THUNDER BAY – Recycling will expand under the City of Thunder Bay’s new contract with GFL, but not as much as some councillors – and many residents – would have liked.
The new contract will see the city accepting all plastics with codes 1 and 2, rather than only plastic bottles with those codes. But that disappointed councillors who pushed to expand collection to include all plastics with codes 1 to 7 at Monday night’s council meeting.
Solid Waste & Recycling Services manager Jason Sherband told council that larger expansion would cost the city around $188,000 extra per year. In addition, he said there’s little demand for those additional items in current world recycling markets, meaning the city could likely end up paying to ship it away rather than recouping costs by selling it.
Current River councillor Andrew Foulds championed the expansion, adding it could also help extend the life of the Thunder Bay landfill by diverting waste. He said he’s heard feedback from constituents calling on the city to boost its recycling efforts for many years.
“I think the community would accept that additional cost,” he told his colleagues.
Neebing councillor Cody Fraser agreed, saying he hasn’t been able to offer a satisfying answer when asked why Thunder Bay doesn’t accept more recycling.
But with councillors nervously eyeing the financial impact of the COVID-19 crisis, that additional expense was enough to nix Foulds’ proposed expansion. His amendment to include plastics #3 to #7 failed on a close vote. Council did, however, direct administration to report back in more detail on the possibility in advance of the 2021 budget.
The new contract approved by council Monday will run for a seven year term, with opportunities for two one-year extensions. The city will also have the option to terminate the contract beginning in year three, due to upcoming changes in Ontario’s recycling system. Provincial legislation passed in 2016 will make producers fully responsible for managing recycling of designated packaging and products, with the change being fully implemented between 2023 and 2025.
The contract is expected to cost the city around $2.7 million per year, just over $100,000 more than the current contract, which expires in June. One other company, Environmental 360 Solutions Ltd., also bid on the RFP, but was given a lower score on its proposal than current contractor GFL.
Costs for the expansion to accept all #1 and #2 plastic – around $60,000 per year – are expected to be offset through increased Blue Box funding and a new 50/50 revenue-sharing provision in the contract with GFL.
