Welcome to Clean Calgary's E-Newsletter. You are receiving this because you indicated interest in receiving up to date environmental information and tips concerning Calgary and urban environmental issues.
In this issue:
Construction Waste Has Its Place
Household waste is an obvious concern to Calgarians, as it affects them directly, and recycling efforts are underway in the City. But there are other sources of waste generated in Calgary that are less obvious to the general public, but just as problematic in the landfill that need to be addressed as well.
The construction and demolition (C&D) sector constitutes approximately 20% of the waste going to City of Calgary landfills. With the recent boom in Calgary’s construction industry, this is a growing concern. City Council has approved efforts to address C&D waste management which aligns with the City’s goal of diverting and recycling 80% of the total waste stream by year 2020.
Over the past few months a group of engaged stakeholders have been working to develop a strategy for diverting C&D waste from landfill. The stakeholders, referred to as ‘the Core Team’, include representatives from companies or groups who are waste producers, recyclers, landfill owners/operators, associations, consultants and the municipal and provincial government. The Core Team represents high level knowledge, expertise, and experience in the various aspects of C&D waste management. Clean Calgary Association is one member of the Core Team representing non-profit organizations and recyclers.
The strategy was developed with collaboration of the group to ensure the suggested strategies were suitable solutions for all parties involved, taking several barriers, challenges and concerns into consideration. Issues regarding sorting, economics, logistics, markets, education and leadership were discussed at length and incorporated into the strategy. This fall a report will be sent to City Council that summarizes the proposed strategy from the Core Team, including a series of recommendations for implementation and proposed pilot projects.
If you or your company is planning a construction or demolition project and would like some information on green building or recycling options, please free to contact the Calgary Materials Exchange program with Clean Calgary Association www.cmex.ca
Ask Ashley - Is Paper Recycling Toxic?
Q:
Hello,
Could you send some information regarding the processes involved in recycling paper? We were having a discussion and were wondering if the processes used to create recycled paper were more toxic than those used to create new paper?
Kim
A:
Hello Kim,
It would seem that your query is referring to the common myth that states something along the lines of: “recycling is more harmful than just throwing it away and buying new, virgin products.” Rest assured recycling is not a futile exercise and this, by all means, extends to paper. In fact, paper made from recycled material is less toxic than paper made from virgin paper. Let me explain.
Paper made from virgin sources requires an immense amount of bleaching to remove “lignin”, the natural glue in cellulose plants that yellows the paper if it is not removed. This is typically done with chlorine or chlorine containing compounds, which may combine with organic compounds under certain conditions to produce organocarbons, including the toxic pollutant dioxin. The inks and dyes used to make paper products also add to the toxic mix, which of course has to be dealt with when the paper is recycled.
Recycling paper, much like other manufacturing and remanufacturing processes, is not an entirely clean process. Although some paper is recycled with the inks left in place, giving the paper a grayish colouring, much of it is processed in such a way that the ink is removed to achieve a greater whiteness. “De-inking”, which is the process of taking ink out of paper, creates a sludge containing dyes, clays, inks and in some cases, PCBs, dioxins, solvents and toxic metals. It should be noted that most of these toxins are not from the de-inking itself but, rather, created during the printing and bleaching processes when that paper was originally made and inked. As a benefit, the de-inking process actually concentrates these materials so that they can be isolated and treated as hazardous waste. If ink-laden materials go to the landfill they become part of the leachate that oozes out of landfill and can pose a threat to the groundwater.
All and all, paper made from recycled content uses roughly 55% less water and 60-70% less energy than making paper from virgin pulp. The benefits of purchasing recycled paper can be further increased if an effort is made to buy those that are processed chlorine free (PCF). PCF papers, which are accredited by the Chlorine Free Products Association (CFPA), have not been rebleached with chlorine containing compounds and contain a minimum of 30% post-consumer recycled content, thereby reducing the overall toxicity of the papermaking process.
As for the inks, use or request soy-based inks to reduce the toxic hazards associated with the printing process, as they are much less toxic. This also has the benefit of reducing the de-inking mess when the paper goes to be recycled.
If these reasons aren’t enough to change your mind about the value of recycled paper, consider that while Canada’s beleaguered forestry sector has seen dozens of mill and plant closures in the past few years, the recycling sector has seen steady growth. It seems that these environmental and energy savings have led the paper industry to invest in building more and more recycling mills to recycle ever more millions of tons of paper each year.
De-inkly,
Ashley
Ashley Lubyk, BSC in Environmental Science, is a Calgary Materials Exchange Program Assistant at Clean Calgary Association.
Please send your question concerning Water, Waste, or Recycling to Ashley Lubyk
The EcoStore Now Has Dish Detergent!
 
The Automatic Dishwashing Gel comes in a 45oz. container for $7.50, and the Natural Dish Liquid is 48oz. for $8.50. And as usual all CCA Members receive a 10% discount!!
EcoStore – 809 4th Ave SW – 230.1443 ext. 222.
We are open Wed, Fri and Sat 10am – 4pm and Thu 10am – 7pm.
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