After months of negotiating, Gibsons Recycling Depot (GRD) became an official Multi-Material BC (MMBC) site on Aug. 15.
GRD reached an agreement with the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) recently for depot collection of residential packaging and printed-paper (PPP) under MMBC, Jeremy Valeriote, the SCRD’s manager of waste recovery and reduction, said in an email.
“Gibsons Recycling has been implementing MMBC material guidelines since early July, and collection services will officially transition on Aug. 15,” Valeriote said.
“Discussions with GRIPS for Pender Harbour collection are nearing conclusion, but we do not yet have a start date,” he added.
GRD operator Buddy Boyd said he and co-owner Barb Hetherington are planning to expand the depot’s services beyond the scope of MMBC.
Since books are not collected under the program, they will start a separate book recycling program in collaboration with the SCRD, he said.
They are also looking at ways to provide recycling for non-residential customers.
“We are gathering data and information as we speak to figure out a way to provide services for the business/commercial community here on the South Coast,” he said.
As well, GRD is talking with MMBC contractor Green By Nature (GBN) about transportation efficiencies and densifying collected PPP materials locally.
“Both GRD and GRIPS are concerned about the negative carbon footprint of transporting non-densified collected recyclables, as is GBN,” Boyd said. “We look forward to working collaboratively with those who are like-minded.”
A vocal critic of incineration, Boyd said GRD has added a clause in the contract that allows them to opt out if MMBC is found to be sending any collected PPP materials to a waste-to-energy facility, something that MMBC has repeatedly denied it will do.
GRD will retain its hours of operation — 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week.
