Shane Briggs, manager of waste & recycling, provided development and infrastructure committee members a presentation highlighting the city's recycling and waste management opinions as a deadline looms for municipalities to provide their plans for new provincial waste legislation that will save local governments and taxpayers money.--NEWS PHOTO BRENDAN MILLER
bmiller@medicinehatnews.com
Members of the development and infrastructure committee voted in favour of a motion for council to opt out of controlling municipal recycling services aimed at increasing cash flow by $1.4 million.
Council is required to make a decision before Oct. 31 to inform the province that the city will take advantage of a new provincial framework to begin April 2024 that will shift the burden of collecting, sorting, processing and recycling waste away from local governments and taxpayers and onto the producers of those products.
The Extended Producer Responsibility Regulation looks to make producers and businesses that supply packaging and paper to residents responsible for the end-of-life management of their material.
Most producers will be contributing financially towards the new regulation however some producers may be required to operate a recycling facility or look at innovative ways to recycle more materials and produce less waste from packaging.
Shane Briggs, manager of waste & recycling, provided the committee a presentation that outlines the benefits of opting out of the control of operational costs and liability for recycling and transferring those costs to the producer.
Aside from expected cost savings, the province suggests that benefits include maintaining current service levels, no post collection outsourcing of collected material, no additional costs for equipment and workforce, as well as public education messaging would be consistent with the province.
“So it’s a guaranteed substantial operational savings,” says Briggs. “No additional full-time employees would be needed.”
However, some drawbacks include the potential to change service levels to bi-weekly collection and reduction of inner-city deports.
If the council votes to opt in to the current service model the city would then become the circular materials contractor and would manage the current recycling contract and need to request reimbursement on cost per stock basis for eligible expenses.
“The disadvantages are currently the compensation of the cost per stop is, right now, unknown,” explains Briggs. “The city has yet to receive an offer of reimbursement on a cost per stop basis … that may lead to cost overruns and, of course, the additional staff, too.”
Under this model the city would also have to hire staff for assurance compliance and to develop a contamination management plan.
If council votes to opt out of control of recycling and waste management services the city will eliminate operational expenses associated with recycling collection and processing, and taxpayers will receive some relief on their utility bills.
Of note, during the meeting there was speculation between staff and members of committee that producers and businesses may pass along increased costs onto the consumer.
“This is something that municipalities have been requesting for many years,” says Briggs. “To essentially hand the cost over and the liability away from the residents and municipalities and back to the producer.
“We are excited that this day has finally come and we have full support from the province.”
During questions, Coun. McGrogan inquired about “looking at opportunities” to capitalize from the legislation and provide residents more incentive to recycle their waste.
“Is this a bigger opportunity than just handing over the recycling?” McGrogan asked city staff. “How do we reset how we’re incentivizing our community to recycle?”
Bohan says if council votes to ‘opt out’ some of the additional cash flow could be utilized for other waste and food management and composting projects.
