While considering whether to offer their two cents worth in the provincial debate over a deposit system for beverage containers, Erin councillors absorbed a few facts at their Sept. 4 meeting.
Das Soligo, manager of Solid Waste Services for Wellington County, told council that while giving people money for their bottles could increase the recycling rate, it would likely cripple Blue Box recycling.
The discussion started with a June 5 motion by councillor John Brennan, stating the town should urge the provincial government to enact a 20 cent per bottle deposit fee, with manufacturers paying one cent per bottle to fund the system.
Even though it is not a municipal decision, the Canadian Beverage Association (CBA) was quick to object, especially since it is spending money on a recycling initiative in Erin.
Manufacturers back the Blue Box system, lobbying against deposit returns.
Brennan’s motion has been on hold, but he plans to bring it back on Oct. 2.
“There are a lot of benefits to deposit return systems,” said Soligo. “They incentivize the recycling of bottles, providing a monetary encouragement for individuals to recycle bottles instead of throwing them in the trash or the ditches.”
This means higher recycling rates and less litter.
“It often leads people to gather stuff from ditches and parks, and it also encourages producer and consumer responsibility,” said Saligo.
The province could take over recycling from municipalities, though they could be contracted for collection.
There are significant drawbacks to a deposit system, said Soligo, since it would remove valuable revenue from blue boxes.
While recycled glass has virtually no market value, aluminum is trading for $1,983 per tonne and PETE (polyethylene terephthalate)plastic for $475 per tonne.
Aluminum cans are normally part of deposit systems.
“With the main components removed, it does potentially harm the rest of the collection system,” he said.
Deposits would create a dual system that would be less efficient than the current set-up, and about three times more costly, he said.
He added there would be a loss of convenience, since consumers would have to deliver containers to a location, and there would be more scavenging from blue boxes.
“Individuals are kind of roaming through the neighbourhood, digging around in people’s blue boxes to find some supplements to their income,” said Soligo.
“That may not bother everyone, but it certainly does bother some residents.”
Ontario’s rate of container recycling is uncertain, since the number of containers in the market is not known.
Stewardship Ontario estimates 66 per cent, while Nestlé estimates 70 to 75%, said Soligo. The deposit program in Alberta – 10 cents for beverage containers under one litre and 25 cents for larger ones – has resulted in a 82% return rate.
The Beer Store in Ontario achieves a 96% return rate for refillable bottles, and 80% for other alcohol containers.
In the Wellington County waste stream, which does not account for containers discarded elsewhere, audits show that 10% of plastic containers and 7% of aluminum containers are improperly placed into regular garbage instead of recycling.
“Here in the County of Wellington, our residents are very good recyclers,” said Soligo.
The county’s total solid waste budget is about $5.1 million, and the revenue from recyclable materials is about $810,000, he said.
“Successful recycling programs rely on access, convenience and education, and the new Recycle Everywhere containers [recently installed in Erin] are certainly going to help,” said Soligo.
