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MMBC recycling begins

The first of the blue boxes were picked up in the Hart Tuesday, marking the beginning of Prince George's curbside recycling collection. Multi-Material B.C.
Recycling
Emterra does recycling pick-ups in the Hart Tuesday morning as the MMBC recycling program starts in Prince George.

The first of the blue boxes were picked up in the Hart Tuesday, marking the beginning of Prince George's curbside recycling collection.

Multi-Material B.C. (MMBC) managing director Allen Langdon was on the ground in Prince George taking stock of the program launch, and said he was seeing plenty of full boxes set out for pick up by contractor Emterra Environmental.

"I'm even seeing some people who had existing blue boxes put three containers out, which is great - we'll take as much material as residents will provide us," Langdon said. "And I think just generally the response we receive from residents are really excited to have access to blue box recycling."

MMBC is the stewardship group representing producers of packaging and printed paper, who the provincial government mandated as responsible for collecting the materials put into the marketplace as of May 19 of this year.

The curbside service, beginning this week in Prince George and Quesnel, is unique in that it's the only one being run by MMBC as opposed to by a local government, with a financial contribution from MMBC.

Both the city of Prince George, the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George and its member municipalities turned down the financial incentives offered by the group to provide recycling service themselves.

"But at the end of the day I think the results will still be the same," said Langdon. "People want access to curbside recycling, it makes sense for a city the size of Prince George to have access to curbside recycling, and we're excited about the opportunity to make that happen here in Prince George and Quesnel."

Though early days for the local program, Langdon said provincially there has been some confusion from residents over what can and cannot be placed in the curbside blue boxes.

One box is for metal and plastic containers and paper packaging that held liquid when sold while the other provided box is for newsprint, cardboard and household papers. Items such as glass bottles and jars, plastic backs and plastic foam packaging can't go in the curbside bins but can be taken to the Hart Return-It Centre or P.G. Recycling and Return-It Centre.

"I think over time we'll be able to sort that out both through our contractor and just general consumer education," Langdon said. "I think at the end of the day, the important thing is what we're trying to do is create a system that when you put something in it can actually be recycled."

For detailed information about what is recyclable under the new program, visit www.RecyclingInBC.ca/prince-george, where residents can also download a smartphone app for reminders about collection day.

Currently, only single-family homes in Prince George that already receive curbside garbage collection are receiving the new recycling pick up. Multi-family residences, such as apartment buildings, are not in MMBC's sights just yet.

"Do we expect to improve and expand the program? Absolutely. But that will always be in concert with the number of producers we represent. So the more producers we represent then the greater our ability to expand the program," Langdon said. "But we always have to be conscious that we can only pay for what our producers produce. We have to be careful that they don't start subsidizing companies who are not yet taking on their responsibilities under the regulation."

More than 900 producers have signed on to the MMBC program, but there are significant holdouts, including the newspaper industry.

Unless more companies sign on, Langdon said expansion into underserved regions, such as the rest of the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George outside of the city limits, isn't feasible. That's not something Langdon said he can control.

"I'm not the regulator, I'm not the enforcement arm. I can't compel businesses to join my program or to discharge their obligations under the regulation," he said. "All I can do is make sure that when people do join my program, that we're meeting the regulatory obligations and ensuring that through MMBC we're providing access to residents for recycling."

Next month, there will be more changes to the recycling landscape as the RDFFG shifts its drop depots to improve access for those outside of the municipal boundary.

As of Oct. 1, recycling bins will no longer be available at Bon Voyage Plaza, Ferndale Fire Hall, Hart Mall, Nechako Bottle Depot, Our Saviours Lutheran Church and Lakewood Alliance Church.

They will be moved to new sites at the Bear Lake, Chief Lake, West Lake, Buckhorn, Hixon and Willow River transfer stations.

Drop depot bins will remain at the Foothills Boulevard regional landfill, Quinn Street recycling depot, Vanway, Cumming Road, Shelley, McBride and Valemount transfer stations and in Mackenzie.

The list of materials accepted at the drop depot bins will also be expanded to reflect what's accepted in the curbside program, effective Oct. 1.