Dec 02, 2008 - 03:00 PM

By Reka Szekely

CLARINGTON -- The idea of zero waste was popular at a meeting last week in Clarington organized by anti-incineration advocates.

More than 100 people showed up at the event, where Markham Manager of Waste Management Claudia Marsales and Lakeridge Health Oshawa's Dr. Sean Godfrey spoke. Dr. Godfrey is the chief of pediatrics at the hospital and he ran as the Liberal candidate in the Oshawa riding during the last federal election.

Speakers also included five Durham residents who have consistently opposed the Region's plans to build an incinerator in Clarington. The group offered up zero waste as an alternative.

Bowmanville's Kristin Robinson said zero waste looks at garbage as bad design. She thinks the companies who produce the products that end up in the garbage should be responsible for the disposal.

"Zero waste means we can no longer afford to throw out stuff and forget about the consequences," she said.

To illustrate how products are designed for disposal, the group kicked off the evening with a video, 'The Story of Stuff' by American Annie Leonard, which shows the life cycle of products from the extraction of material from the earth to waste disposal.

As an example of where they want Durham to head, the group introduced Ms. Marsales, who said Markham is shooting for zero waste and has a 70 per cent diversion rate. She is critical of Durham's plans for an incinerator.

"To spend money on either land or incineration before trying zero waste ... I think is a huge mistake," said Ms. Marsales.

To move towards zero waste, Ms. Marsales started with municipal buildings and the Civic Centre, where garbage cans beside desks were removed and replaced with centrally located green and blue bins and smaller latched garbage bins. Ms. Marsales said if garbage cans are available, they'll get filled. The same philosophy has been extended to public events.

In terms of residential waste, Markham, which delivers its garbage, recyclables and compostables to York Region, accepts products in its blue and green bins that Durham does not. For example, it takes diapers and kitty litter in green bins. Residents can also line their bins with plastic bags.

However, after a member of the public asked what happened with the plastics coming out of the composting facilities, Ms. Marsales said it was landfilled. Durham leaders have long said they didn't want plastic contaminants in the green bin because it reduces the compost quality.

Ms. Marsales said there's two schools of thought on the issue and she said the goal is to make it easier for residents to divert.

"Perhaps the compost isn't as good, but there are still markets for it," she said.

The contents of Markham's green bins go to organics processing facilities in London and Welland, she said.

Ms. Marsales also acknowledged that Markham's diversion rate has been questioned. In Durham, Regional officials have wondered about Markham's net diversion rate after things like the diaper plastics are landfilled.

Following the meeting, she said no Ontario municipality reports net diversion numbers.

"If everyone in Ontario nets out their products, so will Markham," she said, adding that perhaps then everyone's waste diversion rate will drop by 10 per cent.

Dr. Godfrey said the Region should apply the precautionary principle and shouldn't build the incinerator if the evidence isn't clear that it would do no harm to human health. He said he plans to scrutinize the site specific health risk assessment to be released next year.

Although the Region's medical officer of health did not attend the event, he sent a staff member to take notes.