each week.
Today, that number has dropped significantly. It is down to about 500 a week on average.
"It's still up there because even one's too much," Kinsley said.
Owen believes, in order to reduce those numbers even further, one thing is critical.
"I guess it's education, education, education," he said.
The city has a full list of what you can and can't recycle on its website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.