Columbia Shuswap Regional District directors have agreed to spend $100,000 on new bins for the future sorting of materials at the regional district’s recycle depots.
The money from the 2014 budget will be used to buy huge shipping containers to house “mega bags” at regional district recycling depots.
As of Jan 1, 2015, people who take their recyclable items to a CSRD depot will have to sort the material into one of six categories – glass, coloured polystyrene foam, white polystyrene foam, plastic film, fibres (cardboard, paper, etc.) and containers (plastic, metal and paper which contained liquids).
Ben Van Nostrand, CSRD’s Environmental Health Services team leader, told directors member municipalities with curbside collection programs that joined the Multi-Material BC (MMBC) program in May have done so with minimal disruption to service.
The regional district’s recycling depot program is contracted to Emterra until the end of the year, something Van Nostrand says has given CSRD staff an opportunity to see how the program has rolled out in other areas.
CSRD staff have expressed concerns with the use of mega bags at community depot sites and has been working on alternatives with Green By Nature (GBN), the contractor who will consolidate, haul and process printed paper and packaging (PPP) collected through curb side programs. They will also and operate Salmon Arm Landfill’s reload facility for paper collected from the City of Salmon Arm’s curbside program.
CSRD provides region-wide collection of recyclables at a total of 18 depots.
Eleven are located within a landfill or transfer station and seven are operated within community locations – Malakwa, Sicamous, Salmon Arm, Tappen and Sorrento.
“Wherever we have the green bins, they will shift to a requirement to sort, and the other thing I am pushing for is the requirement for hours of operation,” says Van Nostrand, noting the bins will have to be secured after hours so people are unable to dump in and around the bins. “They will be behind a fence or have doors that can be locked, so it will be less convenient for the public but compliant with MMBC, who is funding the program.”
Van Nostrand says another important aspect is that the regional district is expanding the list of commodities that can be recycled, items that are not permitted in curbside programs.
Electoral area directors asked Van Nostrand if public education would be part of the Jan. 1 roll-out, with Area E director Rhona Martin recommending “something fun and snazzy for schools kids, who will be going home and educating parents.”
Area D’s Rene Talbot suggested the simplest way would be for attendants to hand out an information sheet.
“I love it; that’s exactly what we’re doing,” said Van Nostrand.
The CSRD will host an open house to discuss the ongoing review of the solid waste management plan at the CSRD’s main office in Salmon Arm this Saturday, Oct. 25 from 1 to 3 p.m.
An open house will also be held at the Red Barn from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 3.
