As of Friday (November 1), the City of Peterborough has a new contractor for recycling collection and processing — and if you don’t sort your recycling properly when you put it out at the curb, it won’t be collected.
While the recycling program remains the same, with Emterra Environmental as the new contractor, there will be a new emphasis on proper sorting of recyclable materials in both a public education campaign and enforcement, according to a media release from the city.
“The market for recyclable materials has become much stricter on the quality of materials,” says Dave Douglas, the city’s waste diversion section manager. “To be able to divert these items from landfill, we need to make sure that materials are sorted properly for processing and marketing.”
Douglas says that, if you do not sort blue boxes properly, your recycling will not be collected. You will have to bring it back from the curb, re-sort it properly, and put it out again the following week on your next collection day. Alternatively, you can drop off sorted recyclables at the city’s recycling facility at 390 Pido Road.
The city is providing these reminders about the recycling program:
- Take your recycling materials to the curb by 7 a.m. on collection day and no sooner than 6 p.m. the evening before.
- Place your recyclables loose in blue boxes, separating containers (e.g., plastic, metal, glass, and juice boxes) into one box and paper products (e.g., cardboard, boxboard, newsprint, and office paper) into a separate box — do not mix the two streams together.
- Some fibres can be bagged in clear bags; specifically, shredded paper or loose pieces of office paper. Ensure that such bags are left untied to make it easier for emptying.
- Container items in clear plastic bags or “see through” blue bags will not be collected — container items need to be loose in blue boxes for collection.
- Remember to “sort it out”; the city has a two-stream (container/fibre) collection system in place. The city says it is extremely important to adhere to this so that material meets recycling marketplace specifications.
- If you have non-recyclables in your blue box, your recycling will not be collected.
- Styrofoam is not accepted (meat trays, plates, cups, etc.)
- Cardboard needs to be flattened and tied in bundles (to a maximum size of 30 inches by 30 inches by 8 inches).
- Do not put needles, syringes or lancets in your blue box or garbage; contact your pharmacy or doctor’s office for proper disposal advice.
For a guide on the proper sorting of recycling, visit the city’s online What Goes Where? tool.
If you need blue boxes, you can purchase them for $3 each at Peterborough GreenUP (378 Aylmer St., Peterborough), City Hall (500 George St. N., Peterborough), or the Recycling Facility (390 Pido Rd., Peterborough).
