Contaminants among recycling is increasing in Nanaimo. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Jordan Davidson

#recycleright

City launches campaign to curb contaminated recycling materials

Apr 1, 2023 | 9:57 AM

NANAIMO — Container contamination is the key focus of a new public education push on local recycling.

The City’s #RecycleRight program is looking to better inform people about what materials can and cannot go into their curbside blue bins.

City manager of sanitation, recycling, and public works Taaj Daliran said when the city transitioned to an automated recycling program in 2018, it created new challenges in identifying contaminated recyclables.

“When we have a manual collection of recycling, it’s easier for the staff who check the carts to just open the lid and see if there’s any obvious, visible, contamination, take them out of the cart before they load it and send it to receiving facilities. Unfortunately with automation that is not feasible.”

Recycle B.C. has directed the City to reduce contamination in curbside recycling, and not for the first time.

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The automated system has caused the contamination level to increase, as contaminated items are only discovered once they are already in the back of the recycling truck.

Items not allowed to be thrown into the blue bins include glass, plastic bags or wrapping, styrofoam, hazardous wastes, and food products.

Daliran said the implementation of the program was also interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic which increased collection volumes by 20 per cent, forcing the City to focus on making sure everything is collected, with less emphasis on reducing contamination.

“Now everything is back to normal, we have solved the operational side of providing the capacity to collect, and we have implemented the very efficient program. The challenge now we are facing is the quality of the material we collect, and the contamination in our recycling stream.”

Prize packs include gift cards and products from Refillery Vancouver Island, Stanley travel mugs and other zero-waste-themed goods. (City of Nanaimo)

He said B.C. as a whole recycles very well, with more than 90 per cent of material properly placed through various channels.

But when it comes to environmental protection, there are always areas for improvement.

“Because it (contamination) causes hazards, it causes some equipment damage, it also creates further challenges down the stream for recycling to change this material to a different type of materials, then we are facing those challenges that we need to overcome.”

The recent expansion of the recycling program by the province will hopefully help bring down their contamination score, but an official audit hasn’t been done since the January announcement, according to Daliran.

He said the idea of the #RecycleRight program is to engage and educate the community to take ownership of their part in the recycling process.

“Encouraging community members to post what they’re doing to recycle right on social media, we can tag them, and just really have a positive outlook on what we as a community can do to bring down these contamination rates and improve our success in the Recycle B.C. program.”

He said penalties for contaminating recycling start with reminders and warnings, but could increase to fines or even the stoppage of collection services for repeat offenders.

More information on the City of Nanaimo’s recycling programs can be found here.

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jordan@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @JordanDHeyNow