We are also ‘lucky’ in BC to have comparatively low electricity costs, unlucky in that we lack the incentives to change to green energy.  Solar panel installation  (photovoltaic) costs are high and are only cost effective in remote locations in BC.  However, solar thermal (passivehot water collection) gives a decent return, especially if used in the summer only, which is a consideration in a city like Victoria where winter means cloud cover.  This system is explained simply (for those of us without an engineering degree) on the BCSEA BC Sustainable Energy Association website.

A company in the UK has invented an autoclave system that takes all  household waste (including black bin bags) and turns the organic waste into biomass for compost or fuel and at the same time retrieves, sorts and steam cleans inorganic waste for recycling.  The biomass fibre powers their plant as green energy.  Could be one of the solutions we need.

Oceans Day Society hosted a blue jean event here in Victoria, to raise environmental awareness - blue jean art using 1,500 pairs of recycled blue jeans.  My question to the organizers is what happens to those jeans after the event?  Recycle2shop can upcycle every last pair into loved objects that extends blue jean life indefinitely (well, until the denim completely wears out at which point the shredded material can be composted with the zippers and metal buttons going straight to metal recycling).

In the meantime, Ontario is using law-making to change tire disposal to tire recycling.  At the moment 50% of scrap tires are shipped as fuel in cement making kilns or to the US power plants.  This new legislation means tires will have an end use - upcycling instead of burning.  Ontario processors are increasing capacity to cope with the increase in tire recycling .  Another example of Zero Waste adding to the economy of Canada.  Other provinces take note, especially those with Premiers (B.C. for instance) who talk the green talk but not the walk.

Which brings me to the Earth Day walk on Saturday starting at 12noon, or thereabouts, at the Parliament building in Victoria and ends at Centennial Square were we will all be celebrating our love of this planet.

Grolsch Goblet

LetsRecycle reports that the cost of exporting UK recyclates to Asia has increased due to increased shipping container charges.  The West’s dependence on Third World imports of our waste material is destructive on so many levels.  Canada needs to adopt Zero Waste, which is about making recycling profitable, providing jobs and opportunities here…instead of dumping ‘over there’.

Recycle2shop.com encourages Canadian artists, craftspeople and entrepreneurs (social and other) to use recyclates (waste material) to make new products…known as ‘upcycling’ .  This closes the recycling loop -  keeping our waste in Canada, as well as the profits made from waste upcycling.

The Recycling Council of British Columbia is hosting May 25 weekend in Whistler, BC for all waste management professionals.  This means that local government officials/officers will hear speakers talking about  ’Zero Waste and Closed Loop Recycling” as the targets for producers as well as tax funded waste systems.

Gwynne Dyer and his words of wisdom: On a different but related topic I found a video of Gwynne Dyer on Transition Towns website  this is for those of us who missed his visit.

Victoria, BC and the CRD (Capital Regional District) are gradually leading us toward curbside collection of green waste.  We are running out of room for landfill, (after all we are an island) and landfill leachate contaminates our water supply…see the latest studies at the CRD website.

Ontario cities are taking lessons learned from Europe and building (since 2003) successful solid waste recycling programs.  Solid Waste & Recycling Magazine has some fascinating (remember, the nerd enthusiasm is at work here) videos.

So hurry up Victoria and get on board.