By Times Staff
The Thompson-Nicola Regional District’s (TNRD) previous recycling program has evolved and recyclers are now asked to separate recycling into six different categories when heading to an EcoDepot or transfer station.
The six categories for recyclables are paper and cardboard, containers like plastic, metal and paper, plastic bags and overwrap, white foam packaging, coloured foam packaging, and glass bottles and jars.
The new program comes after the TNRD made an agreement with the provincial product stewardship program, Recycle BC, which is responsible for recycling residential packaging and printed paper throughout British Columbia.
“There were more than 50 people at the informative talk given by Recycle B.C.,” said Kim Pendergast, who was on hand at the education session at the Clearwater EcoDepot.
“The program has now begun to teach all the locals the new system involved in the program—Clearwater has been waiting six years to be accepted in the new program so it is great to get us all on board with it.”
The new program moves the costs related to recycling these products away from taxpayers and puts it back onto producers; all TNRD solid waste disposal facilities will be transitioned over the summer, with all facilities being compliant with Recycle BC standards by early September.
Some of the benefits of joining Recycle BC include stable and secure end markets for recycling program materials, as well as savings of roughly $500,000 a year, mostly in the hauling and processing costs of recycling.
Robyn Rexin, who attended the Vavenby education session, said close to 15 people showed up and learned the new recycling protocols.
“All materials must be clean; pamphlets were handed out to show what was and wasn’t acceptable in each group,” she said.
“This is a trial run and the program starts in earnest on September 1.”
There is a hotline available for those in doubt of what to do and it’s available Monday to Friday at 1-800-667-4321.
There are also a couple apps, one called Recyclopedia and another called Mywaste to help with questions recyclers might have.
For additional information visit RecycleBC.ca or recycleright@tnrd.ca or call the TNRD Environmental Services Department at 1-877-377-8673.