The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Flin Flonners salvaged more paper, soda cans and other recyclables in 2003 than ever before. The record-breaking year saw the Flin Flon Recycling Centre process 337 tonnes of material, a 13 per cent increase over the previous record year of 2002. "Regardless of how things go, we are going to continue to strive to increase our tonnage," said administrator Doreen Murray. Murray estimated that about three-quarters of the increase came from cardboard collected through the growing business pick-up program. She believes the remainder came from the residential curbside pick-up program of recyclables, which began last February. The administrator praised her staff for their work to boost the amount of recycling in the community. "They take such pride in what they're doing," she said. "We have to appreciate the effort that has gone into the recycling program. It's a great way to make a positive difference for our world." Despite the record-breaking year, Murray has some concerns about Flin Flon's recycling program, which is run by the Flin Flon and District Environment Council. For one, less than one-third of people using the curbside pick-up program have paid the voluntary annual fee of $25 Ñ or barely over $2 a month. That's despite an extensive awareness campaign that has included brochures and media interviews. See 'Stressing' P.# Con't from P.# "It's my hope that by continually talking about recycling and stressing the importance of it and what it does for our environment, people will agree and say, 'This is something we can do, and for $2 a month, why not?'" Because of the underwhelming number of people who have paid, the curbside program is operating at a deficit. "What we may have to do is reduce the service, to some degree, or perhaps just provide it to those districts which are very much in support of it," said Murray. "The possibility is there that we may have to drop it altogether. It's not a choice of ours; it's dictated by economics." The curbside program continues to grow, particularly in the northeastern portion of the community, from the beginning of Green Street down to Highway 10A. Between 400 and 450 people put out their recyclables for pick-up each week. Murray is also understandably concerned that the Flin Flon Recycling Centre as a whole is showing red ink. She believes this is largely due to the curbside program and the fact that prices for recyclables are historically low. "For us being a non-profit organization, any deficit is large," she said. "We shouldn't be running a deficit. We should be breaking even." But out of such situations can come optimism. That's the case for Murray, who expressed hope that once the Flin Flon and District Environment Council starts operating the Flin Flon Municipal Landfill on February 1, the recycling program will be more self-sufficient. Workers will remove recyclables from unbagged garbage and send it to the recycling centre for processing and shipping.
