solid waste management in the thompson-nicola regional district presented by mr. peter hughes and...

Solid Waste Management In the Thompson-Nicola

Regional District

Presented By Mr. Peter Hughes and Mr. Martin Dickson

City of Merritt Council Meeting

May 13, 2008

Thompson-Nicola Regional District Environmental Health Services

Outline• Plan Review Process

• Plan Highlights

• Changes in the Merritt area.

• Blue Bag Recycling


Plan Review Process• Started summer 2005

• Public Consultation November 2006

• Approved by TNRD Board June 2007

• Final Plan to Minister of Environment November 2007

• Approved by Minister February 2008

• Adopted by TNRD Board March 2008


Plan Highlights• Reduce number of Transfer Stations

– To 13 – 18 from 32 by 2010– No unattended transfer stations

• Reduce number of active landfills– Close 3 by 2010, Barriere, Chase, Clearwater

• User-pay system (tipping fees)– For all users at TNRD disposal facilities

• Regional Recycling Program– At all attended facilities and municipalities


2008 Priorities• Tipping Fee Bylaw and Schedule (July 1/08

DLC, Jan 1/09 Residential)• Recycling at Landfills, Attended TS’s and

Municipalities• Install weigh scales at Heffley Creek and Lower

Nicola• Siting of new TS for Clearwater, Chase and

Barriere areas• Close 5 unattended transfer stations


Merritt Area• Improving front-end of Lower Nicola landfill

to “Eco-Depot”

• Scale

• Blue Bag Recycling depot at landfill

• Other Diversion programs

• Blue Bag Recycling depot in Merritt


“Eco-Depot”• One-Stop drop-off facility

• Offer full range of services– Recycling, yard waste, product care depots, garbage

• Attended

• Weigh-scale


What is Blue Bag Recycling??• Blue Bag Recycling is an easy,

convenient, and cost effective method of waste diversion for the public.

• New recycling initiative available at TNRD transfer stations

• Household recyclables are placed in blue transparent garbage bags and deposited at local transfer station. (e.g. GLAD BlueBag™

Recycling Bags)


What Materials Can I Recycle in My Blue Bag?

• Tin and Aluminum (Cans, Trays, and Aluminum Foil)

• Plastics with the Recycling Symbols 1-7 (Plastic bags and film should be clean)

• Newspaper and Mixed Paper• Box Board and Heavy Paper (Flatten Boxes and Remove

Liners)

• Books and Magazines (includes phonebooks, hardcover books and paperbacks)


What does not go in my Blue Bag??• Glass, Corrugated Cardboard and Hazardous Household

Materials! • Because glass contaminates other recyclables i.e.

cardboard and plastics, please put glass containers in designated bins at your local transfer station.

Also…• Due to large volume of corrugated cardboard coming

into TNRD disposal facilities we ask area residents to separate and place in designated bins.


• 3 recycling bins.

• Glass goes in small BLUE bins

• Blue Bag recyclables and Corrugated Cardboard go in designated GREEN bins

Where to Place Recyclables

Where do I get my Blue Bag Information ?• TNRD communities will be notified as to when and where

they can pick up their Blue Bag information packages.

• Area residents will be given five complimentary bags as a part of a “Welcome to the Program” information package.

• Once these bags have run out, the public will be able to purchase more at local retailers in the garbage bag section.

• Area residents may re-use their bags by emptying contents into the green bins to save costs to the household if need be.


Sounds Good…But What's the Catch?• There is no Catch! Simply place your recyclables in the

Blue Bags and drop them off at your local transfer station.

• There will be no cost to dispose of Blue Bags full of recyclables in the TNRD.

• Ok, now wait for it…• The only thing that could be interpreted as a catch is the

fact that the public will have to pay to dispose of that which they do not recycle.

• The Bottom Line is that the less waste a household generates, the less they will pay in the future.


solid waste management in the thompson-nicola regional district presented by mr. peter hughes and...

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