Officials behind a new program hope it will help to improve recycling rates throughout New Brunswick.
The province is transitioning to extended producer responsibility (EPR) for packaging and paper products.
Jeff MacCallum, managing director of Atlantic Canada with Circular Materials, said taxpayers will no longer foot the bill to recycle those materials.
“The brand owners and producers are taking over the responsibility for funding the program and ensuring the material is recycled, so it’s alleviating that burden off of New Brunswickers and municipalities,” MacCallum said in an interview.
As a producer responsibility organization, Circular Materials is funded by those brand owners and producers and acts as an intermediary between them and Recycle NB, which will oversee the program in our province.
MacCallum said existing residential curbside recycling customers will be transitioned over the next 12 months.
“They’ll see no change curbside, it’s a seamless transition. What they’ve done before today is what they’ll continue to do,” he said.
Under the program, some municipalities have decided to continue providing that service on their own, while others have opted to have Circular Materials procure a third-party service.
MacCallum said they also plan to expand recycling collection to multi-unit buildings throughout the province starting in 2025.
In addition, Circular Materials has also partnered with some Eastern Recyclers Association redemption centres for the collection of glass, flexible plastics, ancillary cardboard, and expanded polystyrene foam.
MacCallum said this collaboration, which is rolling out in a phased approach, will give residents a convenient way to recycle these materials that have not been part of their recycling program previously.
“The system isn’t quite ready curbside downstream to handle those materials, so we found another option for New Brunswickers to do the recycling of those materials,” he said.
New Brunswick is the first Atlantic Canadian province to have an extended producer responsibility for packaging and paper products.
Frank LeBlanc, CEO of Recycle NB, said they are pleased to work with Circular Materials to launch this program.
“EPR programs create partnerships among industry and governments at all levels, while at the same time help to meet increasing demands by citizens for more comprehensive recycling programs,” said LeBlanc.
“Ultimately, this program will translate to environmental and economic benefits for all New Brunswickers.”
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