Waste

Waste consists of all items and substances discarded by homes, factories, businesses, and institutions. For the better part of recent history, the standard way of dealing with waste was to toss it in the garbage and cart it off to landfills.

Most of these products, however, can be transformed and given a new lease on life. Assigning new value to waste in such a manner helps to reduce consumption of raw materials and contributes to slimming down the mountain of garbage sent to landfills. Not only does landfill waste take up space, but it also releases pollutants that contaminate the air, water, and soil as they decompose.

Recyc-Québec estimates that each Quebecer produces, on average, 404 kg (889 lbs) of waste annually. In the Town of Brome Lake, 2472.8 tonnes of waste were collected in 2008, nearly 70% of which was sent to a landfill. Keeping in mind that 90% of this matter (paper, cardboard, glass, plastic, textiles, and organic matter) can be transformed and reused, there is clearly much room for improvement.

Below are a few tips that will help you do your part