Norfolk County is celebrating three decades of recycling while marking Waste Reduction Week.
The recycling program has had its fair share of changes since it first began in 1990.
At that time, residents were asked to sort their material into six different streams, while the collection driver also sorted material curbside before putting recyclables into the truck.
Plastic containers and packaging were minimal in 1990, with recycling boxes mainly containing glass, aluminum, and paper.
In 1994, the Region of Haldimand-Norfolk opened its own Material Recovery Facility (MRF) on Grigg Drive in Simcoe. This facility sorts, processes, and bales recyclables to be sold to end markets to produce new recycled products and is still operational today.
As technology at the MRF improved and materials changed to mainly plastic, the County had to adapt its sorting system. In 2011, Norfolk switched to the current two-sort system with tall and small boxes, meaning less sorting at the curb.
Earlier in 2020, the Recycle Coach mobile app was launched to give residents instant access to their area’s collection schedule, personalized reminders and key event dates (such as bulky item pick-up). There is also a powerful search engine that provides information on the proper sorting of waste and recycling.
For more visit norfolkcounty.ca/waste.
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RECYCLING FAST FACTS
- In 1992, the 2 millionth blue box for Ontario was delivered in Haldimand-Norfolk.
- Early material mainly consisted of cardboard, boxboard, glass, metal and aluminum. 2 L bottle bottles, jugs and margarine containers comprised the small amount of plastic that was in the blue box at the time. (Look at your recycling box today and its mainly plastic materials).
- In 1994, the province required municipalities with a population of at least 5,000 residents to have a blue box system accepting mandatory materials of aluminum containers, glass containers, newsprint, PET plastic bottles and steel containers.
- On October 17, 1994, the Region of Haldimand-Norfolk opened its Material Recovery Facility (MRF) to sort, process, and bale recyclables for end markets. The facility is still operational today on Grigg Drive in Simcoe.
- In 2000, Norfolk County switched to black boxes from blue boxes for recycling as the recycling boxes are made of 100% recycled plastic.
- In the 2000s packaging started to become lighter and relied more on plastic than glass. Further into the 2000s and into the 2010s the amount of paper and magazines was greatly reduced.
- In 2011, Norfolk County switched to the two-sort system with tall and small boxes. Less sorting at the curb, more sorting at the MRF as technology and mechanization allowed for greater sorting at the MRF.
- Recyclables are becoming lighter and fluffier, made of different types of plastic.
- December 2019, Norfolk County stops collecting recycling in plastic bags.
- April 2020, Recycle Coach mobile app launched.
