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Showing posts with the label waste management

Comparing the "Regional Recycling" Depot (Encorp) with the Nanaimo Recycling Exchange

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Let’s compare how the corporate non-profit “Regional Recycling” (RR, the more recent brand name for the federally incorporated Encorp) and the Nanaimo Recycling Exchange (NRE) go about their "business." Firstly, the local RR depots are privately owned. They are licenced by the federally incorporated not-for-profit Encorp. So how are they funded? Encorp : Especially in the earlier days, when Encorp's “Return-it” was only a bottle depot, they were given the eco-fees generated whenever someone purchased a bottled beverage. They got to keep 100% of those deposits, even when the container was not given to them for a refund. They amassed large sums of our money ($43 million at its peak). They still get to keep these public funds. In the last year they reported (2016) about three-quarters of all of their income came from the eco-fees charged to us. The rest comes from selling the recyclables and other income. Click here for that information. The NRE has very

Save the NRE or pay (more!) later

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This is the letter I have just sent to the mayor and council of the city of Nanaimo (mayor&council@nanaimo.ca is the e-address should you wish to do the same) Mayor and Councillors: I believe it was about three years ago I addressed the Regional District of Nanaimo, encouraging them to engage the Nanaimo Recycling Exchange, and noting to them how much the NRE benefits us all. Evidently the negotiations between the staff of the NRE and the City that followed went nowhere; the NRE simply did and does not have the capital to have met their expectations. Why should they? The NRE alone accepts materials that cost money to properly recycle. They do not get a slice of the income from recycling cans (apart from a few donations). One of the materials they alone accept is Styrofoam. This material alone can occupy up to 25% of the space in landfills, but because the waste industry considers only the WEIGHT of materials the NRE is given inadequate credit f or continuing to gre

How to improve on Nanaimo's Core Services Review

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Core Review questions and comments September 12, 2016 While I applaud this Core Services Review I believe that its greatest weakness is that it sometimes fails to address the causes of issues (and hence expenses) and then only addresses how to treat the symptoms. This is a cultural norm in our part of the world, and costs us tremendously –in every way. I wish to especially focus on the area of waste management and transportation (which are related). Waste policies (pg 77)             The options offered are far too limiting and do not meet our goals of continuing to improve our performance in this area. Indeed, the solutions may encourage us to go in the opposite direction! The following are just two options that most other municipalities are not embracing, ones that would again place Nanaimo at the leader in both waste reduction and boosted related employment: Greatly reduce the weight of the garbage cans being lifted (and injuring our employees) ·          Charg

How to Create Good Jobs and a Better Economy

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Until later in March of this year (2016) the province is looking for feedback on their plans to reduce Greenhouse Gases (GHG). Of course they can't accomplish this and proceed with their uneconomical and polluting Liquefied Natural Gas plans. But they have other ideas that look promising. Check them out at https://interceptum.com/s/en/ClimateActionLeadership-Winter2015-16 You can also leave your comments by following the link provided. Even if you offer only a couple of ideas to them this will accomplish two things: They will know we care about jobs and the environment. They may also learn something new, or realise there is more support for one idea than they had imagined! For the record here's what I submitted. If you like any of them feel free to plagiarise. Steal away! 1. Shift the priority away from the uneconomical (and GHG emitting) LNG industry to instead support BC's potential in wave, wind, solar and geothermal power production. Encourage smaller-scal