Magazine Highlights Recycling Success

Noted Canadian writer Silver Donald Cameron has highlighted Nova Scotia’s recycling success in an article published in the current issue of Canadian Geographic magazine.

The four-page article, entitled Trash Action, recounts the efforts of activists, municipalities, politicians and Nova Scotians in turning the province “into the Canadian champion of waste reduction,” writes Mr. Cameron.

“Nova Scotia has suddenly become famous for its environmental achievements,” Mr. Cameron writes. “Twelve years ago, Canada’s provinces set a goal of “50 percent by 2000 -- eliminating, by the year 2000, half the amount of solid waste sent to nation’s dumps and incinerators.

“Nova Scotia has done it. No other province has even come close.”

The article includes some criticism as well. While Barry Friesen, the province’s solid-waste resource manager, says every system has its critics, waste specialists from Hong Kong, New Zealand, Ireland and Russians have already visited and have been impressed with what they see. He adds that virtually every province in Canada has gotten wind of Nova Scotia’s reputation and has visited many of its facilities.

Mr. Friesen leads many of these tours. He said experts come here to learn about the ins and outs of our waste management systems -

• and, of course, that gets them into discussions about what is good and bad.

“When these waste experts come from around the world, they want to know what works and what needs improving. We show them everything,” said Mr. Friesen.

The province is expecting more attention next year. The Composting Council of Canada has chosen Halifax as the site of its national convention next year. It is the first time the conference will be held in Atlantic Canada.

To learn more about the article, the magazine’s Web address is http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/ . The magazine has more than 200,000 paid subscribers.