Editor’s note: This letter is addressed to Ontario Premier Doug Ford.
We don’t want your garbage!
There are other ways to deal with municipal garbage. In Sweden, just one per cent of garbage goes to landfill. This is common practice in Scandinavian countries.
If you do some research, you will find that Sweden actually makes money on their recycling program.
The garbage is collected and taken to a sort facility. There, it is gone through, removing the glass, metals, plastics and papers. These are directly recycled.
The remainder goes down the line to a digester where it breaks down into methane and compost. Anything remaining then goes to landfill.
The compost is sold, the methane is used to heat the facility and any leftover is also sold. (Check out the test digester at the University of Guelph Ridgetown Campus.)
Why can’t we do this? Because the governing parties want the fast, easy way out by shipping the Province of Toronto’s garbage to southwestern Ontario. Your stand is once it’s on its way, it’s no longer your problem!
All that needs to be done is legislation that mandatory participation for all in this program, with a startup date no later than five years down the road.
Incentives would be created to find new uses for recycled goods. Not just for Toronto, but for the entire province. Communities could band together and build mega plants to service their areas
Doug, lets talk about the benefits. You will be removing many fleets of garbage scows that pollute the air. Fewer trucks on our roads means the roads last longer. Less wasted prime southwestern lands saved. Less eyesores dotting the landscape. And you are creating jobs. You come out a hero to all!
Bruce Thompson
Chatham-Kent
