Nanaimo’s curbside collection program has a new boss.
The City of Nanaimo has opted to ink a deal for curbside recycling with Multi-Material B.C. – a not-for-profit of manufacturers and retailers now in charge of recycling their own products.
Under the new deal, the responsibility to collect and market recycled material will be shifted away from the municipality, which will now be a contractor for MMBC.
The move will roll out next May and while it could mean new recycling fees priced into products, residents will no longer have to pay the city to recycle.
There will also be changes to what homeowners leave at the curb.
Newspapers will no longer have to be separated into a different bag and people will be able to recycle gable-top and aerosol containers.
Plastic bags, styrofoam and glass will have to be taken to drop-off centres like the Nanaimo Recycling Exchange.
The change is a result of new regulations from the B.C. government in 2011, which made manufacturers and retailers responsible for recycling the printed paper and packaging they produce to help reduce waste.
As part of the shift, MMBC will pay the city $900,000 to collect recycling on its behalf. Nanaimo will tweak its contract with BFI Canada to extend its service for another year with a two-per cent fee hike to continue its curbside pickup service.