The following is being distributed at the request of the Multi-Materials Stewardship Board:

Household Hazardous Waste Depot Opens in St. George’s

Residents of the Bay St. George area can now dispose of household hazardous waste in an environmentally-responsible manner at a new depot that opened on June 29 at the St. George’s landfill site.

“On average, every single citizen in our province generates seven litres of household hazardous waste every year,” said the Honourable Tom Hedderson, Minister of Environment and Conservation and Minister Responsible for the Multi-Materials Stewardship Board. “While this may not seem significant, it only takes a few drops to contaminate our water supplies. We all have a responsibility to dispose of this harmful waste in a prudent manner.”

The Bay St. George area is within the authority of the Western Regional Service Board and includes the communities of Gallants to Bay St. George South, including Stephenville and the Port au Port Peninsula.

“We are pleased that MMSB has invited the Western Regional Service Board to participate in this pilot program,” said the Honourable Joan Shea, Minister of Advanced Education and Skills and MHA for St. George’s-Stephenville East. “The new depot will provide a valuable service to residents in the Bay St. George area.”

The Multi Materials Stewardship Board (MMSB) has invested $20,000 towards the Bay St. George depot which is part of MMSB’s household hazardous waste pilot depot program.

“We are excited to be putting permanent infrastructure in place for the proper disposal of household hazardous waste,” said Mike Samson, CEO of the Multi-Materials Stewardship Board. “The information we collect through this pilot project will provide municipalities and regional authorities with valuable insight into the types of collection programs that they can implement to meet and exceed the goals of the Provincial Solid Waste Management Strategy.”

MMSB’s Household Hazardous Waste Pilot Depot Program builds on the success of MMSB’s annual collection events. The St. George’s depot is the fourth community to partner with MMSB to offer this type of service to residents.

“We are grateful for the MMSB’s support and funding for the household hazardous waste depot,” said Dr. Don Downer, Chair of the Western Regional Service Board. “The depot will provide an environmentally responsible and convenient way for the residents of the Bay St. George area to dispose of their household hazardous waste materials.”

The Provincial Solid Waste Management Strategy aims to reduce the amount of materials in provincial landfill sites by 50 per cent and to encourage residents of Newfoundland and Labrador to participate in waste diversion programs such as recycling and composting. Full implementation of the strategy is on target for 2020.

Additional information on the Provincial Waste Management Strategy is available at: www.gov.nl.ca/ma/waste_management/index.html. 

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2013 07 04                                11:05 a.m.