Residential curbside recycling announced for Town of Grand Falls-Windsor

Environment and Conservation Minister, Tom Osborne, and Grand Falls-Windsor Mayor, Rex Barnes, today announced a new residential curbside recycling initiative for the Town of Grand Falls-Windsor. Also participating in the announcement were John Scott, Chair and CEO of the Multi-Materials Stewardship Board (MMSB), and Ray Hunter, MHA for Windsor-Springdale.

Under the new curbside recycling program, all household paper, cardboard and other fibre products will be collected for recycling from Grand Falls-Windsor residents as part of the town�s regular garbage collection service. The town will be adopting a new regulation to make household recycling mandatory, effective July 10, 2006, by requiring all residents to place paper, cardboard and other fibre waste products in a separate clear bag from their other household waste for collection on regular garbage collection day.

Minister Osborne said he is extremely pleased that the Town of Grand Falls-Windsor is partnering with government and the MMSB in implementing a mandatory curbside recycling program. �The Town of Grand Falls-Windsor is to be applauded for showing leadership on the recycling front,� said the minister. �This important environmental initiative will not only divert a significant volume of fibre-related waste from the regional landfill and help the province achieve its overall 50 per cent waste diversion goal, but will also support local economic and employment opportunities in the recycling industry.�

The minister noted that this initiative builds on the commercial cardboard recycling initiative which came into effect on September 1, 2005 in Grand Falls-Windsor and surrounding communities through the Exploits Regional Services Board. Businesses, industry and institutions are no longer allowed to dispose of cardboard products at the regional landfill site on New Bay Road but, instead, must arrange for all cardboard to be recycled. It is estimated that paper and cardboard materials make up over 30 per cent of the total waste stream in the province today.

�The Town of Grand Falls-Windsor is very pleased to partner with the Department of Environment and Conservation and the Multi-Materials Stewardship Board in the implementation of this new curbside recycling program,� said Mayor Barnes. �Leadership on environmental issues, such as recycling, is a priority for council. We have developed a convenient way for the people of Grand Falls-Windsor to recycle their paper and cardboard waste and are confident that residents will rise to the challenge and make this a very successful initiative for the benefit of their community as a whole.�

The mayor also noted that the town will see all paper and cardboard waste generated under this program processed and delivered to market from Scotia�s Recycling facility in Grand Falls-Windsor.

Funding for the curbside recycling program will include assistance from the Multi-Materials Stewardship Board in the order of $130,000 to help offset some of the start-up capital and transition costs associated with the program. This will include the development and implementation of a major public educational campaign for residents.

MHA Ray Hunter said: �Grand Falls-Windsor takes pride in its community which is evident in the council�s commitment to a new curbside recycling program. It is an example of what can be achieved when we take the right decisions to help protect our environment and make our community a better place to live. I encourage all residents to actively support this new recycling program.�

Minister Osborne said that government will continue to work with municipalities and other stakeholders in implementing sound and sustainable waste diversion and recycling programs throughout the province. �Today�s announcement is testament to the fact that we can make real progress in adopting environmentally progressive waste management practices in Newfoundland and Labrador when we put our minds to it and work together,� said the minister.

Media contact:
  Tina Coffey, Communications, Environment and Conservation (709) 729-5783
  Deborah Slade, Communications, MMSB, (709) 753-0949
  Grand Falls-Windsor Mayor, Rex Barnes, (709) 489-0412

2006 02 06                                                   10:20 a.m.