A new bylaw adopted by the TNRD will ban certain recyclable materials from ending up in the landfill.
The bylaw designates corrugated cardboard as ‘Mandatory Recyclable Material’, which means that it must be recycled and will no longer be permitted to go to the landfill as waste.
The bylaw will come into effect on Jan. 1, 2022, at which point anyone dumping corrugated cardboard may be subject to a fine. If a load is dumped at a landfill or transfer station and that load contains more than 10% cardboard by volume, a fine may be issued. The amount of the fine will be based on the size of the total load, with the fine amount 50% of the disposal fees for the violating load.
For example, a load which costs $80 in disposal fees will be subject to a $40 fine.
Fines may only be issued by designated inspectors. Landfill staff, such as scale attendants, will not have the authority to issue fines. Inspectors will not be breaking open individual garbage bags to inspect their contents, but will rather focus enforcement on large commercial and municipal loads.
Enforcement will only take place at landfills and transfer stations, the TNRD will not be inspecin bins either at the curb or back alley. The responsibility will be left to individuals to control what is in their refuse, and the TNRD will be working with municipalities and commercial waste haulers to help them educate their residents and customers to avoid fines at the landfill.
“At this time, cardboard is the only ‘Mandatory Recyclable Material;’ however, the bylaw may be amended in the future to require recycling of other materials such as all paper products, and plastic, glass, and metal packaging,” says Jamie Vieira, TNRD Manager of Environmental Services.
“We know the vast majority of customers are already complying with this bylaw by recycling their cardboard. But unfortunately, we still see some loads going into landfills that have a very high percentage of easily recyclable materials. This bylaw is simply another tool to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill.”
This bylaw applies to all solid waste disposal facilities within the TNRD, including transfer stations and Eco-Depots, landfills and privately owned facilities such as the Campbell Hill Landfill in Cache Cree. This bylaw is similar to many bylaws already in place in other regions around the province.
Education, including ‘mock-ticketing’ will take place over the next six months at transfer stations and landfills ahead of the implementation of the bylaw in 2022.
