QuinteWasteSolutions

Why do I sort my recycling?

Why must I sort my recyclables when the driver just throws it all in the same spot?

This is probably the most common question we get from residents, and while it may look that way because of the set-up on the recycling truck, they truly are doing a partial sort at the curb.

Our trucks are divided into 4 compartments; clear glass, colour glass, mixed fibres and mixed containers.

In the mixed container compartment, the driver throws all of your aluminum and tin cans, rigid plastics, Styrofoam and empty aerosol and paint cans. Beside that is the mixed fibre compartment where he throws all the newspapers, boxboard, office paper, grocery bags and corrugated cardboard.

Now, to the right of the driver you will notice two other compartments that sort of hang on the outside of the truck. One is for clear glass bottles and jars and the other is for coloured glass bottles and jars. When this compartment starts to fill up the driver will dump it into the truck where it is kept separate from the other items already in the truck.

At the end of the day or when the truck gets full, whichever comes first the truck will bring all the recyclables collected to the recycling plant also called the Material Recovery Facility (MRF) where it is dumped from the truck into separate piles. A loader will then scoop up the items and place them onto a conveyer belt where the recyclables travel along to be hand sorted into 14 separate groups.

Did you know plastics are sorted into 5 different types based on a number inside a mobius loop found on the item?

After the items are separated into their 14 separate groups, they get baled and shipped to various markets where they will be made into new materials.

What happens if I don’t sort my recyclables?

Quite honestly, it may not get picked up. That’s because our program relies heavily on our residents doing a partial sort at home. Not only does this keep the cost of the program down for us as taxpayers, it also helps us to produce a better quality material that the end markets want to buy.

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