Recycling Breakdown

Nowadays, it is more important than ever to help our planet by following the 3Rs: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. However, the process can sometimes feel daunting: which materials are recyclable and which aren’t, how can one reuse or compost certain waste, etc. It’s actually not as hard as it looks, and divine.ca is here to help clear things up a bit.

Did you know?
- According to Statistics Canada, the average Canadian recycled 112 kg in 2004, which is 58% more than in the year 2000.
- However, the average Canadian produced 418 kg of residential waste in 2004, which is 14% more than in the year 2000.
- In 2006, 93% of all Canadian homes had access to at least one recycling program.
- According to Environment Canada, the landfills (where our waste is sent to) contribute to 38% of Canada’s total methane emissions, a greenhouse gas 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

How to properly recycle
•    To begin with, when shopping at the store, be sure to look at the labels: purchase only recyclable products, for which packaging is also made of recycled parts, as well as products that are biodegradable. Watch out for any of the following symbols:

	The Mobius loop on a light background indicates that a packaging or product can be recycled where facilities exist. Visit your city or municipality’s website for more information on local recycling programs, as well as to locate your residential recycling and composting facilities.
	The Mobius loop on a dark background indicates that a product contains recycled materials. A percentage in the logo’s center may appear, indicating how much of the product was made of recycled materials; no percentage listed implies that the product is made of 100% recycled content.
	The “Environmental Choice” logo means that the product is certified energy-efficient, reduces the creation of harmful by-products, uses recycled materials or can be reused.