MMBC to Provide Local Governments with Additional Time to Consider Financial Incentive Offer
VANCOUVER, Sept. 13, 2013 /CNW/ – Since release of its collection financial incentives in May 2013, Multi-Material British Columbia (MMBC) has been working closely with local governments, private companies and not-for-profit organizations as each makes its decision about whether to provide collection of residential packaging and printed paper (PPP) under contract to MMBC.
After receiving requests from some local governments for additional time to consider the financial incentive offer, MMBC has agreed to continue discussions with interested local governments while preparing for a program launch onMay 19th with the collectors, including numerous local governments, who confirm their participation in MMBC’s program by September 16, 2013.
“We have received feedback from some local governments that they require further time to consider our offer,” saidAllen Langdon, Managing Director of MMBC. “As a result, we will continue discussions with these local governments in order that they could become part of MMBC’s program at a later date.”
Collectors wishing to be part of MMBC’s program when it launches on May 19, 2014 have until the end-of-day onSeptember 16, 2013 to submit a response form to MMBC indicating whether they would accept MMBC’s incentives to collect PPP at curbside (in the case of local governments), from multi-family buildings and/or at depots.
Where a local government declines the curbside collection incentive but does not indicate it wishes to continue to provide the curbside collection service, MMBC will be issuing an RFP to select a contractor to deliver the curbside collection service.
“We look forward to continued discussions with local governments in the interests of establishing an efficient and cost-effective packaging and printed paper recycling program for British Columbia,” said Langdon. “Ultimately, the purpose of MMBC’s program is to shift the costs of recycling these materials from local taxpayers to industry.”
To date, MMBC has received responses from collectors (local governments and others) representing about two-thirds of BC households. Most of the responding local governments that currently provide PPP curbside collection have accepted the incentive offered by MMBC, and most of the responding local governments that currently provide garbage curbside have asked MMBC to issue an RFP to implement curbside collection.
In addition to local governments accepting incentives to provide multi-family building and depot collection services, MMBC has also received numerous responses from the private sector to deliver multi-family building and depot collection services and from some not-for-profit organizations to operate depots.
MMBC will be responsible for an estimated $110 million in costs for end-of-life management of PPP materials across the province once the program launches in May 2014. Under BC’s Recycling Regulation, MMBC is mandated to move the province from its current 50-57% recovery rate for PPP to 75%.
One of the key goals of the PPP program managed by MMBC is to ensure British Columbians are able to recycle more. The PPP program will build on existing collection infrastructure, and continuously improve service and accessibility for residents. Under the MMBC program, residents will be able to recycle more materials, such as polystyrene, milk cartons, plant pots, aerosol containers, aluminum containers and other new categories of material.
About MMBC
Multi-Material British Columbia (MMBC) is an industry led and funded non-profit organization that will assume the responsibility for managing residential packaging and printed paper recycling on behalf of industry in May 2014.
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.