Flin Flon has something to celebrate this Earth Day: its quality recycling program.
It’s hard to imagine a time when the Flin Flon’s recycling program consisted of just a trailer and a group of dedicated volunteers, and harder still to consider that the Flin Flon and District Environment Council (FFDEC) struggled for a time.
Today, the FFDEC has a recycling centre, a contract to run the landfill, an option for curbside pickup of recyclable materials, and a hazardous waste depot that accepts everything from paint to household cleaners – anything that has a toxic symbol on the packaging. Pretty impressive for a program that serves a tiny northern town and its neighbours.
It seems to be full steam ahead for the program, which has seen an increase in materials processed this year over the same time in 2017. The recent purchase and implementation of a new baler means the operation runs more efficiently, and will face less of a hiccup if its other baler fails.
Over its 25-year lifespan, the Flin Flon Recycling Centre has had four different locations and faced challenges including the fluctuating price of commodities, static funding in the face of increased demand, and the implementation and loss of general business pickups.
Still, time and time again, sometimes in the face of the program shutting down entirely, the people of Flin Flon and the surrounding area have said, loud and clear, they value the ability to recycle.
Perhaps the success of the program is due, in part, to community volunteers and folks who have stuck it out over the long haul. Deb Odegaard, currently the administrator of the Flin Flon Recycling Centre, has been with the FFDEC since its inception. Her commitment to and passion for the program is apparent when she talks about it, and the bookshelf packed with books in her office at the centre is a testament to her belief that reusing, first and foremost, is best. The knowledge she has acquired over more than two decades in the business no doubt helps keep the operation in top shape. It also gives her the ability to educate, educate, educate, something she is happy to do, and something that has been successful for the program.
But it’s the local residents and businesses that make use of the program that ultimately keeps it going. For many, recycling is more than a thoughtful act toward the future of the environment here or there. It’s a way of life, part of a daily routine, almost second nature.
This Sunday, April 22 is Earth Day. The theme for 2018 is ending plastic pollution - something recycling can play a key part in.
Show the recycling centre some love this Earth Day - stop by during their open house. You might be inspired or learn something new.
