MARKHAM, ON ~ November 13, 2007 ~ The Town of Markham has gone platinum. Markham’s Mission Green environmental initiative has earned the coveted 2007 Sustainable Municipality Platinum Award from the Recycling Council of Ontario.

The Recycling Council’s annual Ontario Waste Minimization Awards are the province’s most prestigious recycling awards. “This is great recognition of Markham’s environmental leadership.” said Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti. “Markham’s had Town-wide organics collection in operation since 2005, with a goal to divert 70 per cent of residential waste from landfill by the end of 2007. We were delighted to achieve our target earlier this year.” “When you see the recently released numbers on diversion through green bin programs now in place in all nine York Region municipalities, you can see everyone is increasingly on board and committed to going green,” said Mayor Scarpitti.

“Residents are constantly challenging us to find more ways to recycle,” said Regional Councillor Jack Heath, the Chair of Markham’s 3-Stream recycling sub-committee. “When we call for Markham residents to get involved and support environmental initiatives, they never disappoint. In fact, they push us to do more.” Markham Council decided earlier this year to set a new ambitious target of 75 percent waste diversion.

Chair of Environmental Issues and Sustainability Committee Councillor Erin Shapero noted, “Markham is the first large urban municipality to win a platinum award from the RCO. We could not have won this award without the support and commitment of our residents and we want to thank them for their participation. We are all working together to ensure we have a healthier environment in our world.”

Even with the 70 percent level of diversion in Markham, a detailed waste audit in early 2007 revealed the green bin and the expanded blue box program were not capturing all the materials they could. To help reach the new 75 percent target, Markham has five pilot projects underway to test options to further increase waste diversion and reduce litter. The Town is testing the effectiveness of transparent bags for waste residue and a blue box lid to keep materials from spilling out and becoming litter.

“Environmental sustainability is a key focus area for this Council. In addition to our aggressive new waste diversion target, we have passed a pesticide bylaw, are planning tree planting initiatives and are supporting energy efficiency and environmental sustainability in all new developments,” said Mayor Scarpitti.

Building Markham’s Future Together

BACKGROUND ON MARKHAM’S WASTE DIVERSION INITIATIVES

• Markham’s Mission Green program, the Town’s plan to divert 70% residential waste from requiring disposal in landfill, went into effect throughout the community in July 2005.
• In 2006, the first full year of Markham’s 3-stream collection program (recyclables, organics and garbage) the Town diverted 69 percent of its waste from landfill – the highest diversion rate in York Region and the Greater Toronto Area (GTA)
• An enhanced multi-residential recycling program involving Markham’s 53 apartments and high-rise condominium buildings (about 5500 living units) is ongoing in 2007.
• A detailed waste audit in early 2007 revealed that even with 69% waste diversion, the green bin and blue box programs were not capturing all the materials they could. Of the waste going to landfill, about 66% was material that could go into the blue box or green bin and 27% was items that could be diverted through recycling depots and re-use programs.

BACKGROUND ON THE RECYCLING COUNCIL OF ONTARIO AWARDS
• In determining award recipients, the RCO considers a municipality’s establishment and achievement of measurable waste reduction targets, broad community involvement, education programs, the commitment of funds and resources by the municipality, supportive by-laws and policies, and the expansion of services.