A B.C. First Nation north of Fort St. James has gone green with a newly established oil and antifreeze recycling collection facility.
Takla First Nation’s need for a more environmentally friendly solution to safely collect and store used oil materials was fulfilled through a collaboration with BC Used Oil Management Association (BCUOMA).
“Takla First Nation’s council requested assistance from BC Used Oil Management Association to assess their current used oil recycling program, and implement a new system that included on-site training to ensure future used oil materials are responsibly collected, safely stored and free of contamination,” chief executive officer David Lawes said in a news release.
The remote nation which uses a backup diesel-powered generator to supply electricity should power be lost had not only collected materials from within the community, but material left by past outside businesses operating within their territory.
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With the 20-foot modified sea container now secured at 144 Bah’lats Road on the eastern shore of Takla Lake more than 1,200 liters of used oil and filters as well as empty oil pails and lids were transferred by BCUOMA staff and contractors between Sept. 23 to Sept. 25.
Takla First Nation public works manager and Indigenous Zero Waste Technical Advisory Group board member, Ernie French Downey called the clean up effort a huge success.
Used oil and antifreeze be refined into new many products such as lubricating oil. Additionally used oil filters contain resusable scrap metal. Plastic oil and antifreeze containers can also be recycled into new oil containers, flowerpots, pipe, guardrails and patio furniture, BCUOMA noted.
Last year, more than 51 million litres of used oil was collected by nearly 300 BUCOMA managed public collection facilities and over 4,000 generators across B.C.
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