It’s Plastic Free July and we are encouraging residents to reduce, re-use, and recycle single use plastics, when they can.
There are simple things you can do to reduce your plastic waste:
- Use re-useable fabric shopping and produce bags when grocery shopping
- Use a travel mug or re-useable water bottle instead of disposable plastic cups or bottles
- Use bar soap with plastic free packaging instead of bottled liquid soap
- Put food into re-usable containers and bags instead of plastic bags and wrap
- Use re-usable straws instead of plastic
- Use non-plastic cutlery
“Reducing the amount of plastic waste we create can help the environment, and create cleaner communities by reducing plastic pollution,” said Mark Kinsley, Superintendent of Waste Diversion.
One of the most important things you can do is to re-use those plastic items. For example:
- Wash and re-use plastic take out containers
- Re-use your plastic shopping bags for future grocery trips
- Re-use plastic bags for your garbage or food storage instead of purchasing new bags
- Re-use a milk or juice jug as a watering can
- Turn plastic bottles into planters by cutting the top off and filling with soil and seeds
If you can’t re-use the plastic items, recycle them by putting them in your recycling cart, or bringing them to either your local 4R Winnipeg Depot or a community recycling depot. The following plastic items are accepted in our recycling programs:
- Empty plastic food and beverage containers (bottles, jars, jugs, tubs)
- Rigid plastic packaging (remove paper inserts and other non-plastic components)
Some large plastic items won’t fit in your recycling cart. You may be able to bring these items to a 4R Winnipeg Depot. The depots accept large, 100 percent plastic items (no non-plastic components), with any contents removed. like:
- Buckets
- Storage containers
- Plant pots that are not black in colour
- Plastic patio furniture
- Laundry baskets
Winnipeg’s recycling program does not accept the following plastic items:
- Plastic bags, plastic wrap, cellophane
- Styrofoam
- Medical masks and gloves
- Black plastic items
- Plastic cutlery and plates
- Hoses
- Audio/visual equipment
- Toys
- Diapers
- Car seats
If you have plastic bags you want to get rid of, please take them to a retailer that accepts them for recycling or consider giving them to the Winnipeg Humane Society. All of the other items mentioned should be thrown into your garbage.