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Recycle Now and Save

Residents of the TNRD were introduced to a new recycling garbage program in January 2009 called "Recycle Now and Save". Since this program was launched, TNRD residents and businesses have recycled more than a thousand metric tonnes of material, saving precious space in our landfills and conserving natural resources. Part of the success of the program has been the new Pay-as-you-Throw garbage disposal. Residents and businesses can control the amount they pay for garbage disposal by recycling for free and buying pre-paid punch cards, called “Eco-cards” to pay for what’s left for disposal. The more you recycle free of charge, the less garbage you have and the less you pay for waste disposal. Now, in addition to the Eco-cards, which come in $10, $20 and $50 amounts, residents can purchase handy $1 Eco-buck stickers that can simply be attached to a bag of garbage for disposal. Eco-bucks are a flexible alternative for keen recyclers or summer residents who may not generate enough household garbage to warrant purchasing an Eco-card. The punch cards and stickers can be used to pay for garbage disposal at $1 per bag or a set rate for larger loads starting at $5 for a short-box pickup truck or $10 for a full-sized pickup truck. For convenience, local businesses and larger waste generators can also set up an account with the TNRD.

What can I recycle!

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Using the new blue bag recycling program is easy, and it will help you save - the more you recycle, the less garbage you will have, and the less you will pay for garbage disposal!

   Click here for full details


What stays out?

The following items are not accepted for recycling:

• Styrofoam
• Hazardous waste containers
• Boxboard coated with wax, plastic or foil
• Water, pop or juice containers - return these for a refund!
• Used motor oil containers - accepted at some oil return sites. Call 1-800-777-4321 or email www.usedoilrecycling.com to find the one nearest you!

Where are the recycle depots?

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The TNRD has partnered with several member municipalities to build recycling depots to serve larger population centres. These depots provide residents a central and convenient drop-off site for the blue bag recyclable materials, cardboard and glass. They also provide a location for municipalities to unload their vehicles in areas where curbside collection of recyclables is provided. Merritt and Ashcroft are two recent examples of new recycling depots providing more service for their communities.

Click Here for a list of Landfill / Transfer Stations and their hours of operation.

Where does our recycling go?

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• Most of our paper, cardboard, metal and plastic is shipped to mills right here in BC. Newspaper goes to Catalyst Paper in Port Coquitlam and is made into more newspaper.
• Boxboard and cardboard go to Norampac in Burnaby and is made into new boxes.
• Plastic is sent to Merlin Plastics in Delta and is recycled into non-food plastic containers such as soap or shampoo bottles. Recycled plastics are also used for fleece clothing, as well as some carpets.
• Our tin and aluminum goes to ABC Recycling in Burnaby and is melted into rebar and other metal products.
• Office paper and glass are both shipped out of province. Office paper is sent to Harman Associates in Oregon and used for tissue paper. Glass is sent to Vitreous Glass outside of Calgary and made into fiberglass insulation. Recycled glass can also be used in reflective paints and sandblasting.

What is the Pay-as-you-Throw Program?

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The Pay-as-you-Throw system allows residents and businesses to reduce their waste by recycling more, and paying less for their garbage.

Adding a small fee for garbage has been shown to reduce the amount of garbage and increase the amount of recycling. You will pay less by recycling more. According to research done across Canada by the Canadian Federation of Municipalities, “pay as you throw” programs have been shown to reduce waste by as much as 40%. In the US, more than 7000 communities have “pay as you throw” programs. Similar programs run in neighbouring regional districts, including communities such as Falkland, Sicamous and Vernon.

Reducing waste and recycling helps us reduce overall costs by extending the life of our landfills and conserves resources. For example, recycling one aluminum container uses 95% less energy than making one from new materials. Recycling paper saves 60% in energy, results in 95% less air pollution: each tonne of paper recycled saves 27 kilograms of air pollution, and a savings of roughly 10 barrels of crude oil for every metric tonne of plastics recycled (Cdn Federation of Municipalities, Solid Waste as a Resource Guide for Sustainable Communities

Here’s how it works:

1. Simply separate your recyclables and place them in a see-thru blue or clear bag. Keep glass and corrugated cardboard separate.
2. Buy your Eco-cards or Eco-bucks to pay for your waste.
3. Take it to your favourite recycling depot where you can recycle as much as you like free of charge, only paying for the disposal of the waste leftover. The more you recycle, the more you’ll save.

What about larger loads of waste?

