The business of increasing blue box efficiency

If you live in Hawkesbury, East Hawkesbury or Champlain, the cost of recycling is more than three times higher than some neighbouring municipalities.

You don't have to wonder why. It's simple. In these three municipalities, there is not enough recyclable material collected to enable effectiveness and efficiency of the recycling program. Consistent annual increases of about 7.8 per cent between 2002 and 2007, followed by a 12.9 per cent increase in 2008 are expected to lead to a three per cent decrease in recyclables collected in 2009.

In other municipalities like North Glengarry, the cost per tonne was $102. In Russell, where 1,400 tonnes were collected, the cost was $189 per tonne. In both of these municipalities, provincial funding for these recycling programs will increase, as the result of new methods for grant calculation based on effectiveness and efficiency when it comes to blue box programs.

In The Nation, 878 tonnes of recyclable material were collected in 2008 at $246 per tonne. That municipality's provincial funding will increase from $87,455 to $98,715.

Regional recycling coordinator Robert Lefebvre attributes positive elements of blue box programs in other municipalities due to the establishment and enforcement of bag limits, which encourages residents to divert materials from the regular waste stream.

It stands to reason that certain efficiencies would be obtained when more recyclables are collected. Recycling collection systems are in place whether you recycle a little or a lot. If we recall recommendations made when recycling programs were first introduced, it might help. Simple things like placing only full blue boxes at the curb might reduce the stops for recycling vehicles and help to reduce the time it takes recycling trucks to make the rounds. Ensuring that your blue boxes are filled to the limit and that cardboard and other items are collapsed to as to take up less space is also recommended.

Checking the large list of what is recyclable and noting how that list has grown in the past years might also help to reduce recyclable materials ending up in the regular waste stream.

When representatives from Hawkesbury, East Hawkesbury and Champlain Township meet to improve effectiveness and efficiency of the program, let us hope they consider offering recycling pick-up to retailers, restaurants and property-owners classified as commercial. It is difficult to accept that we must all recycle more while recyclables generated by businesses are currently ending up in our landfill site.

Composting programs which have been discussed at various times during past years might also reduce the waste generated by restaurants and institutions.

If the province is pressuring municipalities to get serious about increasing recycling efficiency and effectiveness, let's hope it checks with all municipalities to see how it is handling waste generated by businesses and commercial enterprises.

Recycling efficiency and effectiveness? Let's talk business.

L.S.