Know what goes in those blue bins before taking them out to the curb.
That’s the message Terrace city council want to get out to residents to help lower contamination rates and save the city from some hefty fines.
An extended five-year curbside recycling agreement with Recycle BC was approved by city council Sept. 24 with the option for two one-year extensions, at the recycling organization’s discretion.
Under the agreement, Recycle BC has increased its payments to the city moderately by $1.40 to a rate of $35.40 per household, creating a six per cent increase in funding for the city, from $135,000 to $143,000. The revenue is used to cover the cost of the city’s collection program.
But this agreement could be in jeopardy if the city’s recycling contamination rates don’t fall back in line.
The accepted average percentage of non-packaging and printed paper (PPP) under Recycle BC’s program is three per cent. Based on two Recycle BC audits, contamination rates jumped from eight per cent to over 20 per cent in July and August. Rob Schibli, the city’s director of public works, noted that the numbers are based on weight, meaning a small volume of heavy material can really affect this percentage.
“Toys are not eligible under the program, the four brake rollers from your pick up truck are nice, solid pieces of recyclable metal, but they aren’t eligible under the program. Clothing was an issue on one audit for sure and clothing is definitely not acceptable curbside,” Schibli said.
Electronics, non-packaged metals, and items placed in black bags make up some of the contamination, but hardcover and softcover books are making up the largest portion.
Single-use plastic bags will also no longer be accepted as collection containers for recyclables, and residents will have to place recyclable materials loosely in the blue bin, not in bags.
Recycle BC’s “Service Level Failure Credit” (SLFC) was increased on a sliding scale in the new agreement. The SLFC fine is currently $5,000 per route, but under the new contract the fee could increase year-over-year, reaching $20,000 for the fifth year if contamination levels remain above three per cent.
With a maximum of 24 loads in a calendar year, this means the city could see maximum annual fines of $120,000, $480,000 by the fifth year if contamination rates don’t change.
However, Karisa Petho, city communications officer said Terrace rarely see deductions of that amount and did not receive any contamination fines last year.
But to curb this problem, staff driving the trucks will be placing contamination stickers on offending blue bins, keeping track of which households are responsible. Tracking frequent offenders has been something the city has done in the past, but will be more “diligent” with notifying residents from now on.
There are cameras installed at the back of the city trucks, showing drivers what’s being dumped at each address. And if nothing changes, frequent offenders have the potential to be fined a minimum of $100, according to the city’s solid waste bylaw.
“Every household with contaminated recycling is recorded and contacted with a notification,” said Petho.
The city is also developing an education strategy to get contamination rates down, which includes plans for a social media campaign with videos to help residents understand what contaminated materials are. There will also be a push to get more attention around the Recycle Coach app, which lists garbage and recycling pick up days and allows the user to search for where to put specific materials curbside.
“The mindset to start with when you’re trying to choose where to throw something is ‘Can it go in the organics bin?’ Because that’s the most effective diversion we can have. And then if you’re considering it going into the blue bin, is it printed paper or packaging? That is what the B.C. recycling regulation covers, and that is what Recycle BC is mandated to collect,” Schibli said.
Accepted items include aerosol cans, plastic bottles, metal cans and lids for food, newspapers and flyers, and aluminum foil. Styrofoam, glass jars and bottles, plastic bags, and soft plastics are not allowed but can be taken to the Do Your Part recycling depot in Thornhill for processing.
List of Items Recyclable at... by on Scribd
brittany@terracestandard.com
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