Faced with a steep learning curve, close to 100 residents attended a public information session to learn more about sorting their trash under Powell River’s recent recycling regulations.
Residential recycling shifted May 20 as Multi Material BC (MMBC), an industry-led not-for-profit organization, took over handling product packaging and printed paper recycling in the province.
The changes come as a result of the provincial government’s 2011 update on recycling regulations to boost the recycling rate of packaging and printed paper. MMBC’s stewardship plan was approved by the provincial government in April 2013.
Tai Uhlmann, Abby McLennan and Inger-Lise Burns, Powell River Regional District’s (PRRD) Let’s Talk Trash team, walked participants through an overview of the changes, gave tips on how to sort materials and answered questions with the help of PRRD’s manager of community services Mike Wall.
The information session in Powell River was held Wednesday, June 4, at Evergreen Theatre.
“I know a lot of us were happy with the green bins and the way recycling was handled and there is a steep learning curve with this,” said Uhlmann. The green bins though were quite contaminated with trash, on average 260 pounds per bin, she added. Many items included were thought to be recycling but were not and ended up in the landfill or being incinerated.
Uhlmann highlighted the fact that recycling is the last of the three Rs and that reducing consumption and changing shopping habits to pressure companies into making their product packaging more recyclable are steps people can take to make an impact.
Rural residents are not the only ones having to contend with a new system. Despite the fact that the City of Powell River has yet to sign an agreement with MMBC, changes with curbside pickup also came into
effect on May 20.
“Rather than continue on the way we had been doing it, we thought it would be good for us to start moving in the direction that MMBC is wanting the stream to come in,” said Will Widel, superintendent of public works for the city.
The city was given the option to sign up last year, but did not after questions about the program remained unanswered. The city was forced to make changes though when it discovered the locations where it used to take recycling had dried up because MMBC was the only player in town.
The city is collecting paper and containers in its curbside program and having residents take plastic bags and overwrap, plastic foam and glass to the rural depots.
“These are the items that have the possibility of contaminating loads in the future and they are more easily accepted at a depot,” said Widel. “They have the ability to put them into separate bins.”
Residents are asked to put all paper and containers into a blue box, tote or labelled garbage can at curbside and not bag them up in the clear recycling bags.
“The plastic bag is one of the materials that they don’t accept,” he said, adding that the bag itself is a product not packaging.
Not all plastic containers are accepted either, especially those which include laminated layers of plastic, have zipper locks or are foil-lined like potato chip bags.
A stretch-crinkle test is a simple way to determine if the bag is acceptable.
First establish that the plastic bag in question is actually packaging and not a product that has been bought as a container for food, like a sandwich or zipper bag.
Second, try to stretch the bag. If it can stretch it is probably accepted. If it does not or it makes a crinkle sound then it is made of a laminate material and not accepted.
Despite having curbside service, many city residents used the green bins at Town Centre Mall and were angry when they were removed. PRRD staff have been working on a replacement for the mall bins and announced at the meeting that a location behind RONA Building Centre will be developed. The depot is expected to open in July.
Readers can find more detailed information about how to sort recyclables and the Let's Talk Trash team online.
