Terrace Bay Talks Recycling
Terrace Bay Public Forum June 17, 2014. Photo courtesy TwpTerraceBay
TERRACE BAY, ON – The Township of Terrace Bay held a public forum June 17th to discuss changes to its garbage collection as well as the introduction of a recycling program. Approximately 80 people were in attendance to listen and ask questions of municipal staff and council.
Mayor Jody Davis began the meeting with an introduction and outline of why recycling is important to council. CAO Jon Hall reiterated the importance of the extension of landfill life and being environmentally responsible as the main motivators behind waste diversion. Municipal staff then went into the details of the recycling system and what materials will be accepted at a depot located at the Terrace Bay landfill. [CLICK HERE for the TerraceBayRecyclingHandout-2014.pdf] They used examples of recyclables to demonstrate proper packing and show some items that would not be accepted in the system.
Changes to Terrace Bay’s recycling program are focused on planning for the future explained Mayor Jody Davis “We are trying to make decisions in the best interests of our residents for now and in the years to come. We have looked at other recycling systems and have spoken repeatedly to the experts at Waste Diversion Ontario. Change is always difficult in the beginning but we believe our residents and businesses will adapt quickly and see the value in the new system.”
Staff listened to questions on recycling before moving on to the changes to the garbage collection system. A new $2 garbage tag will be charged for every container of garbage placed at the curb to promote the use of the free recycling system at the landfill. Other changes will include weight limits on containers, size limits on containers, and an increased fine for littering. The business and institutional sectors will be able to utilize the garbage tag system or a timed system based on how long it takes to pick up their garbage in the case of major users.
Chief Administrative Officer Jon Hall was pleased wi the interest show from the community adding that “We had some tough questions which we tried to answer to the best of our abilities as no one likes to hear that costs will need to go up. However, we also heard many people express how they were looking forward to the system and excited that Terrace Bay will be following in the footsteps of some of our neighbours by offering recycling.”
The changes are scheduled to come into effect July 8th; however the township will slowly roll out the full program over the next year when it comes to other things like public recycling containers, recycling at events, and further education. Township staff has already introduced the recycling program in the schools and Seniors’ Centre which in addition to the public forum means they have personally reached over 300 people in a town of 1,600. Terrace Bay has developed a series of webpages explaining the changes to the garbage collection system and recycling, and show ingother ways residents can divert materials from the landfill.
For more information, visit www.TerraceBay.ca.
