Some Do Not Know What to do with Unusual Waste

Canada has been in the news a lot lately in regards to recycling electronic waste. There have been questions from places other than Toronto, however. The City of Ottawa has been addressing issues of another sort, such as where a resident can dispose of old tires, paint cans, and car batteries. While many facilities are equipped to accept simple recycling jobs, not many can handle the big or unusual requests.

The City of Ottawa has addressed that problem with the Take It Back! Programme. The scheme includes 540 partners who will “take back” over 100 products - including everything from planting containers to antifreeze bottles. Partners and locations are listed at www.ottawa.ca/takeitback. Directories are available at City Hall, Client Service Centres, community centres, libraries, and some retail shoppes. There may be a small charge depending on the item, so residents are urged to call ahead.

One difficult group of items to recycle is automotive-related waste. Take It Back! supplies would-be recyclers with tons of information and locations that are able to accept old parts and fluids.

The site lists 100 service stations, auto dealerships and quick-lube locations that take used or unused motor oil, including the containers. As with the other materials, call ahead and ask of there is a recycling fee. Some companies charge .50 a litre. Everyone knows the kind of damage oil spills can cause - think Exxon Valdez.

Other resources offering information include www.planetfriendly.net, whose Sustainable Living Links sports a list of “all things environmental”. They also offer recycling tips.