According to the findings of a study on recycling released earlier this month, this province lags behind others when it comes to accessing recycling services – but that will change in 2011, according to the chair of the Central Newfoundland Waste Management Authority (CNWMA).
The study, based on information gathered for the 2007 Households and the Environment Survey conducted by Statistics Canada, found 71 per cent of households in Newfoundland and Labrador had access to recycling services. The Canadian average was 95 per cent.
Allan Scott, chair of CNWMA, said of the 71 per cent, people can recycle only a limited number of goods such as beverage containers.
All that should change come 2011, when CNWMA takes over the handling of waste in the region.
“We’ll be going beyond that which you can get a deposit on,” said Mr. Scott. “We’ll be taking all plastics, all metals, glass, and everything from yard waste for the compost and organics. Everything that can be reused, we’ll be taking. Anything we’d have a market for, we’ll be taking.”
The provincial strategy is calling for the waste management authorities in the four designated regions of the province – eastern, central, western, and Labrador to divert at least 50 per cent of its waste.
“Anything we’d have a market for, we’ll be taking.” - Allan Scott
“We’re certainly going to meet that, because your organics makes up a pretty big percentage of that – something like 35 per cent of your waste is organics.”
According to the survey, only 27 per cent of homes in Newfoundland and Labrador could recycle all four materials – glass, metal, paper, and plastic – versus 89 per cent of Canadians.
CNWMA had initially planned to be operational by the beginning of 2011, but this date has since been pushed back to the midsummer as it awaits word on whether the Western Regional Waste Management Committee will become engulfed by CNWMA.
“It’s worth looking at, because there’d be significant savings there for both the west coast and central if they were to come,” said Mr. Scott, adding a decision should come late in the calendar year.
Five of the seven dump sites are near completion, said Mr. Scott, and work on the regional site in Norris Arm is progressing.
