Regina says "Flatter is Better"

Regina citizens have adopted recycling in a big way. They make about 450,000 trips to shopping malls to bring their paper and cardboard for recycling. The City of Regina's Big Blue Bin paper recycling program collects about 5500 tonnes of paper each year, more than the weight of 15 jumbo jets, and saving over 90,000 trees.

A significant issue for the City is that many residents don’t fold their cardboard before putting it in the bins. This unfolded cardboard takes up valuable space in the Big Blue Bins and reduces the level of service and convenience to the recycling public. In dollar terms, unfolded cardboard increases collection costs by 25 percent. As a result, the recycling program now operates with a slight deficit. More folded cardboard will put the program "back into the black" and make it more sustainable over the medium-term.

For the last quarter of 2006 the City of Regina, the Leader-Post and Global-TV have formed a three-way partnership to promote the flattening of residential cardboard. Both the Leader-Post and Global-TV are providing "gift-in-kind" contributions to promote the flattening of residential cardboard, and should be commended for this environmental leadership.

A 30-second video entitled "Flatter is Better" will air on Global-TV. In addition, print ads will run in the Leader-Post and the Sunday Sun. The City hopes citizens will heed the messages, change their behaviour a little and ultimately keep the program viable.

The city also has enlisted the help of the Regina Area Girl Guides to make surprise visits to Big Blue Bin locations. The Guides pass out recycling program information and randomly reward some of the good recyclers (those that fold the cardboard, don’t put plastic in the bins, close the doors and clean up any paper litter) with their Girl Guide cookies. The City of Regina has "cornered the market" on Girl Guide cookies by buying up all the remaining inventory. So if you’re in Regina and want any more Girl Guide cookies in 2006 you will have to visit a Big Blue Bin and FLATTEN YOUR CARDBOARD.

(Source: December 2006 WasteWatch)

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