MMBC on Track to Deliver Collection Services in 2014
Program reaffirms commitment to ongoing dialogue with local governments
VANCOUVER, Sept. 19, 2013 /CNW/ – Multi-Material British Columbia (MMBC) today announced that responses from local governments received by the September 16 deadline to its offer of collection incentives represent virtually all BC households currently receiving curbside collection of packaging and printed paper (PPP). Of the local governments currently collecting PPP at curbside, 85% accepted the curbside incentive, 5% declined the incentive, with the result that MMBC will deliver these services directly, and 10% chose to continue to provide PPP collection services outside of the MMBC program.
“We are very encouraged by the response we have received and look forward to working with our collection partners in the lead up to the PPP program launch on May 19, 2014,” said Allen Langdon, Managing Director of MMBC. “We understand some local governments may have questions about the collectors’ agreement and we intend to sit down with them as soon as possible to discuss their concerns. Some of these discussions have already begun.”
MMBC set a deadline of September 16 for collectors to indicate their interest in participating in the PPP program when it is launched in May 2014. In total, 118 local governments responded to the incentive offer to provide curbside, multi-family building and/or depot collection of PPP. MMBC also received more than 50 responses from private companies, not-for-profit organizations and First Nations accepting the collection incentives.
About 45% of the responding local governments that currently collect garbage curbside accepted the incentive to implement a new PPP curbside recycling collection service for their residents. About 50% of the responding local governments declined the incentive. As a result, MMBC will issue an RFP to solicit proposals to provide a new curbside recycling collection service for their residents as part of MMBC’s goal to expand convenient curbside access for PPP collection to more BC residents. The remaining local governments indicated they preferred depot collection services.
The financial incentives offered by MMBC to local governments and other collectors were calculated based on research into local government collection costs and are intended to reflect reasonable payment for services. MMBC’s cost research was based on cost data provided by 23 local governments representing a range of sizes, and included resident education and service administration costs.
By taking on the management of end-of-life packaging and printed paper, MMBC – on behalf of industry – will be assuming responsibility for a recycling program that will cost industry approximately $110 million per year.
BC’s Recycling Regulation requires MMBC to achieve a 75% recovery rate for residential PPP – an increase over the current 50-57% province-wide rate for PPP. The MMBC program will enable BC residents to recycle new categories of packaging that are not commonly included in current curbside or depot recycling programs. These materials include milk cartons, foam polystyrene packaging, plant pots, aluminum foil packaging, plastic film packaging and drink cups.
About MMBC
In May 2011, BC’s Recycling Regulation was updated to include packaging and printed paper (PPP). The PPP regulation shifts the costs and responsibility for managing the residential recycling of packaging and printed paper from regional and municipal governments and their taxpayers to industry and their consumers effective May 2014.
Multi-Material British Columbia (MMBC) is an industry led and funded non-profit organization that will assume responsibility for managing residential packaging and printed paper recycling on behalf of industry in May 2014.
SOURCE Multi-Material British Columbia (MMBC)