Celebrating Recycling Achievements

Environment Week in Nova Scotia is a perfect opportunity to reflect on our accomplishments. Nova Scotia businesses are experiencing real success from recognizing our waste as a resource. These new opportunities give Nova Scotians an excellent reason to celebrate.

The recycling of items like tins cans, bottles and newsprint has contributed to the growth of more than 3,000 jobs in the province’s waste-resource management sector over the past five years. The new economic and employment opportunities created include:

• Novapet Inc. of Amherst is manufacturing carpet and clothing from plastic pop bottles.
• Thermo-Cell in Debert manufactures cellulose insulation from old newspapers.
• USG in Port Hawksbury uses newsprint to manufacture Fibrerock, a wallboard.
• Minas Basin Pulp and Power manufacturers liner board from old corrugated cardboard.
• CKF Inc. in Hantsport uses old newspapers to make new paper products like cup holders and egg cartons.

These new companies are made possible by the fact that Nova Scotians have made recycling a daily habit. Residents have embraced the curbside recycling or "blue bag" program, which is 100 percent accessible across the province.

The world is looking up to Nova Scotia as a recycling leader. Thanks to the joint effort of Enviro-Depots, municipalities, and all Nova Scotians, our province is the only one in Canada to achieve the goal of 50 percent waste diversion last year.

Now that the Province has built up such a strong momentum, success stories like these are sure to increase. In fact, our successes have attracted the attention of visitors from around the world. Waste experts from Hong Kong, New Zealand, Ireland and Russia have visited our waste management facilities to learn from our waste management strategies. Our accomplishments have also been publicized in the May/June 2001 issue of Canadian Geographic magazine and on CNN.

For information on the recycling program in your area, contact your local municipality. For more information on the benefits of recycling contact the Department of Environment and Labour at 902-424-2388.