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Waterloo Waste Management Center Tour

Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

Recycling Center

Every once in a while the Waterloo Waste Management Center operates a tour for the public. The tour is geared for all ages and provides some interesting information on where your garbage goes if you live in the area.

The tour begins in a small conference room where you learn some information about garbage and recycling. Next you move into a viewing area of the recycling center. This is where all the recycling is sorted and compressed to be taken away to places where it is actually recycled. Some interesting uses: plastic bags are converted into plastic lumber used for building picnic tables and benches, and plastic bottles are converted into polar fleece. All the sorting is done manually - there are people who stand by the conveyor belt all day sorting through all the recycling garbage.

Landfill site

Next, a bus takes you around to some of the drop off centers and then up to the top of the landfill site. There is a view there of the area that is currently being filled in with garbage. Even on a weekend, they have trucks moving garbage around in the landfill. The garbage is covered with a green spray that prevents it from smelling. It really didn't smell at all when we were there, and there were no seagulls. There is also a really nice view from the top of the surrounding area.

Some more interesting information we learned on the tour: The methane from the garbage is collected in pipes and is used to generate electricity that powers about 3,500 homes. The landfill is lined with plastic and pipes collect any liquid that runs off from the garbage and is passed through the sewage system.

Cost

View from the landfill

The tour is free, but you are requested to sign up in advance.

Time

The tour is a little over an hour long.