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CD'GreenCart recycling bags causing residents confusion Somne aren't accepted by Halton as cart liners By Tim Foran CANADIAN CHAMPION STAFF Some green bags made by Glad aren't 2 green enougb for Halîon Region, leaving asorte local residents' kitcben scraps uncol- «lecîed aI tbe curb. w Rob Rivers, Haltons director of waste Smanagement, saad the Region intends 10 Smeeî witb Glad in coming weeks 10 discuss Sconfusion emanating from the companys plastic Recycling green bags for kitchen organies wbicb, despite the namne and the facî tbey're sold in the communily, aren't accepted as carl liners for tbe Regions organ- tc recycling GreenCarî program. Milton residenî Brett Emerson was one of tbose confused by tbe name and design wben be bougbî the product recentlv ai a Milton store. "You don't notice the fine print staîing onîx foi regions îbaî accept plastic, bc explainec lfoi 1wu conflusion. Halton, lîke many other municîpalities includang Hamilton, only allows the use of composîable bags cerîified wiîb a logo fromt the Biodegradable Producîs Institute (BPI). Glad's Compostable/Biodegradable bags fit thaî bill and can be used as carl liners in Halton and îbey are also sold în Halton stores. Unfortunately. packaging for the Iwo The bags on the left are the ones flot accepted in the Halton Region GreenCart program. Giad producîs as similar and residenas gel confused, saad Rivers. A Regional website showing acceptable GreenCarî laners notes the difference in îbe îwo prodaîcîs ers.bîmi) as well as sbowing wbacb liners by other companies are aiso acceptable. Glad couldn't be reacbed for comment. Eacb week, only a very small percentage of the green carts are iefî uncollecîed by Halton's contactor - about 12 from a possi- ble 30,000 bomes - but one of the main reasons is the inclusion of an unacceptable carl liner, said Rivers. Rivers said be hopes Glad migbî cbange tbe colour coding of the packaging on ils îwo produets to belp Halton residents pick out the compostable bags îbey need for their carIs. Tlîc Rcgion rnighi ,îls, placc 1,ibcl' ni sîgns in stores aI thc point o! purchase reminding residents 10, look for the BPI logo wben îbey boy carl liners, be added. He said stores bave told îbe Region they wanl 10 continue tu carry tbe non-com- postable bags because îbey continue 10 seIl. The plastic bags also can be used an oîber jurisdicîions' organie recycling programs. Unlike Haiton, Toronto accepts plastic r-4 ViMTUe @ TUNE GIM(CL'SO"WnéSAE bags as well as diapers in ots green bin pro- gram. Ravers said bus department somelimcs gets cails fromt residents wondering wby Torontonians can place diapers and plastic bags in their green bans but ils flot allowed in Halton. lI think over lime ils (been) kînd of iden- îified that thesc (plastic) producas become problematic in the (composting) process and if's îaken away some of tbe credibiliîy of tbe program," Rivers explained for the Regions decision. Tbe Region also maîntaîns keeping plas- tic, diapers, sanilary producîs and pet wasîe out of tbe GreenCart resulîs in a bigher quai- ity compost. Ravers said 95 per cent ol the contents fromt Haltons GreenCarts are composted ai a City of Hamilton faciliîy and reused in gar- dening and landscaping projecîs, wiîb fave per cent rejected ai the compost faciliîv and sent te, tbe Regions landfiil as resîdual wasîe. Tbe Region said il diverîed more than 18,000 tonnes of organic matenial from the landfill in 2008 followving the launcb of the prograin în April. Thîri figure iancIs ai 16,000 tonnes lor tic liit ~ ses cn inonibs oi thas year. The Provinces Minislry of the Envaronmenl saicl its curîently looking ai ways t0 amprove and standardîze oîganic composling programs as part of ils ongoîng review of tbe Wasac Diversion Act. Tirn Foi-an can be reaclîcc ai tfoi-atiaî@ail- toncaatadiancîampionx.onai.