A new recycling system rolls out in BC in three weeks, amid controversy and some calls for it to be put on hold.
Multi Material BC will be pretty straightforward when it starts in Nanaimo and the Nanaimo Regional District on May 19th, where it will mean some changes to what goes into blue boxes.
But on the Sunshine Coast it’s more complicated.
The District of Sechelt has opted out, saying its lawyers didn’t like the look of the contract. Gibsons will stay with a drop off depot, and the Sunshine Coast Regional District’s depots will also take material for MMBC.
The SCRD has been looking at curbside collection through MMBC in Halfmoon Bay and Roberts Creek, but that’s been delayed. One of the questions is how home-based businesses will be treated, because MMBC is only supposed to take residential items.
Jordan Best of MMBC says what goes in a curbside bin, will be treated as residential.
But the people who operate drop off depots are supposed to sort business from residential items. Some depots are saying that’s going to add a lot of extra cost. They’ve also complained about an unfair deal from MMBC. But MMBC defends the contracts for depots and says they even offer some advantages, because MMBC will cover shipping costs and take on the risk of a downturn in prices for recyclables.
