THUNDER BAY — The City of Thunder Bay will significantly enhance the municipal recycling program if city council agrees to a proposal from administration.
Council is being asked to approve the addition of plastic containers coded No. 3 through No. 7, effective May 1, 2022.
Known in the industry as mixed plastics, they include virtually every kind of plastic container.
Jason Sherband, manager of solid waste and recycling services for the city, says most are No. 5 and No. 6 which include things like margarine and yogurt tubs, but some types of bottles that were previously excluded from recycling would qualify as well.
"There's no plastic container that's outside No. 1 through No. 7, so this sort of completes the program. If you've got a plastic container, it essentially can be put out for recycling," Sherband said.
The expansion would cause a modest increase in operating costs — about $134,000 annually.
If council approves, and next year's budget is ratified, Sherband said it will give administration time to roll out an education program for the public and make any required operational changes before May.
Typically, by weight, three to five per cent of a recycling stream is comprised of No. 3 to No. 7 plastics.
"We're able to do it. The infrastructure is there. We can collect and we can process. So it really comes down to dollars and cents at the end of the day and whether we want to make a new investment in the system," Sherband said.
The Ontario government is moving toward full producer responsibility for recycling in the next few years, and removing it from the hands of municipalities.
Some cities already recycle plastics other than No. 1 and 2, but by 2026, there will be a common collection system across the province.
"This is essentially starting this sooner as opposed to waiting another four years," Sherband said, adding that it's an opportunity for Thunder Bay to take a leadership role.
"There's a lot of change going on in the world of waste. All we're trying to do here is make an improvement to the system now."
Sherband said other communities might choose to stand pat and wait for the government-mandated transition to happen, but many Thunder Bay residents have been asking for expanded recycling for years.
"We took a huge step last year in expanding to all ones and twos. Council asked us to come back a year later and look at the possibility of expanding farther, and here we are."
