Town wants further guidance given to regarding recycling receptables

 The new recycling program and receptacles that are coming with it were a topic raised by a member of town council at the Oct. 14 meeting.

Councillor Peter Courtney’s motion was passed with that motion noting that Circular Materials will be providing the new recycling receptables and locally owned business Herby Curby and their products will “not be permitted to be used for recycling purposes.”

Courtney’s motion, which was passed, pointed out that those residents who exceed the 95-gallon cart capacity may contact local contractor GFL for an assessment to determine eligibility for a second cart. The motion also states that under O.Reg. 391/21, “the Blue Box Regulation, Circular Materials is required to provide blue box receptables for the storage of blue box material at the residence until blue box material is collected and, when it has provided such receptacles shall provide blue box receptacles that are appropriate for the residence, including with respect to size (and to) ensure that each residence has a blue box receptable that is able to ordinarily store of the blue box material deposited at the residence until the next collection day.”

The motion “urges guidance” be provided by the province to Circular Materials with regards to considerations such as residents being encouraged to utilize locally manufactured recycling receptacles and/or those recycling receptables that have already been purchased by residents that align with the design specifications in use by the receptacles from Circular Materials and that the residents are provided recycling collection in excess of a single recycling receptacle “in line with section 22(b) of O.Reg. 391/22” and that communications to residents should reinforce that all materials placed at curbside will be collected.”

Courtney said he had concerns over receptacles that residents had purchased will become obsolete.

“That’s concerning to me,” he said. “Number one, what do you do with all that plastic? It’s ironic, is it recyclable? Do you put your carts out at the next recycling day to get picked up and scrapped?”

Courtney added he is a recycler and fills two carts in a two-week period.

“I don’t know if one receptacle would even be enough for my household of three people,” he said.

Councillor Molly Allaire said the town didn’t get much say in the matter and it was “pushed on us” without much information in advance. Accessibility was a concern from residents, she said, as a 95-gallon bin was too big for some people.

“What happens to the sweet, elderly people who can’t wheel a 95 bin or have accessibility issues?” she asked.

Allaire said some people she heard from questioned whether they could keep recycling since they would have difficulty using our housing a large bin.

“It’s a great plan coming forward but it’s not great for all. I think it actually does hinder. This is a great motion,” said Allaire.

Deputy Mayor Chris Gibb said “it was a great initiative by Councillor Courtney” and that “we should be doing everything we can to make it easier to recycle.”

“It’s unfortunate the province has allowed this, to what I consider, is to go off the rails. If people don’t recycle, then the taxpayers of Amherstburg are going to have to pay to dump this in the landfill,” said Gibb. “I think there needs to be some sober second thought that the province can tweak this system to make it more user-friendly because it’s just going to cost us all more if they don’t.”

Councillor Don McArthur said “this problem is a creature of the province” and it was created when recycling went to Circular Materials. He believed people are going to be discouraged from recycling and noted the life of the landfill should be extended as finding spots for new landfills are expensive and divisive.

McArthur added he has several recycling boxes now and questioned what he would do with those.

“At the very least, they have to let residents know what the plan is to get rid of all this excess junk that is no longer used,” he said, adding he was happy to support Courtney’s motion.

The motion was carried unanimously.

By Ron Giofu