North Battleford city council is facing the ongoing challenge of residents putting non-recyclable products in their blue bins and contaminating the load. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Angela Brown

Recycling program concern

City dealing with residents putting non-recyclables into recycling bins

May 28, 2019 | 5:09 PM

Plastic dolls; Styrofoam; metallic products, such as cookware; and ink cartridges.

These are a sampling of items that have been found in North Battleford’s recycling bins that do not belong there.

The city is asking residents to make sure their recycling efforts are actually not “wish-cycling” the next time they fill up their blue bins.

North Battleford Utility Services Assistant Director Tammy MacCormack presented her report to council indicating too many non-recyclable items are ending up in recycling containers and contaminating the loads.

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As a result, Loraas requested the city change a detail in its contract with the recycling service provider to indicate Loraas will accept no more than five per cent contamination of total inbound product in its residential recycling program.

In her report, MacCormack said some communities are tagging bins containing non-recyclable products, and/or fining offenders using a three-step process, as well as starting education campaigns to raise awareness about the issue.

She indicated the contract amendment will not have a significant impact on the city’s budget. In the process, any excess contamination will be diverted to the landfill as part of the city’s residential waste program. The city will be responsible for the associated landfill costs.

Following the meeting, Mayor Ryan Bater said residents need to inform themselves of what can be recycled.

“Clearly, the request for the change from Loraas is based on the fact that too many individuals are putting non-recyclable material in the recycle bins,” Bater said.

Read the bin

Bater said there is clear information on the top of everyone’s recycling bin about what items are accepted in the recycling program and what are not.

“Maybe there needs to be more public education about what we can and cannot recycle in the bins,” the mayor said. “But the reality is, too much non-recyclable materials are going in. We had to amend the contract, so non-recyclable material will be coming out and going to the city’s landfill.”

The onus is on residents to make sure what they put in the bins can legitimately be recycled, to read the information on the top of their bins and ensure they understand it.

The mayor pointed out in the past year there have been some changes to the city’s recyclable program. He said certain items, such as plastic bags or stretchable plastic, are no longer recyclable. Others, he said, were never recyclable at all, like Styrofoam and hard plastics.

“People need to understand the blue bin is not for garbage,” Bater said. “It’s for recyclable material.”

He said the city is fortunate to have a single-stream recycling collection service provided by Loraas, so residents need to be more diligent about what they toss in their bins.

“I think the term used tonight (Monday) is wish-cycling,” Bater added. “You wish it was recyclable or you think it might be. But just look at the top of the bin.”

The city’s website provides information about what items can be recycled.

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angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow