Dirty diapers and online shopping packaging are part of the reason Winnipeg recycling contamination has seen a 38 per cent jump in the last two years, the city says.
The way municipalities handle recycling changed when China started restricting contaminated materials last year, but people — and local systems — are slower to catch up. City of Winnipeg waste diversion supervisor Mark Kinsley says people need to change the way they think about recycling.
“They’re standing there in front of the garbage and the recycling, and they are putting more good stuff in the recycling. But with that comes the old ‘well, I’m not sure so I’ll just put it in recycling and they’ll sort it out,'” Kinsley said.
That approach isn’t good enough anymore, he says.
“If you’re not sure, find out.”
In 2016, 13 per cent of the city’s recycling was contaminated with non-recyclable garbage. By 2018, it was 18 per cent.
Read the full story here: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-contamination-recycling-1.5120339