F.A.Q
Here are some of our frequently asked questions:
How long does a plastic bag take to decompose? Is there a better alternative?
Surprisingly, plastic bags, something we use multiple times a day, take roughly 100-1000 years to decompose.
A better alternative is reusable bags made of fabric or mesh. The bags are very useful, as you can conveniently store them anywhere. Unlike plastic bags, they are more durable and thus longer lasting. Reusable bags are also much sturdier and allow you to fill things up to the brim of the bag. A second alternate are eco-bags.
Check out this link to find some economical and stylish options: www.reusablebags.ca/.
Hopefully, one day, eco-bags will be more mainstream.
This may be tough at first, as plastic bags are everywhere, but this small change can benefit you and the environment!
Currently, there are a lot of environmental concerns surrounding plastic, but luckily, North Vancouver is here to help.
How long does a plastic bag take to decompose? Is there a better alternative?
Surprisingly, plastic bags, something we use multiple times a day, take roughly 100-1000 years to decompose.
A better alternative is reusable bags made of fabric or mesh. The bags are very useful, as you can conveniently store them anywhere. Unlike plastic bags, they are more durable and thus longer lasting. Reusable bags are also much sturdier and allow you to fill things up to the brim of the bag. A second alternate are eco-bags.
Check out this link to find some economical and stylish options: www.reusablebags.ca/.
Hopefully, one day, eco-bags will be more mainstream.
This may be tough at first, as plastic bags are everywhere, but this small change can benefit you and the environment!
Currently, there are a lot of environmental concerns surrounding plastic, but luckily, North Vancouver is here to help.
What are the Monthly Challenges?
The monthly challenges are a year-round goal where every month we provide a new challenge that the public of North Vancouver, especially students, to complete.
By completing these challenges, we hope to reduce the amount of plastic that ends up in landfills and oceans. Every month we will target a different plastic group or lifestyle choice to ensure we are able to take on the plastic epidemic from many angels.
These areas include focusing on either reducing, reusing, recycling, repurposing or rethinking plastic for an entire month. By doing these challenges, we hope to change our community’s mindset from unproductive and wasteful to being more aware about our plastic usage.
“How will I know what challenge to do for this month”
There is a write up for each month’s challenge on the blog. There you will find everything you need, from inspirational videos to surveys and posters.
What are the Monthly Challenges?
The monthly challenges are a year-round goal where every month we provide a new challenge that the public of North Vancouver, especially students, to complete.
By completing these challenges, we hope to reduce the amount of plastic that ends up in landfills and oceans. Every month we will target a different plastic group or lifestyle choice to ensure we are able to take on the plastic epidemic from many angels.
These areas include focusing on either reducing, reusing, recycling, repurposing or rethinking plastic for an entire month. By doing these challenges, we hope to change our community’s mindset from unproductive and wasteful to being more aware about our plastic usage.
“How will I know what challenge to do for this month”
There is a write up for each month’s challenge on the blog. There you will find everything you need, from inspirational videos to surveys and posters.
What happens when you recycle and how do you help the process?
Recycling plastics are part of our everyday lives; however, most people still don’t know the process of recycling. A plastic bottle doesn’t just magically turn into a new material, so what actually happens next?
The answer depends on where you live, so please note that this answer is only applicable to citizens of North Vancouver.
After you bring out your recycling bin:
1. A truck comes by and bring your recycling into a large room called a material recovery facility. At the facility, plastics will be placed onto a conveyer belt where large, non-recyclable items are manually removed.
2. Equipments, such as fiber separators, magnetic separators, and other equipments are used to separate the different materials into their designated categories.
The fiber separators are used to separate larger and smaller objects.
Magnetic separators separate materials that are magnetic from other objects.
3. Materials are baled and prepared for shipping.
A bale is a large quantity of materials tied together.
4. Trucks are filled with specific bales and brought to material manufacturers to be washed, shredded and palletized. These materials will then be sold to companies.
Some plastics will be remade to their original purpose, while others are transformed into completely new products, like playgrounds, benches, clothes and many other items.
The process of recycling is a very crucial thing to understand because it can show how important and useful plastics can be when properly recycled.
Typically, only 60%-80% of plastics in your recycling bin are recycled, and we want to change this by educating more people about how to properly recycle.
1. Make sure you put your recycling in the correct bins. For example, soft plastics will not be recycled when put into a hard plastic recycling bin. For more information, you can go to recyclebc.ca or visit the recycling website for your area.
2. Make sure everything that you recycle is clean. Often, plastics will be thrown away if it is too dirty and if plastic has food residue, so please make sure to rinse and wash your recyclables.
We sincerely hope this has helped you, and you are more educated about the process of recycling and are able to help out
Recycling plastics are part of our everyday lives; however, most people still don’t know the process of recycling. A plastic bottle doesn’t just magically turn into a new material, so what actually happens next?
The answer depends on where you live, so please note that this answer is only applicable to citizens of North Vancouver.
After you bring out your recycling bin:
1. A truck comes by and bring your recycling into a large room called a material recovery facility. At the facility, plastics will be placed onto a conveyer belt where large, non-recyclable items are manually removed.
2. Equipments, such as fiber separators, magnetic separators, and other equipments are used to separate the different materials into their designated categories.
The fiber separators are used to separate larger and smaller objects.
Magnetic separators separate materials that are magnetic from other objects.
3. Materials are baled and prepared for shipping.
A bale is a large quantity of materials tied together.
4. Trucks are filled with specific bales and brought to material manufacturers to be washed, shredded and palletized. These materials will then be sold to companies.
Some plastics will be remade to their original purpose, while others are transformed into completely new products, like playgrounds, benches, clothes and many other items.
The process of recycling is a very crucial thing to understand because it can show how important and useful plastics can be when properly recycled.
Typically, only 60%-80% of plastics in your recycling bin are recycled, and we want to change this by educating more people about how to properly recycle.
1. Make sure you put your recycling in the correct bins. For example, soft plastics will not be recycled when put into a hard plastic recycling bin. For more information, you can go to recyclebc.ca or visit the recycling website for your area.
2. Make sure everything that you recycle is clean. Often, plastics will be thrown away if it is too dirty and if plastic has food residue, so please make sure to rinse and wash your recyclables.
We sincerely hope this has helped you, and you are more educated about the process of recycling and are able to help out