A province-wide change to the way recycling is collected is intended to save the environment, But, in small towns, it could make things worse.
The bill is expected to be a hot topic at the Rural Ontario Municipalities Association conference taking place in Toronto this week. Madawaska Valley has a delegation at the conference, which includes Mayor Mark Willmer and three councillors.
Bancroft Mayor Paul Jenkins says there’s irony in the new Ontario bill, as it calls for the phasing out of municipal-taxpayer funded blue box programs.
The bill puts the onus of recycling collection on producers of recyclable products, with the hopes that it will encourage less waste and save municipal funds.
But rural leaders are wondering if those owners will actually set up collection programs in small towns.
“There’s huge irony in this, because this is supposed to be a program to improve something and it actually could make it worse.”
Jenkins says there’s a real possibility that Bancroft won’t have a recycling program much longer.
Jenkins says he and other municipal leaders will put pressure on and seek clarity from provincial officials on this matter while he attends the conference.