City council is asking the Regional District to remove yellow recycling bins at the Memorial Arena parking lot now that a new recycling depot has opened at the Cranbrook Transfer Station.
The new depot opened last December under the umbrella of Recycle BC and pays revenue to the Regional District of East Kootenay for every tonne of recyclable material brought into the facility.
READ: New recycling depot to open at the Cranbrook Transfer Station
Operating costs under the yellow bin program come out at $321 per tonne of material, while the RDEK receives $120 per tonne of material collected at the transfer station through Recycle BC, according to a City of Cranbrook staff report.
Additionally, an estimated 200 tonnes of recyclable material annually pass through the Memorial Arena site, meaning it would cost $64,000 to operate the yellow bins there, while also missing out on $24,000 in revenue through the new Recycle BC depot.
In addition to the cost factors, the city report says staff has recieved a number of complaints about recyclable debris getting loose or simply being left beside bins that are full.
“There has been a significant increase in very messy conditions at the site,” reads the report. “Users continue to stack recycling and garbage beside the bins. We are getting more reports of individuals climbing into the bins to recover beverage containers, which is resulting in a high frequency of broken glass on the ground surrounding the bins. Concerns have been raised that individuals are sleeping in the bins, under the cardboard, which poses a significant threat to their safety.”
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