The 10 commandments of the #BlueBinPro

Quebec has been “put on pause”, our habits have been upset and will be transformed going forward, but the fight against climate change must continue.

Luckily, even in times of crisis, your blue bin stays as green as ever. Accessible and efficient, it helps you do something positive for the environment every single day.

On this Earth Day, here are 10 commandments to help you become a real #BlueBinPro:

1 – Use thy blue bin

Placing recyclables in your blue recycling bin means they won’t end up in the landfill. Thanks to your effort, recyclables will take on a new life, which will avoid the extraction, manufacturing and transportation of virgin materials.

2- Reduce thy consumption

With the confinement, materials recovery facilities have noted an increase of 10 to 20% in recyclables they receive. And Quebecers have all become great chefs in the interim! (Thanks, Ricardo!)  To help you rethink your consumption, check out these helpful tips (in French) from our colleagues at RECYC-QUÉBEC.

3- Thou shall not bin your pool liner

Although they’re made of plastic, your old pool liners just don’t belong in the bin! They hinder the sorting process and can jam up machinery. Wait until the confinement measures are lifted, and head over to your local eco-centre.

4- Recover thy foil BBQ grilling envelopes

The barbecue season is gradually upon us, and everybody loves tasty grilled vegetables. Even better when you cook them in an aluminium foil envelope, which can be reused indefinitely! All you need to do is rinse them out – MRF sorters will appreciate it –  before placing them in the bin. That way, your summer feast will be a part of the circular economy for recyclables, too!

5- Thou shall not put just anything in thy big recycling bin

Do you live in a condo and share a huge recycling bin with neighbours? That doesn’t mean you can put just anything in it. A mattress, for example, does not belong in a recycling bin, but it’ll get a new life if you drop it off at an eco-centre. If we bring it up, it’s because we’ve seen it!

6- Take apart thy school notebooks

School will be out a lot earlier this year. Use the opportunity to separate the metal spirals from your paper notebooks. Besides, with the confinement still on, it’s not like you’ve got a whole lot else to do!

7- Repair thy garden hose

Do you end up soaked every time you water the yard? Maybe your hose has got holes Go ahead and repair it or, if you’re not that handy, bring it over to an eco-centre. Even if they haven’t reopened yet, it’s better to wait than to put it in the bin. They can really do a number on MRF machinery!

8- Rinse out the packaging and containers

Never forget that your bin’s contents are sorted by humans, so by the time your empty yogurt container gets to the sorting centre, whatever was left in it might have changed colours. Yummy, right? You don’t have to deep-clean your packaging and containers, but showing respect for the sorters means rinsing the items out well before placing them in the bin.

9- Believe!… in curbside recycling

Recovering at home is the first step in the recycling process. After that, an important sorting step is carried out in Quebec’s 23 MRFs, and 82% of the sorted materials are sent along be recycled. For the remaining 18%, measures are in place. For example, the action committee for the modernization of recovery and recycling has been set up by the Minister of the Environment and the Fight Against Climate Change. ÉEQ is proud to contribute to that committee in order to transform our curbside recycling into a strong and prosperous circular economy model!

10 – Thou shall respect thy bin

Can anyone say they’ve never wondered about where to place their residual waste? Trash, compost or recycling? That’s the big question! When in doubt, take a moment to check the Ça va où? tool (french only) from RECYC-QUÉBEC (in French) to find out where it goes. Do it for the hundreds of MRF sorters who work hard to keep this essential service going. Rinse out packaging and containers and never ever place masks, gloves, tissues, diapers or disinfecting wipes in your bin.