From the early days of recycling, old corrugated cardboard has been considered a valuable commodity on the world market. Over half of the cardboard collected for recycling is used to make new cardboard boxes and paperboard (used for cereal boxes) or chipboard (used for shoeboxes).
When one ton of cardboard is recycled it eliminates nine cubic yards of landfill space and saves trees since one ton of virgin cardboard requires three tons of trees. In the age of online shopping there is no shortage of cardboard boxes travelling and ending up in our communities. What has changed, however, is the global commodity market.
Until recently about half of North America’s recycling was shipped to China. Anyone who has ever seen the rows of containers full of compacted recyclables waiting to be shipped knows we are talking large volumes.
In 2017, China announced a ban on importation of certain recyclable items, including various plastics and unsorted mixed papers, and set a tougher standard for contamination levels. Known as the “National Sword” policy, the change included a goal to implement a total import ban on recyclables by 2020.
The consequence of Chinese end-market mills not purchasing North American recycled materials is that the price for these commodities are free falling globally.
The recycling crisis is being felt locally by impacting the recycling of cardboard by the industrial, commercial and institutional (ICI) sector. Residential recycling has not been affected because in 2014 recycling across BC changed as communities signed onto the Provincial Extended Producer Responsibility Plan for Paper Product and Packaging (PPP).
BC Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy recycling regulation mandates that the recycling program plan, Recycle BC, handle residential recycling only, and not the collection of PPP from the ICI sector.
Until now, Powell River area businesses, hospital, schools, et cetera, have been able to bring cardboard and paper to Sunshine Disposal and Recycling. Free drop off at Sunshine Disposal will no longer be an option as of April 15.
The Town Centre Recycling depot is the only depot in Powell River that will accept recyclable materials from the ICI sector and can only accept a minimal amount of material. Each commercial load of cardboard brought to Town Centre Recycling needs to be a maximum of three feet by three feet by three feet.
In an age where we know we need to consume less, recycle more and increase diversion from the landfill, this feels like a step backward. The silver lining is that this global crisis may reinvigorate local recycling operations, so materials do not need to be shipped across the globe.
It is also a time to take action and let the environment ministry know you want them to change the recycling regulation to include ICI materials, which would open up all of our recycling depots to materials from all sectors.
Let’s Talk Trash is qathet Regional District’s waste-reduction education program.
