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Kamloops News

Recycling: Business as usual

Piles of sorted recyclables await distribution.
Image Credit: Emterra.ca

KAMLOOPS – The city has turned down the opportunity to sign on as a contractor for Multi Material B.C. and Glen Farrow says that means it's business as usual right now in Kamloops.

The not-for-profit group is offering membership to producers and other stewards for the collection of recyclable products under a stewardship plan and is offering municipalities a chance to sign on as contractors before looking to other groups for private collection.

Earlier this month the city opted out of the program, stating displeasure with the lack of actual details being provided. The Thompson-Nicola Regional District soon followed in turning down a contract with the group and then last week members of the Union of B.C. Municipalities passed a resolution to ask for more time to decide and more clarification on the contract details.

“At this point they're not coming to town, our product won't be included in the provincial averages,”  Farrow, the city environmental services supervisor says. “As of right now we will continue doing exactly as we've always done.”

Farrow points out Kamloops is not the only community to decline the offer, but it is one of the few to completely opt out at this point and he expects there to be future discussions with Multi Material B.C.

“A lot of the province has accepted, there may be some pressure to conform,” Farrow says of future recycling discussions, “Especially once the public realizes Vernon and Kelowna can recycle styrofoam.”

Farrow says the two Okanagan cities signed on with the province-wide recycling program, which allows for items not currently accepted in Kamloops, like styrofoam, to be collected for recycling. Because the city contract with Emterra Environmental only allows for specific items there are no changes immediately on the horizon.

“We have a contract with Emterra based on the current mix, we can't arbitrarily add new things on,” Farrows says. “The product needs to be sourced out by the contractor.”

To contact a reporter for this story, email jstahn@infotelnews.ca, call (250)819-3723 or tweet @JennStahn.

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