Directors at the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) are hoping more detailed data might give them some insight into why there’s been a steady drop in the tonnage of recycling coming into SCRD depots.
According to the infrastructure services department’s third-quarter report, the tonnage has dropped from about 1,100 tonnes in 2015 to just 700 tonnes as of the end of August this year.
Tonnage at the landfill in Sechelt and the transfer station in Pender Harbour, meanwhile, is trending upward.
“My concern is that tonnage is going up, while the recycling tonnage is going down,” said Ian Winn, director for West Howe Sound. “What is the cause-and-effect there and has an analysis been done to indicate why one is going up and another is going down?”
General manager of infrastructure Bryan Shoji said the department monitors the numbers closely and noted that landfill tonnages often go up when there’s a boom in construction and development or an economic upturn in general, and there may not be a connection with the recycling numbers.
The amount of recyclables is also down sharply from the estimated 1,500 tonnes in 2013. Shoji explained that change is mainly because of the switch to MMBC (Multi-Material BC), an industry stewardship program. MMBC deals only with residential recycling, so the SCRD’s figures no longer include commercial or industrial collection such as a cardboard boxes from a retail outlet. There’s no data for 2014 because it was the transition year between the two systems.
“But we are trending downward,” Shoji told the committee. “We are working with MMBC to provide an explanation for those numbers … I should also add too that the numbers we are receiving from MMBC we believe are more accurate.”
There have also been changes to the range of recyclable material accepted at the SCRD depots since the switch to MMBC.
After reviewing the report, the committee voted to have staff prepare a report on monthly recycling volume changes, related costs and landfill implications since the start of the MMBC contract.
Jeremy Valeriote, the alternate director for Gibsons and a former manager of waste reduction and recovery with the SCRD, pointed out that it would be worthwhile to wait until there’s a full year of 2016 data to work with.
“It is conceivable, from my point of view, that the [full] 2016 numbers might match the 2015 numbers,” he said.
