Fredericton set to adopt recycling program for apartment buildings

Apartment dwellers in Fredericton could soon have residential recycling at their doorsteps.

The city is looking to work with Circular Materials Atlantic to offer their service to residents.

Currently the city does not offer recycling services for apartment buildings with five or more units.

Renters have to either return recycling to redemption centres, communal blue boxes or throw recycling in the trash.

WATCH | What proposed changes to recycling could mean for renters:

How apartment dwellers recycle in Fredericton could soon change

3 months ago

Duration 2:09

Residential recycling may be coming to an apartment near you, if you live in Fredericton.

But Jill Hudgins, the city's environmental strategist, saidthat could change.

"This is one of the most common requests or complaints that we do get from residents," she said.

"[We are] listening to the residents and their requests for providing equal access to recycling services regardless of the dwelling type that they may choose."

Proposed program

The proposed program will be run through Circular Materials under the provincial Extended Producer Responsibility Program for Packaging and Paper Products.

That program shifts the cost of recycling to the producers of the waste.

On Monday, city council instructed staff to draft changes tobylaws to allow for apartment-building recycling.

The city says apartments who already have residential recycling through a third party will see a reduction in rates.

And Circular Materials Atlantic,the company responsible for collecting recycling, will be responsible for the cost of collection and bins.

Danielle Smith, the Conservation Council of New Brunswick's director of climate engagement and campaigns, is in favour of the program.

"From a sustainable infrastructure point of view, curbside recycling is really the low hanging fruit and is a long time coming," said Smith. "I know there have been a lot of complaints to the city about the lack of recycling in multi-unit dwellings."

The change will besignificant for the city, impacting 565 apartment buildings.

Future of blue bins

The future of the blue bins is up in the air. They're only supposed to be used by apartment dwellers, but Hudgins admits many other people use them as well.

She says a decision won't be made about the communal bins until next year, but they're not the best way of recycling to begin with.

"Because those bins are unstaffed, there is a higher likelihood of contamination of that bin," said Hudgins.

"[You] can't guarantee the quality or the cleanliness of the materials."

Smith said residents should be thinking of more ways to avoid waste entirely, instead of just focusing on recycling.

"We're really looking at reducing the waste by reusing the items, refusing the items, and then when you can no longer do those things, then you recycle," said Smith.

"So if we want to combat plastic pollution, if that's the goal, then we need to first refuse the plastic, if possible."