Action group wants more recycling, waste reduction

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What can a village do to lessen its impact on the environment? Members of the recently formed Tobique Environmental Action Group attended the April 21 meeting of Plaster Rock village council to talk about their goals and how the municipality can help.

Del Hiscock, Lee Hiscock and Ellen Flemming lead the action group and want to provide good environmental stewardship in the area. Del Hiscock noted since its formation, the group has spearheaded several initiatives including bringing in the Al Gore film An Inconvenient Truth that deals with climate change.

Hiscock said the group talked to the post office about unaddressed mail and were able to secure an agreement for leftover flyers to be put in a blue box for recycling.

Hiscock also talked about batteries and noted he would like to see any business that sells batteries have a box to collect them once they are dead.

"I think we have an obligation to show leadership," Hiscock commented.

He noted the World Pond Hockey Championship is one event that generates a lot of waste and he would like to see recycling implemented where possible. "Over 10,000 bottles of beer are poured into cups," he noted.

"Those cups are recyclable but not in this region."

The cups are marked with recyclable number six and are accepted in bigger communities like Fredericton.

"We don't feel it would be a problem to take them there," Hiscock said, noting they could be gathered up and transported by anyone with a truck.

"We'd like to have some sort of presence at Fiddlers on the Tobique too," Lee Hiscock added.

The Plaster Rock Tourist Park is a place where a container for recyclables could be installed and used by campers, walkers and other park users, Del Hiscock noted. He said members of the action group would look after taking the recyclables to the collection site in the village.

Council members noted they are in full support of doing everything possible to take care of the environment, both in their homes and businesses as well in the municipality at large. Mayor Judy St. Peter thanked the group for the presentation and suggested it secure a booth at the Seniors Fair to be held at the Tobique-Plex on May 21 to increase its goal of public awareness.