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October 27, 2017 5:37 pm

Cutting Commercial Cardboard from the Landfill

Thursday, May 11, 2017 @ 11:13 AM

Cardboard  pile  at Foothills Landfill – images courtesy RDFFG

Prince George, B.C.-  The  effort to extend the life of the Foothills Landfill  is  focusing on  getting commercial  operations to  recycle cardboard.

Cardboard is one of the most easily recyclable materials, but   there hasn’t  been any program in place to encourage  businesses to  deal with the material other than  taking it  to the  landfill.

Starting July 1 the Regional District will implement a small surcharge for businesses discarding cardboard at the Foothills  Landfill.

The new program will not  apply to residential customers.  “When it comes to getting rid of cardboard, we want to encourage the business community to look at other options for disposal,” says Laura Zapotichny, Waste Diversion Program Leader with the Regional District.

Those options include  renting cardboard bins  and having the  materials  taken to a recycler  says Zapotichny “Smaller businesses who may not be able to afford that can take small loads of cardboard to a number of collection points in Prince George.”

Cardboard from commercial operations will still be accepted at the Foothills Landfill, but as of July 1st,  the Regional District will be phasing in a surcharge for commercial customers with cardboard loads based on weight and make up of
the load.

The map below  details the 6 collection  sites  for cardboard in the city.

Between now  and the start of the surcharge, the Regional District  is  reaching out to commercial  operations to  teach  them  about the  options for  getting rid of cardboard  and  details of the new program.  “We are phasing in the program
over the next several months so now until July our focus is educating the commercial sector about the changes so they have time to pursue what options may suit them best,” says Zapotichny.

More details on the commercial cardboard diversion program can be accessed here

Comments

if the Regional district wants to have a recycle program , make it free pick up and prosper off of the wealth of cardboard not going into the landfill.

Cardboard is one of the most easily recyclable materials, but there hasn’t been any program in place to encourage businesses to deal with the material other than taking it to the landfill.

So instead RDFFG has elected to go with:

Starting July 1 the Regional District will implement a small surcharge for businesses discarding cardboard at the Foothills Landfill.

Renting cardboard bins equals offloading costs to waste providers.

It amazes me so much when ever I see governmental agency doing everything except what their original core activity was.

In this case, the RDFFG Foothills Landfill is implementing all kinds of measures to not receive refuse or yard waste or recyclables.

The only reason they want any “yard waste” is so they can compost it for a salable item.

Do these waste management staff know that their job is receiving, processing and long term storage of the communities waste?

Probably 10 years ago, there was such a high price paid for cardboard to recycle that people were fighting over who gets it. We go through a lot of cardboard every day. We have a commercial cardboard recycling bin that we pay to empty every week. Not sure who in business can just throw it out.

Oh great, we can expect more cardboard and garbage on the sides of the roads, and bushes now. Why don’t you people just create a few days a month for free garbage dropoff at the dump, and let these idiots dispose of it honestly?

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