Acadian Peninsula's recycling program exceeds expectations

People on the Acadian Peninsula are recycling more material than expected according to Cedric Landry, the communications director for the peninsula's regional service commission. The recycling program in the region started two years ago, and Landry said it's exceeding expectations. 

"In year two, we are where we thought we'd be in year five," said Landry of how successful the program has been.

Landry said it took some time for people to get used to sorting their trash, and having garbage collection only every other week.

"That was the hardest bump on the road, telling them their recyclables would be picked up one week and normal waste the other week.

"At first there was a lot of hesitation, people were skeptical...now it's getting to be easier."

The other challenge was teaching people what could and couldn't be placed in the bins. He says compliance has improved, but people are still learning. 

"People are enthusiastic about recycling, sometimes a little too enthusiastic."

Information sharing

That's why a new education campaign will be launched in the next month to remind residents what should be going in the blue bin and what should be going in the garbage.

Landry said it is a natural assumption by many that if they see something that they think can be recycled, they put it in the blue bin. But he said items like plastic grocery bags, glass bottles, and take-out coffee cups often find their way in there too, which means more work at the sorting centre where they have to be tossed-out. ​

RSC chairman Georges Savoie said if the number of blue bins sitting at the end of driveways on pick up days is any indication, then the program is working.

"We know it's not making a lot of money but at least we're saving on what we would send to the landfill at Red Pine," said Savoie, adding this also helps keep taxes down.

Job creation

Landry said many of the recyclables end up at the sorting facility in Tracadie-Sheila where staff sort items by hand. The centre provides jobs for clients of Coopérative de solidarité en recyclage et intégration à l'emploi (CSRIE), an organization that finds employment for people with mental and physical disabilities.

Recycled items are sold to markets in Nova Scotia and Quebec.

In the first year of the program, the RSC was able to divert 2500 tonnes of waste from the landfill, almost 20 per cent of the waste that would have previously have been sent.

"The major reasons we are doing this is first of all, for the environment and second of all, to save money."