Garbage builds up on P.E.I. after China changes its rules

Island Waste Management has stockpiledmore than 100tonnes of plastic recyclables since the late fall, when China announced it would no longeraccept mostrecyclablesfrom overseas.

CEO Gerry Moore saidthat the change has leftjurisdictions across North America scrambling to find another solution.

"It's not only Prince Edward Island, but all jurisdictions across Canada and North America as a matter of fact where the marketing of that material has become a little bit of a challenge," Moore said.

Bales of the mainly plastic grocery bags are being compressed and stored on two to three transport trailers on Island Waste's property,waiting for new markets.

Island Waste also paid around $3,500 for another 60 tonnes to be burned at the Energy From Waste plant in Charlottetown.

"We burn plastic now that comes in through the non-recyclable plastic in our waste stream," Moore said."Plastic for the most part is a solid petroleum productand is actually an excellent fuel source.

"We're fortunate here in P.E.I. to have the Energy From Waste facility so that we're able, particularly in this short term situation,to use some of the materials to fuelthat facility."

Moore said none of the recyclable plastic will be going into the landfill,a solution some other jurisdictions in Canada are considering.He is hopeful a new market will open up in the next few months.

"On a temporary basis, we are utilizing at that facility to use it for heat for them. We see long-term that the market will rebound and we will find markets, long term, for the plastic film."

Island Waste Management saidthis stockpile of plastic bags is a reminder about what they say is the importance of reducing waste in the first place. One way to make the pile smaller, company officials say,is to bring your own re-usable shopping bags to the grocery store.

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