Larger loads, such as a pick up truck will start at $5.00 for a small truck, or $10 for a larger truck for a full load of residential waste. At landfills with weigh scales, loads will be weighed and the cost will be based on $60.00 metric tonne, similar to most landfill operations in BC. Please be sure to cover your load with a tarp to reduce litter and the dangers of waste falling out of the back of moving vehicles.

What are Eco-cards or Eco-bucks?

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Instead of paying for your garbage at the transfer station each time you go, you’ll be able to purchase punch cards called Eco-cards from convenient municipal and retail locations throughout the TNRD. These cards will be available in various amounts such as $5, $10 and more. You simply present your card to the attendant at the transfer station to punch out the number equal to the number of bags or amount of waste you have for disposal. For example, a pick-up truck with a box less than 7’ will be charged $5.
Now, in addition to the Eco-cards, residents can purchase handy $1 Eco-buck stickers that can simply be attached to a bag of garbage for disposal. Eco-bucks are a flexible alternative for keen recyclers or summer residents who may not generate enough household garbage to warrant purchasing an Eco-card.

Where to buy your Eco-cards and Eco-bucks?

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No refunds on new or used Eco-cards.

Please refer to the Eco-Cards page for locations.

Eco-Cards can also be purchased conveniently online and shipped right to your door - Click here to Purchase Online

Pass it on – Thompson-Nicola Reuses

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Looking for a good home for an old couch or lawnmower? Post it at no charge on Thompson-Nicola Reuses (www.tnrdreuses.com), a useful website residents can list items they want to sell, swap or give away. You can also list your upcoming garage and yard sales this spring. Browse the site for useful information including a link to the BC Electronics Material Exchange.

Frequently Asked Questions

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1. Why is the waste collection service changing?

   There are a number of reasons why recycling is being added and the garbage collection service changing. These were shared with communities as part of the “It’s Time to Talk Trash” public consultation process in 2006 and include:
• Increasing amounts of garbage to manage
• Significantly rising costs to manage the garbage
• Current collection system of transfer stations not sustainable given increase in amount of waste and cost
• Increasing demand for recycling
• Unstaffed garbage drop-off attracting garbage from other areas as well as illegal dumping
• Reducing environmental and animal concerns at landfills and transfer stations
• Meeting current provincial regulations to manage solid waste and emerging ones to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from landfills
• Creating a more sustainable system, where the burden of managing our garbage won’t be left to future generations
• Ensuring that TNRD residents can recycle more and ultimately pay less



2. How were these decisions made?

   In keeping with provincial regulations, the TNRD is required to have a Solid Waste Management Plan that provides a roadmap to reduce and manage waste over the next 10 to 20 years. The process to update the Plan stared in 2005 with three committees to help guide the process. These were the technical committee, the public advisory committee and the plan review committee.
   Next, the TNRD took the plan “on the road” and invited residents and businesses to have their say in an extensive public consultation process dubbed “It’s Time to Talk Trash” that included:
   • Newspaper and radio advertising
   • A newsletter to all homes and businesses
   • Website and media promotion
   • 13 open houses and public meeting presentations held across the TNRD
   
   The public feedback from the open houses and more than 600 responses to survey questionnaires and emails significantly shaped elements of the plan, such as introducing recycling at transfer stations and landfills, as well as introducing user-pay fees.



I already pay for solid waste on my taxes, isn’t this an extra charge?

The costs to operate all of our transfer stations and landfills are already on our taxes, but the costs for waste collection and disposal are rapidly rising. Rather than raise the rates for everyone, this new user-pay program will give you more control over your garbage. It will provide an incentive for people to recycle rather than throwing everything in the garbage. The more you recycle, the less you pay for garbage disposal.



3. Could “pay as you throw” cause an increase in illegal dumping?

   Sadly, illegal dumping is not new in the TNRD region – even with unlimited access to transfer stations! While some communities have reported a small increase in illegal dumping shortly after a “pay as you throw” program is implemented, they also note a decline again as people get used to the program. In the short term, the TNRD is setting up an illegal dumping program that includes:
   
   • A hotline for the public to observe, record and report illegal dumping
   • Working with Provincial Conservation Officers to monitor the situation and patrol “hot spots”
   • Establishing a community clean up program where local residents can get free bags and disposal when they clean up litter or an illegal dump site on public property



4. Where can I get more information?

   • Emailing recyclenow@tnrd.ca
   • Calling 1-877-377-8673
   • Mailing TNRD, #300 – 465 Victoria Street, Kamloops, BC, V2C 2A9