Category Archives: Landfill

Visiting the Halton Waste Management Site during the summer

The Halton Waste Management Site (HWMS) can be extremely busy during the summer. Here’s a few helpful tips and reminders to make your next visit simple and easy. Check your Waste Management Guide and Collection Calendar for materials that are … Continue reading

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Posted in Landfill, Recycle | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

An unconventional classroom

During the week, a normal high school student would find themselves in class learning anything from math to history at 12:30 p.m.. I too, head off to class at that time, but not in your conventional classroom — my classroom … Continue reading

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Working with the weather

It is something that starts a conversation, can affect your mood, impacts your commute to work, and tells you how to dress. It is also something that directly affects the day-to-day operations of a landfill.  I am talking about — … Continue reading

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From raindrops to 100-year floods – Halton Waste Management Site’s water management is by design

Every drop of rain that falls on the Halton Waste Management Site must be dealt with properly. Here are some examples of how this is done by design. Rain that falls within the open, uncapped areas of the landfill stays inside the landfill … Continue reading

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La Chureca – Hell on Earth

There is a place in Central America, sometimes referred to as the end of the world.  It is located in the capital city of Managua, Nicaragua, along the south shore of the second largest lake in the country. It covers … Continue reading

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There’s a new box in Halton Region, and it’s orange!

Every week, Halton residents fill their Blue Boxes and Greencarts and place them at the curb for recycling and composting. Sometimes, if you are doing a big clean up, you will put your large items out for bulk collection or bring them to … Continue reading

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Posted in Household Hazardous Waste, Landfill, Recycle | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Women in Waste Management: Sherry Brotherston

Who in your household is in charge of how your waste is managed? While bringing the recycling to the curb may be the kids’ job, studies have shown that the female head of the household is usually the one in … Continue reading

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Posted in Education, Landfill | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

What a party! The Halton Waste Management Site celebrates 20 years

Over 600 Halton residents visited the Halton Waste Management Site on Saturday, September 29, 2012 to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Site’s opening. Guests took part in tours of the landfill, got to climb aboard heavy equipment like the … Continue reading

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Posted in Education, Garbage, Green Living, Landfill, Product Stewardship | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

We’re having a party… to celebrate our landfill!

We’re hosting an open house to celebrate 20 years of environmentally safe waste management in Halton Region — and you’re invited! This Saturday, September 29, 2012 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Halton residents are welcome to come to the Halton … Continue reading

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Posted in Disposal, Education, Garbage, Green Living, History, Landfill | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Interesting Facts about the Halton Waste Management Site’s Construction

September 2012 marks the 20th anniversary of the Halton Waste Management Site.  We’re celebrating with a community open house on Saturday, September 29, 2012!  While many residents are coming out to see our landfill equipment in action, most will likely be … Continue reading

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Posted in Disposal, Garbage, History, Landfill | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Monitoring landfills from afar with SCADA

SCADA – Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition. That sounds like something out of a NASA acronyms manual, but it’s actually more down to earth than that. If you say that you have SCADA, it just means that you’ve got a computerized system that … Continue reading

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Guess what Mom and Dad? I got a job at a landfill!

I recently started working for Halton Region Waste Management Services as a Waste Management Program Coordinator. While in the past I have worked in the waste management industry, my office has always been removed from frontline activities.  Most other Greater … Continue reading

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Posted in Blue Box, Education, Garbage, Green Living, GreenCart, Landfill, Recycle, Reduce, Reuse | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Oy vey, the data! Using data to understand how much material we recycle, compost and throw away

Did you know, on a daily basis approximately 600 tonnes of total waste is collected from the curb?  Of that, 45% is Blue Box recycling and GreenCart organics, and 20% is yard waste.  And there is an average of 60 … Continue reading

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Posted in Blue Box, Disposal, Education, GreenCart, Household Hazardous Waste, Landfill, Product Stewardship, Recycle, Reduce, Reuse | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

GPS Leads the Way to Longer Landfill Site Life

In January 2012, Halton’s landfill operators at the Halton Waste Management Site had some new technology added to their heavy machinery. GPS systems are well-known for helping people get around town by car or on foot, but it may be … Continue reading

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Posted in Garbage, Landfill | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Travelogue – Sustainable Vacationing in Costa Rica

I recently travelled to the Gulf of Papagayo in beautiful Costa Rica for a one week escape to paradise. I stayed at a resort with many Canadian, American and European travellers, as well as a few locals that were on their spring … Continue reading

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Ultimate recycling in Haiti

Going on a mission has been on my bucket list for years. I have always envied and admired missionaries — anyone who would drop everything, and, at some personal risk, go to a foreign country experiencing health, social or environmental … Continue reading

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Posted in Education, Green Living, Houses, Landfill, Recycle, Reduce, Reuse, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

A Landfill Gas Success Story – Reducing by Capturing

The Clean Air Partnership’s blog about Halton Region’s landfill gas collection system tells the story of how early-adopters can make environmental improvements even before it becomes mandatory. The landfill site in Halton, located in Milton, Ontario, is the only operating landfill in the region accepting municipal solid … Continue reading

