Editor:
As Laurel Lefay requested in her letter last week (“Not walking the talk”), I will try to clarify the mixed messages regarding Gibsons area recycling services. Gibsons Recycling Depot’s (GRD) primary contract, before and after the provincial introduction of Multi-Material BC (MMBC), is with the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD). Throughout the province, recycling is provincially mandated as regional solid waste only to regional districts, not municipalities.
Of course, the Town of Gibsons has a seat at the SCRD, and with other areas supported an increase and extension to Gibsons Recycling Depot’s contract only last year. Later in 2016, the owners of GRD decided to put their business up for sale, which is their personal right. As quoted in this publication, they are planning for retirement and hoping to “pass the baton.”
GRD holds the Gibsons-area depot contract until it expires in December 2018. The SCRD will need to determine how best to continue its recycling services in Gibsons once this contract concludes. As for the Town’s role, our Zero Waste Committee made recommendations about modifying our garbage collection (which has little to do with the depot), collaborating with the SCRD on education, and integrating the pursuit of zero waste into our own operations. The Town’s next step will be a survey on composting and waste collection to help guide an organics diversion program.
The owners of GRD had integral input into the committee’s work. Beyond this, they’ve built a legacy of awareness and participation in waste reduction, recycling and resource recovery. The transition away from the GRD we know and love is uncertain and inconvenient, but Barb and Buddy’s community legacy and education will surely stay strong – especially their teachings that the greatest impact comes not from recycling depots and landfills but by re-thinking what we consume, reducing our waste and re-using materials in our own homes and workplaces.
Silas White, Councillor, Town of Gibsons
