recycling

Recycling is Here to Stay: Unpacking Quebec’s Recycling Paradigm Shift

Eva Kellner B.A.Sc. — Fri, 13 Jun 2025 10:00:00 +0000

When the clock struck midnight on January 1st, 2025, Quebec not only celebrated the beginning of a new year–– it welcomed a new, bold era of recycling. Quebec’s recycling system is now managed by Éco Entreprises Québec (EEQ), a private non-profit organization that oversees all operations related to selective collection. In Quebec, selective collection refers to the curbside recycling system where household waste is collected separately from your recyclables.

Are Black Plastic Spatulas and Serving Spoons Safe to Use?

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Fri, 06 Dec 2024 18:28:36 +0000

This article was first published in The Montreal Gazette.

There is probably no quote more often cited in discussions of toxicity than that of 16th-century Swiss physician and alchemist Paracelsus, namely that “only the dose makes the poison.”

The Dark Side of Black Plastics

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Thu, 17 Aug 2023 20:17:21 +0000

I’m sitting here looking around my office for anything made of black plastic. The casing of my computer is in that category, so is my coffee machine, my printer, my cell phone stand, my stapler, a bunch of pens that clutter my desk, my electronic car key, an electric heater, a flower pot, the carbon atoms in my molecular models, the armrest on my chair and a garbage can as well as the garbage bag inside it. Even some of the ducks that adorn my shelves are made of black plastic! No, I am not bored or mentally disturbed.

Polyethylene furanoate is coming! Don’t be scared.

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Wed, 24 Aug 2022 17:38:23 +0000

If you are scared of chemical terminology, you may think you are in for a bumpy ride. But fear not, you do not need a degree in chemistry to follow this discussion. Buckle up, and let’s go.

The Right Chemistry: How to Use Plastics Wisely

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Thu, 19 Mar 2020 15:10:41 +0000

Video of Dr. Joe Schwarcz on how to use plastics wisely

The Right Chemistry: Recycling Polystyrene

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Mon, 03 Feb 2020 17:32:13 +0000

Video of Dr. Joe: Recycling polystyrene

Rethinking Your Garbage

Sierra Delarosa, MSc, MMus — Wed, 15 Aug 2018 15:13:18 +0000

Do you ever wonder what happens to your garbage after you throw it out? While we hope that the recyclable materials we painstakingly sort out ends up being recycled, the garbage usually piles up in the landfill. Although the landfill may be a solution for our “throwaway” society, it isn't quite a permanent one. Think about how the increasing population on the planet will directly increase the amount of garbage produced, and how land is a precious commodity. As time increases, the amount of land available will decrease, and 2/3 of the Earth is covered by water.

Plastics

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Sat, 16 Jul 2016 01:36:33 +0000

"I hate plastics. We should get rid of them.” So began an email I received. The correspondent went on to talk about how plastics are a plague on the environment, how they contain chemicals that contaminate our food supply, disrupt our hormones, cause autism and ADHD and use up valuable petroleum deposits. What prompted the email was some comments I made about different plastics having different properties and how there were some concerns with some but not with others.