Page 32 - Journal le Suroît 11 août 2017

Environnement
Recycling

WHERE DO THE CONTENTS OF OUR BINS GO?

Denise St-Germain Standing on each side of the conveyor belt
Volunteer Correspondent are sorting agents. With trained eyes and
for the Haut-Saint-Laurent quick hands they sort plastic, cardboard and
other materials and place them in various
We are at the sorting centre in containers nearby. Around 7–8% of all
Châteauguay, with Émilie Escafit, the Waste material that appear on the conveyor belt is
Management Coordinator with the not recyclable and is sent to landfill.
Haut-Saint-Laurent MRC, and three citizens,
who are all interested in learning what “Anything that does not look like a
happens to the contents of our recycling bins. container is garbage to us,” says the Director
of the sorting centre, who advises all to be
At least 200 tonnes of recyclable materials sure to rinse containers lightly before putting
are delivered daily to the plant by trucks from them in their bins. “Our main problem at the
surrounding municipalities. A man with a sorting centre is food contaminating
tractor is busy scaling a mountain of paper, containers. It helps us a lot when people rinse
cardboard and plastic. These materials will them before putting them in their bins.”
later be found on a long conveyor belt. Glass
and metal are the only materials to be Grouping all plastic bags is also a good
automatically sorted by a machine, as the idea, although it is necessary to refrain from
vast majority of recyclables can be knotting the bag. Waxed paper, polystyrene
hand-picked. About fifty people are assigned and other Styrofoam are not recyclable, nor
to sorting and work on rotation to facilitate are plastic labelled #6, or those that are so
their task. The conveyor belt does not seem to thin they crinkle when crumpled. Packaging
stop, and on it you will find everything made from different materials is also not
deposited in bins, just a little more jumbled, recyclable. Metal containers, like trays and
crushed, or dirtied. small containers, are recyclable. “But, the
engines are not,” laughs the Director.

Since there was no sorting done at the
source, the paper recovered is considered sec-
ond quality. It will be bundled and shipped to
China as it is refused by our paper mills.
However, there is a good local market for
plastics, cardboard, glass and metal, which are
processed to be used in the composition of
flower boxes, insulating materials, asphalt,
tools, etc.
syringes should never be discarded in recy-
We should all take the time to recycle cling bins. Finally, one other gesture that will
more and better. We should also be concerned simplify the work of the sorters: empty out
about the health of the sorters. For their safe- the PubliSac and recycle the contents sepa-
ty, it is important to remember diapers and rately. n
August 11, 2017 AN APPLE PACKING LINE CHÂTEAUGUAY VALLEY
JOB OFFER

FORKLIFT OPERATOR ON
ANTIQUE ASSOCIATION
The Southwest News Driving skills on equipment needed ANNUAL EXHIBITION
Salary to be discussed
nd
32
Contact Audrée or
Daniel at (450)826-4222 or
AUGUST 26-27, 2017
audree.boileau@gmail.com
Former Rennie Museum

- Vergers DM Boileau inc. 1743, 1st Concession, Rockburn
Page 32 et fils (2006) inc. www.cvantiqueassocation.com
Info: (450) 829-3962