Siteviews Issue 004
 
Feature Project: Union Station, Toronto ON

Owner: City of Toronto
Contractor: PCL Constructors Canada Inc.

On August 6th, 1927 at the official opening of Union Station, the Prince of Wales said "You build your stations like we build our cathedrals"

  
  Union Station Photos

Canada's busiest transportation hub, Union Station serves approximately a quarter of a million passengers daily.

Toronto's Union Station was designed in the Ecole des Beaux-Arts Style by a team of Architects including Montreal Firm G.A. Ross and R.H. Macdonald, Hugh Jones of CPR and John M. Lyle of Toronto. It is considered the largest and most opulent railway station erected in Canada.

Currently, Union Station is undergoing a major revitalization to restore the historical architecture and enhance the existing structure.
 
 
As part of the restoration project, Union Station Officials contacted Maglin Site Furniture Inc. to design and manufacture custom recycling units that would meet the needs of thousands of daily commuters.

Design criteria included incorporating clear plastic trash bags to keep contents in view for security requirements with a lockable frame and bilingual recycling decals. Most importantly, these units had to handle the volume of recyclable materials presented by daily commuters. Maglin introduced design concepts for two separate containers. One unit was for Newspapers only and the second unit for Compost, Litter and other Recyclable materials collected by the City of Toronto. The laser design of the frame was inspired by design elements within the historic station. To keep maintenance simple, a custom plastic lid and drip tray were also included.

Union Station management was thrilled with the design and these units have now been placed throughout the building to encourage the proper recycling of materials.
 
 
Finding Solutions for Public Recycling
  
 
"How do we collect our recyclables?" asks Maglin President, Ian McAskile. "Across North America we're working with our clients to come up with solutions that really work."

"People approach some units with the best of intentions to do the right thing, to use the bins properly to do their part, etc. But the confusion caused by poor signage, a variety of color choices, odd shaped openings meant to signify something, or the poor hygienic condition of the units themselves often results in the recyclables being dumped in the most convenient opening."

There is no one solution for all locations and situations, but there are considerations to be kept in mind. Keep it simple, make it durable, ask lots of questions about maintenance, traffic flow, disposal methods, etc. to come up with a solution that works for the client's application.
  
 
Recycling Solutions
  
  MRC202 MRC253 MRC973 MRC1200M-32  
MRC202
MRC253
MRC973
MRC1200M-32
Maglin Site Furniture Inc.