York Region honoured by Recycling Council of Ontario

York Region recently received two awards at the Recycling Council of Ontario's (RCO) Waste Minimization Awards held in Etobicoke.

The Region won the Gold Award in the Promotion category for its Yes! Blue Box Campaign and a Bronze Award in the Waste Diversion Program Operator category for the Region's Waste Management Centre.

"York Region is very proud to receive these two awards from the Recycling Council of Ontario," said Regional Chair Bill Fisch. "Waste diversion is a priority for York Region and this award represents our commitment to waste diversion and the quality education and services that we provide to our residents."

York Region's Yes! Blue Box Campaign was launched last fall and aimed to educate residents on what new items were being accepted in the blue box program, as well as what happens

to their recyclables once they are picked up at the curb. This successful campaign was also awarded Best Campaign for 2005 by the Association of Municipal Recycling Coordinators. Throughout the fall in 2005, the campaign included fullpage, colour advertisements placed in local and ethnic newspapers, bus advertisements, messages on mobile signs, the creation of a fullcolour brochure and promotional advertisements placed in schools, community centres, restaurants and fitness centres across York.

In July 2005, the Region opened its new $39 million Waste Management Centre in East Gwillimbury, which includes a single-stream recycling facility, garbage transfer station, food waste transfer station and education centre. Approximately 290 tonnes of recyclable materials are received at the centre daily and it is estimated that a total of more than 75,000 tonnes will be processed through by the end of the year.

"Effective communications are critical to our success in diverting 65 per cent of our waste by 2010," said Regional Councillor Mario Ferri of Vaughan, chair of the solid waste management committee of Regional council. "Our Waste Management Centre is a key component of our waste diversion strategy, allowing us to increase the variety and amount of recyclable materials we can process as residents divert more waste from landfills and our programs expand."

RCO is a non-profit organization incepted in 1978 and committed to minimizing society's impact on the environment by eliminating waste. RCO's mission is to inform and educate all members of society about the generation of waste, the avoidance of waste, the more efficient use of resources and the benefits and (or) consequences of these activities.