KAGAWONG—Not only is the Island Waste Management Committee starting to garner ideas to keep materials out of the landfill or transfer stations, including working with a group from Thunder Bay that will take all of Manitoulin’s textiles, fabric and clothes, the group is getting off-Island interest to participate in the overall waste management concept.
“The committee is doing well,” said Billings councillor Vince Grogan, who is spearheading the committee. “We have a presentation in place, and we are presently making requests to talk to all Island municipalities and First Nations on our initiatives. In addition, the committee has come up with all kinds of solutions to get rid of waste and to be more environmentally conscious locally.”
“One of the ideas is working with a First Nation textile recycling company in Thunder Bay to bring storage boxes that we could have located all over the Island. These boxes could be filled with towels, bedding, shoes, clothing, basically all textiles, fabrics and clothes (that local residents are getting rid of),” continued Councillor Grogan. “This would keep these materials out of our Island transfer stations and dumps.”
“The company we are talking to makes reusable, recyclable materials, and what can’t be recycled or reused would be turned into insulation,” said Mr. Grogan.
“At some stage in the near future we will have a person representing the company make a presentation to the committee, municipal and First Nation representatives,” said Mr. Grogan.
“At this point we don’t know the exact date when we could receive the boxes,” he said, pointing out “we are hoping to have a strategic approach involving all communities on the island who are interested to decide where the boxes will be located and accessible in areas around the Island.”
“We are also trying to get each municipality and First Nation to get more involved and act on recycling of batteries. The Home Hardware store in Gore Bay, for example, has a battery recycling box on hand,” said Mr. Grogan.
Mr. Grogan said, “all the initiatives we have brought forward so far have been zero cost to the Island community. Our idea of the committee includes education and informing people of decisions they can make that will provide for better environmental behaviours.”
The committee currently has 14 active members, but right now we include information and communicate with about 40 representatives around the Island, said Mr. Grogan. “This may also include the Town of Espanola as they have voiced their interest in our Island-wide waste initiative. I am waiting to hear from the Mayor of Espanola.”
The committee has a mission statement and terms of reference in place, Mr. Grogan told The Expositor. “We are working on Island-wide philosophies and solutions to waste management with the whole Island working together.”
