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 Thompson-Nicola Regional District Environmental Health Services

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 Thompson-Nicola Regional District Environmental Health Services

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 Thompson-Nicola Regional District Environmental Health Services

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 Thompson-Nicola Regional District Environmental Health Services

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 Thompson-Nicola Regional District Environmental Health Services

“Eco-Depot” One-Stop drop-off facility Offer full range of services –Recycling, yard waste, product care depots, garbage Attended Weigh-scale Thompson-Nicola Regional District Environmental Health Services

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) Thompson-Nicola Regional District Environmental Health Services

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) Thompson-Nicola Regional District Environmental Health Services

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. Thompson-Nicola Regional District Environmental Health Services

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. Thompson-Nicola Regional District Environmental Health Services

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. Thompson-Nicola Regional District Environmental Health Services