RDFFG says NO to MMBC Recycling Plan
Thursday, September 12, 2013 @ 2:57 PM
Prince George, B.C.- The Regional District of Fraser Fort George has rejected the offer from Multi Materials B.C. to enter into a contract for collection of packaging and printed paper products.
As was the case when the City of Prince George rejected the “incentive” offered by MMBC , the contract was too restrictive, and too heavily weighted in favour of MMBC. The penalties are high for a variety of “infractions” and the core contract doesn’t offer any room for negotiation.
The Regional District has approved advising MMBC that it is willing to work with the private contractors who are expected to be hired by MMBC to collect the materials, with hopes the collection “drop centres” will be at existing solid waste stations operated by the Regional District.
The Regional District of Fraser Fort George has 17 multi material drop depots within its boundaries.
“If you listen to MMBC, their offer is the greatest thing since sliced bread” says Director Terry Burgess, “But the public can’t afford the slicer.”
Burgess says the contract “would require the Regional District to make substantial capital upgrades to many of our present collection sites without an opportunity to recoup these costs. In short, it is not a deal we are at all comfortable with.”
MMBC has to have a recycling program in place by May of 2014. “At this point we don’t know what recycling services will be available to residents after May 2014. Those are decisions MMBC has to make” says Burgess
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Prince George and the Regional District of Fraser Fort George are not the only communities that have rejected the offer from MMBC. Kamloops has also said no, using terms such as” blackmail”, and “being held at gunpoint” in an 8-1 rejection of the offer.
It is expected the MMBC situation will be a topic of discussion at the upcoming Union of BC Municipalities Conference set for next week in Vancouver.
Comments
Good for both the City and the Regional District for not taking up such an obviously bad contract with Multi Materials BC (MMBC).
This not-for-profit agency is suppose to be involved in provincial recycling stewardship, yet it seems to be more interested in money grabs from various City and Regional District Governments.
Little wonder… the MMBC is governed by a Board of Directors comprising members appointed by the Retail Council of Canada, Food and Consumer Products of Canada, Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers, Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association, Loblaw Companies Limited, Overwaitea Food Group, Tim Hortons and McCain Foods.
Now if that is not the epitome of corporate greed, I don’t know what is! You can’t just have producers of recycled materials governing this provincial agency! Time our Provincial Ministry of Environment take a long hard look at this mis-directed public agency!!!
Ministry of Environment??? … LOL …. that is the same group that can’t get their act together about PG air quality.
If it were not for mills shutting down due to the economic downturn and the feds giving money to the pulp mills in Canada to go tit for tat with the USA, we would not be seeing the recent improvements.
From MMBC web page:
“…as required by the Recycling Regulation of BC’s Environmental Management Act (2004), as of May 2014 responsibility for managing the collection and processing system shifts to industry.”
That collection appears to require door to door household collection.
So, it is industry’s responsibility as it states on their own web site. It would seem reasonable that the Board of the Society they formed would be made up of industry people.
It seems they have had 10 years to prepare for this and as the clock nears midnight, they are still grasping at straws.
I would not be surprised if they get an extension from the MoE, the same as the shut down of beehive burners was dragged on for years after they were supposed to be shut down.
“So, it is industry’s responsibility as it states on their own web site. It would seem reasonable that the Board of the Society they formed would be made up of industry people.”
So who would think industry would cover the costs of recycling the products they make? NEVER!!! instead try and pass the costs on to cities and regional districts, through $5,000 penalties and fines imposed per load, if that load has a contamination rate of higher than three per cent when it is delivered to the designated processor.
“In contacting other municipalities with established collection services, those contamination rates were between five and seven per cent, according to Stolz.”
Sweet deal for MMBC (Industry), not so sweet for us!!!
From the plan they sent to the MoE in April, 2013.
“To service streetscapes in areas that meet the reasonable access criteria, – MMBC will offer a FINANCIAL INCENTIVE to the local government for the provision of services that include PPP collection services, public education, promotion and first point of contact for collection service customers; and – Where the local government declines the offer, MMBC may implement a competitive procurement process for PPP streetscape collection services, may select a service provider and may provide public education, promotion and management of collection service customers through its own means, subject to reaching agreement with the local government on the management of the garbage component of streetscape system.”
http://multimaterialbc.ca/sites/default/files/documents/pdf/plan/MMBC-PPP-Stewardship-Plan-Track-Changes-Apr8-2013.pdf
The contracts they are proposing to municipalities are obviously not incentive based. Can’t blame them for trying. Nice to see that cities are not all that stupid.
Reading the web site, it appears to me that the whole thing, from province to industry to municipalities and regional districts is a comedy of errors.
On the other hand, we need to get a viable recycling plan in place. Governments have been collecting “environmental” or “recycling” fees from us for years and years, with very little to show for it.
They must collect millions of dollars per year in levys and fees, why don’t we have a full province wide recycling plan in place yet? Sure its going to cost money, but what is the alternative? Oh right, the alternative is what we are still doing. Take it all to the dump and cover it with dirt. Someone else can deal with it in 50 years.
metalman.
For those who drive to the lower mainland and use the canyon route, there is a sign about 12.5km north of Boston Bar which is readable when driving north.
It reads:
“Congratulations Metro Vancouver for an enlightened solution to municipal garbage disposal.”
For those who are not familiar with the garbage disposal, it is the fact that the GVRD send garbage to Cache Creek to a landfill located to the west of HWY97 just before entering Cache Creek.
Enlightened indeed!
Great idea Gus! Lets send our garbage there too!
yeah great idea, Cache Creek is a dump anyway.
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