MMBC Expands Recycling Services to more BC Communities

VANCOUVER, July 22, 2014 /CNW/ - This summer, an additional five communities will start receiving recycling services through the industry-funded Multi-Material BC (MMBC). MMBC rolled out curbside collections to the City of Coquitlam on July 2, 2014, and residents in the Village of Anmore will start receiving service on August 1, 2014. Services also start in Quesnel, Prince George, and University Endowment Lands in September. Approximately 25,000 of the over 55,000 additional households receiving recycling services from MMBC will have curbside recycling for the very first time. 

Residents in these communities will join the over 1.25 million BC residents whose service started on May 19, 2014.

"Quesnel welcomes the MMBC program as it will provide a number of benefits for our residents," said Mary Sjostrom, Mayor of the City of Quesnel. "Not only has the program removed the financial burden of running recycling services from our residents, but the expanded range of what can be recycled is making a significant contribution to keeping our community green and extending the life of our landfill."

"Since our program launched, we have been making it easier for residents to recycle more, whether by accepting materials like aerosol containers, paper beverage cups, or plastic plant pots that previously were not recycled in curbside programs, or by providing recycling services in communities that previously did not have access to them," said Allen Langdon, Managing Director of MMBC. "We have been extremely pleased with the positive feedback we've heard from our local government and First Nations partners. We look forward to continuing to expand recycling services into new communities as our member base of businesses grows."

In addition to the new curbside and multi-family building programs, MMBC's network of over 160 depots also continues to expand. On July 15, the Armstrong Bottle Depot and the Venture Bottle Depot in Lumby started accepting MMBC materials.

"We would like to acknowledge MMBC for recognizing the concerns of our residents, which included losing the ability to drop off glass locally," said Mayor Chris Pieper of the City of Armstrong.  "MMBC worked with our local depot to adjust the service to our community.  The program is helping our residents recycle more and reduce what gets sent to landfill, as well as ensuring good recycling services are available locally to our residents."

Additional details about MMBC's packaging and printed paper recycling program, including the full list of materials that are accepted, are available on MMBC's website at www.RecyclingInBC.ca. A list of BC communities served by MMBC, either directly or through partnerships with municipalities, First Nations, and/or private companies is available at http://www.multimaterialbc.ca/node/371. A list of the businesses taking responsibility for their packaging and printed paper and funding recycling services for British Columbians can be viewed here: http://multimaterialbc.ca/stewards/registered-list

MMBC is among more than 20 Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programs introduced in British Columbia over the past two decades, which has seen industry assume responsibility for end-of-life management of items such as beverage containers, electronics, paint, used oil, tires and batteries. The concept behind EPR is to make businesses responsible for collecting and recycling the products they supply into the BC marketplace.

About MMBC

In May 2011, BC's Recycling Regulation was updated to include packaging and printed paper. The regulation shifts the responsibility for managing the residential recycling of packaging and printed paper from regional and municipal governments and their taxpayers to business.

Multi-Material BC (MMBC) is a non-profit industry-led and financed organization that assumed responsibility for managing residential packaging and printed paper recycling on behalf of industry in May 2014.

More information, including lists of MMBC collectors and members, is available at www.multimaterialbc.ca

SOURCE: Multi-Material British Columbia (MMBC)

Media Contact: Elisha McCallum, 778-668-0185, [email protected]