Editor:
I received my SCRD bill for utilities, mainly water and trash, last month.
My first response: Why should I be paying the same rate as anybody else when our household of two usually puts the trash bin out every three weeks? We would never put the bin out each week. It would be rare for our household to put out the bin every two weeks, and occasionally it’s not needed for four weeks.
A solution: I suggest tags for bins that have a per-bin (volume) cost at the curb.
We do take some effort and cost, composting, detailed recycling, returnables (hopefully refillables) and care in buying to reduce waste. It can be done. A modern wood-burning heater also takes care of some paper products unfit for recycling during cold weather.
I feel that the SCRD is not asking for reduction. It’s too easy to throw out. Other levels of government are not asking for rational packaging to reduce. If people don’t care they must be asked to care – the tools are available. I don’t mean the very efficient removal of binned waste, automatically removed weekly. In fact I mean local government deliberately asking why should this be waste. On a recent run to the Sechelt Landfill with the seemingly inevitable broken, degraded or non-reusables, I was shocked at the number of eagles, ravens, seagulls, etc., roosted all around the dump and refuse spread on the surrounding landscape and in the trees. Outrageous! I asked how many eagles. I’m told 150 and a peak of 600 seasonally. Intolerable. None of my refuse is suitable to feed wildlife!
I pick up trash all too often in the woods and side roads, often overwhelmed by trash in our region. I have performed unsolicited beach cleanups. The people with me were glad to do it and felt accomplishment. Time to inspire that feeling.
All told, it’s a culture in decline. Loss of pride in place, loss of sense of continuity and definitely ill-prepared for health and well-being of self and environment.
Urgent request to SCRD: Do more for the pride of community, do more for costing fairness and do what can be done before it’s too late. The seasonal and visitor population of the Sunshine Coast is upon us. It’s not a surprise or unexpected. There will be many more people, many without local knowledge. It’s time to step up to the waste challenge and lead.
John R. Dafoe, Halfmoon Bay
