With new waste receptacles part of an automated waste collection service rollout this coming fall, the Regional District of Nanaimo is looking to help residents dispose of old bins.
Similar to the City of Nanaimo, where automated collection started in 2017-18, RDN residents are scheduled to receive new wheeled carts for recycling, food waste and garbage this summer, with service beginning October. When cart selection took place last year, residents made it known they were interested in the RDN organizing a collection of old bins.
In response, RDN’s solid waste management select committee is recommending a motion that would see up to $60,000 from the solid waste recycling and collection service reserve fund allocated for used container collection.
Larry Gardner, RDN manager of solid waste services, told the News Bulletin the regional district heard from communities that have transitioned to automated collection about collection of old bins.
“We don’t have an obligation to do it, but it’s something that we’ve heard has been desirable from response from other communities and it’s also something that we’ve heard from our residents as well,” said Gardner.
He said one idea is to organize an old bin collection event with the help of a non-profit.
“What I would hope we’d be able to do is offset their base cost and potentially encourage people to donate to the non-profit to support them as a charitable organization and then everybody wins,” Gardner said.
The recommendation will go before the RDN board at its June 23 meeting.
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