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Posted in Disposal, Garbage, Green Energy, Green Living, Landfill, Recycle, Reduce, Reuse | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Great Acts Are Made Up of Small Deeds

The old saying goes “reduce, reuse and recycle.”  In times of environmental crisis, these three simple words are an excellent guide to live by. Unfortunately, people tend to focus solely on the latter of the three, completely disregarding the importance … Continue reading

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Posted in 3Rs Community Champion, Blue Box, Education, Garbage, GreenCart, Landfill, Recycle, Reduce, Reuse, Schools | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Everyone creates waste, but how do you make waste management services accessible to all?

According to the Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services, “one in seven people in Ontario has a disability. Over the next 20 years, that number will rise as the population ages.” While every person generates waste that needs to be … Continue reading

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Posted in Apartments, Blue Box, Compost, Disposal, Education, Green Living, Household Hazardous Waste, Houses, Landfill, Recycle, Reduce, Reuse | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

It’s National Public Works Week – a time to recognize how our environment and community is protected

Public Works is something that is actually quite difficult to define. It consists of a multitude of various services provided to the public, some are obvious, and some are not often realized. These consist of “must have” services such as … Continue reading

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Posted in Blue Box, Compost, Education, Garbage, Green Living, GreenCart, History, Household Hazardous Waste, Landfill, Recycle, Reduce, Reuse | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Yard sales have always been great for the environment

Yard sales have been around for as long as there have been yards with green grass. That’s likely because the original motivation to have one still holds true today: “I have more stuff than I need, but maybe someone else … Continue reading

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Posted in Blue Box, Disposal, Garbage, Green Living, Houses, Landfill, Recycle, Reduce, Reuse | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Recognizing Scouts Canada’s commitment to the environment during National Youth Week

May 1-7 marks National Youth Week, which is dedicated to youth and their active participation in the community. Scouts Canada is an organization that encourages youth of all ages to get out and make a positive impact. In Halton, Scouts Canada is … Continue reading

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Posted in Blue Box, Compost, Education, Green Living, GreenCart, Landfill, Recycle, Reduce, Reuse | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Travelogue – Up Close and Personal with Beach Plastic Litter

I recently went on a vacation that I have dreamed of for quite some time — one I may even be so bold as to call a “trip of a lifetime.” I was fortunate enough to head to the other … Continue reading

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Posted in Compost, Education, Green Living, Landfill, Recycle, Reduce, Reuse, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Movie Review: Waste Land

With the Oscars fresh on everyone’s minds, I want to share my thoughts on a movie I recently watched that was also nominated for an Oscar in 2011 in the Best Documentary Feature category. The movie is Waste Land, directed … Continue reading

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Posted in Education, Green Living, Landfill, Movie Review, Recycle, Reduce, Reuse | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Bulk Waste Collection

As the person responsible for ensuring waste is collected in a timely fashion every day, bulk waste can cause me a lot of headaches, mainly when people disregard the “rules,” and  there seems to be some confusion about what we accept as … Continue reading

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Posted in Garbage, Houses, Landfill, Recycle, Reduce, Reuse | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

4 Songs that Put Waste to Music

The 3Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle) really do get people inspired, and they sometimes put their passion into song. I love music and I love to write lyrics & songs… and apparently many other people who care about the environment also share … Continue reading

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Posted in Blue Box, Disposal, Education, Garbage, Green Living, GreenCart, Landfill, Recycle, Reduce, Reuse | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Conserve The Landfill – It Won’t Last Forever

Many people never think about where their garbage goes after it leaves the curb or is dropped down the chute. So it’s even less likely that anyone would wonder about how much space their waste takes up in a landfill. … Continue reading

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Posted in Disposal, Garbage, Landfill, Recycle, Reduce, Reuse | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Garbage. Waste. What’s in a Name?

Many people use the words “waste” and “garbage” interchangeably. However, within the waste management profession, “waste” acutally means something different than “garbage.”  Waste is anything being thrown away, including Blue Box, GreenCart, Yard Waste, Household Hazardous Waste and Garbage materials.  Garbage … Continue reading

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Posted in Blue Box, Compost, Disposal, E-waste, Garbage, GreenCart, Household Hazardous Waste, Landfill, Recycle, Reduce, Reuse | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

A day in the life of a garbage bag

Have you ever wondered where your bag of garbage ends up and how it gets there?  To be honest, before I got into the field of Waste Management, I never really put a lot of thought into it.  You might be surprised … Continue reading

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Posted in Disposal, Garbage, Landfill | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

The most popular employee at Halton’s landfill is…

There is a very hard-working individual at the Halton Waste Management Site that is one of the Region’s most popular employees. She can be found at Halton’s landfill every day and always has a good “birds’ eye-view” of the activities going on. … Continue reading

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Posted in Education, Landfill | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments