Kindersley is encouraged to think about the three R’s – Reuse, Recycle, Repurpose
Since 2012, Saskatchewan has been a part of the “reduce, reuse, recycle” movement that swept across Canada. Officially known as Waste Reduction Week, the dates of October 16 – 22 are dedicated to educating and encouraging the public to reduce wastage by reusing and recycling articles. Too often this subject is met with little more than suppressed yawns and bored looks. This week, however, new programs give Kindersley residents a chance to take pride in reducing the amount of waste they produce.
“This week is all about shifting people’s focus from just throwing items away to looking at an item and brainstorming ways to creatively use it,” stated Kim Vogel, Kindersley’s Director of Transportation and Environmental Services, in a recent interview.
Vogel went on to list ways the Town of Kindersley is promoting waste reduction week, including the creation of a Facebook event page, called “Freecycle and 3 R’s Contest”. This page will support various facts about reducing waste as well as two activities for people in the Kindersley area. One activity is a free-cycle outlet for users to post items they would like to give away, and the other is a contest called the “Three Rs Contest”. Contestants post before and after photos of items they have repurposed, reused or recycled in a creative manner. The photo that gains the most likes will be awarded a $500 gift certificate from Kindersley Castle Building Centre towards supplies for the winner’s next repurposing project.
“This is meant as a kick-start to get people’s creativity flowing,” said Wayne Gibson, Manager of Communications for the Town of Kindersley. “Hopefully, this can grow into a year-long effort, not just during this one week.”
“The more we can reuse, repurpose, and recycle items, we not only help the environment but also help to reduce costs for running the landfill and so conserve tax-payers dollars—essentially it is a win for all;” agreed Vogel. She noted that social media platforms such as Pinterest could be a source of inspiration to help citizens see the potential in items they would normally consider waste.
– Mallorie Rast/Kindersley Social
Facebook and Twitter (#wastereductionweek) aren’t the only social media outlets the town hopes to utilize, as the Kindersley Youth Committee created a Geofilter for Snapchat users. “It’s important for the youth to be aware of the week and become motivated to join in,” stated Vogel. For those who are not on social media, the local radio will also allow residents to post their freecycle items on its classifieds during the week.
– Mallorie Rast/Kindersley Social
After the week is over, citizens are encouraged to continue using the curbside recycle pick up and visit the local SARCAN. “Right now our schedule has waste pick up every week and recycle pick up every other week, ideally, we would like to see that switch,” said Vogel.
For those not sure how to get started in reducing the amount of household waste, visit wrwcanada.com; www.greenopedia.com/plastic-recycling-codes; or wm.com/thinkgreen/what-can-i-recycle.jsp for more information.
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