What bin does the bag go in? Retail paper bags will now be recycled
Starting July 1, not all paper bags will go into the compost bin
The Island Waste Management Corporation is reminding Islanders that starting July 1, not all paper bags will go into the compost bin — IWMC will now recycle retail paper bags and fast food bags, and is asking Islanders not to put them in compost as they have been used to.
The changes are part of the plastic bag reduction act which bans retailers from providing single-use plastic bags.
The purpose of the act is not to replace plastic bags with paper bags said Heather Myers, disposal manager at IWMC.
"We're hoping that majority of the residents on P.E.I. will switch to reusable bags. But we don't know, it's unknown, so we have to be prepared for a number of paper bags landing in the waste, compost, recycling stream."
The reason for changing how paper bags are processed is that there could be a huge increase in the number of paper bags which would result in too much paper going to the compost facility, Myers said.
Should now be recycled, with cardboard boxes
However bags such as those for sugar, flour and microwave popcorn will remain in the compost stream Myers said.
"It would have been a whole lot easier if we could have just put all the paper bags into the recycling stream," she noted.
Retail paper bags can be recycled easily but paper bags containing items such as sugar have an additive added to them to prevent moisture from getting to the food, said Myers.
"It's that additive in that paper bag that causes it to not be recyclable — it can be composted."
Recyclable paper bags should be set out with cardboard, but if you aren't setting out cardboard regularly they can be put in a blue bag.
Myers said a newsletter will be going out in mid-June to educate Islanders about the changes.
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With files from Island Morning