Buoyed by early recycling success, Saint John expands waste collection program
City adding subsidized medical waste program to Waste Wise
Almost five months after launching an ambitious curbside recycling program, Saint John is putting resources into its expansion, including a new subsidized medical waste program and provision of replacement bins.
The Waste Wise program has been so successful financially that the city has some money to spend on making it better, Tim O'Reilly, the city's director of public works, told Monday's meeting of Saint John council.
"To say the targets have been achieved by the community would be an understatement," said O'Reilly.
The Waste Wise collection program began in late October 2022 and provides curbside recycling service to homes and some apartments, while regulating the amount of waste a household can put to the curb each week.
In December, the city said the program resulted in 40 per cent of residential waste being diverted from the landfill during its first month, surpassing a goal of 15 per cent diversion.
That trend has held, O'Reilly said, with four and a half months of data showing an average of 43 per cent of residential waste being diverted per week.
Financially, the city hoped to achieve $614,000 a year in combined savings and revenues from the project: $191,950 in savings from reduced landfill fees and $421,790 in new revenue from extra bag tag purchases.
The city is now projecting an annual combined savings and revenue of $650,000: $400,000 in savings from landfiill fees and $250,000 in revenue from bag tag purchases.
"I've got the pompoms out," Mayor Donna Reardon said after hearing the update.
"I think you guys are amazing. I think the whole project is amazing."
Working on recycling for apartments
One issue that arose during the implementation of the program was that some citizens need more garbage allowance due to at-home medical care that produces more waste, said O'Reilly.
Beginning Tuesday, eligible residents will be able to receive an extra bag tag every week, allowing them to put out an extra bag of garbage through a new medical waste support program.
O'Reilly said the city will also be holding a recycling tote replacement blitz, where people can replace bins that may have been damaged or lost.
Despite the program's success, there is one significant gap, according to Coun. David Hickey.
The program's implementation coincided with the Fundy Regional Service Commission's removal of community blue bins around the city where anyone could drop off recycling. And Waste Wise's curbside recycling program does not include apartments with more than four units or businesses.
"We have such stellar results from what we've done — making sure that we adjust to represent massive groups of people living in apartment buildings with more than four units, I think, is really important," Hickey said.
The long-term solution to this issue is a program that is expected to launch across New Brunswick in 2024, O'Reilly wrote in his report to council.
The program, known as an extended producer responsibility program, would put the financial and co-ordination burden of recycling paper and packaging products on the businesses that create them.
The program "is funded by the producers and will create the resources, one way or the other, to be able to collect recycling, including from the larger apartment buildings," O'Reilly said during the meeting.
No increase in illegal dumping on public land
Coun. Brent Harris said there have been many complaints about illegal dumping since the city implemented the program.
The city hasn't seen an increase in illegal dumping on public lands as a result of the program and issues on private land would be out of scope of the solid works program, O'Reilly said.
Harris asked what he could say to private landowners complaining of illegal dumping. Hickey also raised the issue and asked how the city can know illegal dumping hasn't increased on private property if reports of it aren't filed in the same way as with public land.
The city could become aware of dumping through customer service calls but hasn't seen a trend, said Brent McGovern, the city's chief administrative officer.
"If we do hear of anything, we'll be prepared to take action," he said.
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