Local initiatives launched to reduce waste sent to landfill

Local initiatives launched to reduce waste sent to landfill

MRC Pontiac and the Municipality of Otter Lake have both launched public awareness campaigns to encourage residents to reduce the amount of waste the region is sending to landfill.

Nina Digioaccino, the MRC’s new environmental coordinator, explained that their “Less is more” campaign would involve a series of challenges over the coming months. She said that according to her calculations, the average Pontiacer produced 322 kg of waste per year, and while that’s lower than other regions in Quebec, there’s always room for improvement.

Digioaccino will be present at the MRC’s booth at the Shawville Fair this weekend with details for residents. More information on the MRC’s campaign is available here.

The Municipality of Otter Lake has also introduced its own public awareness campaign, to inform residents about what materials they accept in the various streams at their municipal transfer site.

Jennifer Quaile, a councillor and the municipality’s representative on the MRC’s waste management committee, said that they had been handing out educational brochures at the transfer site and distributing free household compost bins in an effort to divert organic waste from being sent to landfill.

She added that they would be mandating residents use clear garbage bags next year, which would allow transfer site employees to see what residents were throwing out and inform them of anything that could be diverted. She said that it’s a strategy that’s been implemented in other jurisdictions with promising results.