The Parksville Community Centre Society wants to provide a bi-weekly popup recycling depot collection event for residents in the Parksville Qualicum Beach area.
The president of the society, Duane Round, indicated the plan is to enter into a partnership with Recycle BC and establish a collection depot that will accept recyclable items not included in the Regional District of Nanaimo curbside collection services such as soft plastics, plastic bags and overwrap, non-deposit glass containers, Styrofoam and many others.
Round said the special event will take place at the community centre at 223 Mills St. There will be no charge to or limits placed on residents dropping off in scope printed paper and packaging.
The society has sought a letter of support from the RDN board that they can use to apply to Recycle BC for permit to operate the event.
“Our proposal will provide for the collection of these materials, reducing the cost to travel out of the community for drop off and help keep recyclable products out of the land fill and contribute to the zero waste targets set out by governments,” Round stated in his letter to the RDN board.
READ MORE: RDN wants Recycle BC to establish depot in Parksville Qualicum Beach
The Parksville Qualicum Beach region lost its recycling depot in 2019 when it closed down. It left residents no choice by to drive to the nearest depot in Nanaimo or Comox Valley to disposed off their recyclables not collected at the curb and at the Parksville Bottle Depot. A majority of the residents, particularly senior citizens, find the drive to be incovenient.
Recycle BC has not replaced the recycling depot since them but has indicated it continues to work on finding partners and a suitable location. Recycle BC held popup recycling depots in 2021 but has not organized another since then.
Regional recycling general manager Paul Shorting said the underlying issue is that many of the stewardship programs do not want to pay the true cost of their programs which they are required to through Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy.
“Private facilities are unable to charge a user fee and are locked in to five-year agreements with no increase in compensation,” said Shorting.
Like Us