PhD topic (your thoughts)

[MacDaddy77]

I am not going for a PhD, but while eating my lunch today I had a thought of what I think would make a good study. Considering how the world is worried about land use... has anyone studied how much land fill one lunches worth of styrefom (sp?) in a major city takes up?

[dobbles]

Originally Posted by fotze

I have always been interested if garbage men/trucks were able to weigh your garbage and charge a price per tonne.

i would think that wouldn't be too hard. in my community, everyone has standard garbage bins that the garbage truck has an automated arm that picks them up. so in theory, they could attach a scale to that and start weighing the bins as they pick them up. just have to subtract back out the weight of the bin.

though then people would start leaving their trash in other peoples bins! could cause quite the ruckus!

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by fotze

Oh ya I forgot about that. Have a co-worker in Cochrane and they have 2 bag limits, I guess neighbors sometimes throw their bags on your corner.

Idea scrapped.

Aren't you an engineer? Come on now, don't give up!

What about a lock?

[pepper24]

Kelowna has a one bag limit. They also have a curbside recycling program.

[Bobblehead]

At my parent's place in Ont, they need to buy special twist ties for the garbage bags. You can put out as many as you want, but you need to pay for the ties.

[GoinAllTheWay]

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

At my parent's place in Ont, they need to buy special twist ties for the garbage bags. You can put out as many as you want, but you need to pay for the ties.

That's not a bad idea. I will also welcome the day when Calgary gets on track and gets more curb side pickups for recycling going.

[fredr123]

I'll give credit where credit is due: Edmonton seems to have one heck of a waste disposal and recycling program.

[worth]

So does the money from purchasing the ties go to the wast disposal fund? Does it go to pay workers or what? Or does it go to new ways to dispose of the waste?

[Boblobla]

Originally Posted by fredr123

I'll give credit where credit is due: Edmonton seems to have one heck of a waste disposal and recycling program.

You mean all the garbage from Alberta makes its way there?

[habernac]

Originally Posted by GoinAllTheWay

That's not a bad idea. I will also welcome the day when Calgary gets on track and gets more curb side pickups for recycling going.

Jan 1st

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

At my parent's place in Ont, they need to buy special twist ties for the garbage bags. You can put out as many as you want, but you need to pay for the ties.

They do that in Vancouver too, but you get so many a month for free.

Curb side recycling is the way to go. The town I grew up in, in Ontario, had it back in 1991 for crying out loud. I can't believe it hasn't caught on everywhere yet. I think in some places in Ontario, you actually have to use clear garbage bags and if the people picking up your trash see anything that is supposed to be recycled, they won't even pick up your bags.

[4X4]

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

At my parent's place in Ont, they need to buy special twist ties for the garbage bags. You can put out as many as you want, but you need to pay for the ties.

Soon there'll be resourceful bums stealing the ties and selling them on the corner for half price.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

They do that in Vancouver too, but you get so many a month for free.

Curb side recycling is the way to go. The town I grew up in, in Ontario, had it back in 1991 for crying out loud. I can't believe it hasn't caught on everywhere yet. I think in some places in Ontario, you actually have to use clear garbage bags and if the people picking up your trash see anything that is supposed to be recycled, they won't even pick up your bags.

Not anywhere in Vancouver where I live. The problem with those kind of programs is that people just go and buy trash compactors. So then you have the added waste of everyone in the city buying and running trash compactors.

Ultimately, people just have to get out of this mindframe that someone else is going to solve their problems for them or that only big business is responsible for energy use or pollution; people need to take responsibility for their own actions pure and simple.

[SeeGeeWhy]

Originally Posted by Boblobla

You mean all the garbage from Alberta makes its way there?

[flylock shox]

Interesting idea for a thread.It has actually occurred to me that it would be interesting to know whether landfill projects are becoming more harmful to the environment as a result of recycling and composting projects. It stands to reason that biodegradable materials such as paper, cardboard, and food products once formed a higher percentage of total landfill mass than they do now. Overall, the non-biodegradable content of landfill mass should have increased, meaning landfills are actually less environmentally friendly than they once were (leaving aside waste management innovations). I'd be interested in a PhD thesis that explores this possible consequence of increased public environmentalism.Not very interested mind you...

[Locke]

You could do a PhD thesis examining one of the profound questions that has plagued mankind for all time....:

What is the deal with those airplane peanuts?

Could you imagine a thesis defense on that?

[Bill Bumface]

In Europe they don't have a deposit system for their bottles and cans, but throwing out your garbage is so bloody expensive people do it anyways because recycling is free.

[shane_c]

We have curbside pickup (although there is no curb in front of my place just a gravel shoulder). It's great. Garbage pickup is every 2nd week with a 6 bag limit. Recycling (plastics, papers, cans, cardboard, etc....) is picked up every week. And our green bin for composting is picked up the weeks garbage isn't. We can also put out bundles of branches and all kinds of other stuff.

http://www.halifax.ca/wrms/


.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by blankall

Not anywhere in Vancouver where I live. .

Yeah, my mistake. I had my sister in Ontario confused with the one in Vancouver.

You'd think I'd know if Vancouver had that system after living there for 6 years!

[Addick]

Originally Posted by hulkrogan

In Europe they don't have a deposit system for their bottles and cans, but throwing out your garbage is so bloody expensive people do it anyways because recycling is free.

Actually, in some parts of Europe they do have bottle deposits. I'm not sure if it's the case for all of Germany but in Berlin you can actually bring your bottles back and collect the deposit refund in the grocery.

Originally Posted by fotze

I have always been interested if garbage men/trucks were able to weigh your garbage and charge a price per tonne.

Now I'm interested too! I thought parts of Vancouver had it right with the ties or bin system but the problem of trash compacting, although I don't think it would be that widespread, does help make a case for on-truck weighing.