The next time you get your morning cup of coffee from Tim Hortons or an ice-cold Slurpee from 7/11, don't forget to throw the cup into the recycling bin when you're done.
Multi-Material Stewardship Manitoba announced that Manitobans can now start putting empty paper cups into their blue recycling bins.
Christa Rust with Multi-Material Stewardship Manitoba says allowing people to put their paper cups into the recycling is a big deal.
"If you think about the coffee cups, fountain drinks, other cold paper cups, folks use a lot of those when they're out and about or ordering food in," said Rust. "Having the opportunity to add these to the accepted list is significant. Talking to a lot of folks, some people didn't know they weren't recyclable already. That's why you've likely seen a lot of them in the recycling bin already."
Previously, paper cups weren't on the accepted list of recyclables in Manitoba.
Rust says they've been difficult for recycling programs due to the plastic linings and dyes used in some cups. Recycling partners in Manitoba have since said they can be sorted with mixed paper.
When it comes to recycling stats in Dauphin, it's not a pretty picture. Since 2021, the City of Dauphin has seen a 21% decrease in residential recycling. That's 144 fewer tonnes of recyclable materials collected. In comparison, that's the weight of six humpback whales.
That's also the weight of 24 African elephants. Simply put, when you recycle, you keep plastic out of the landfills.
"If we can do our part, the lifespan of the landfills is longer. We're taking these materials and putting them into new products," ended Rust. "It's an important component for everyone to pitch in. You might think that your individual efforts aren't significant. If you look at it as a collective, it is quite substantial."
Multi-Material Stewardship Manitoba has also put forth a transition plan about allowing plastic foam, like Styrofoam, into recycling. The Manitoba Government is currently reviewing that plan.
