The Canadian Beverage Association (CBA) and the Town of Erin have launched a recycling program with new bins throughout the town, as part of a joint public space recycling pilot project launched last year.
“I am very happy to see this initiative roll out with the Canadian Beverage Association,” said Mayor Allan Alls at an Aug. 17 press conference.
“By replacing our bins in town with these dual recycling bins we will see a reduction in waste and littering around our town and continue to work towards keeping our community green,” he added.
In total, the town is installing 87 recycling bins in various locations, including downtown Erin village, Centre 2000 and McMillian Park.
The CBA will then work with the town to promote the project through a social media campaign and educate residents about the importance of recycling in public spaces.
“We are confident that this project will be a success,” said Shane Buckingham, Senior Director of Sustainability and Industry Affairs at the CBA.
“Based on our sector’s experience operating and participating in recycling programs across Canada, we know greater access to public space recycling bins in Erin will improve recycling rates and reduce litter while positioning the town as an environmental leader.”
The pilot project started last October with a waste audit that assessed how well residents have been recycling in public spaces and established a baseline for further comparison.
Following the waste audit, the CBA worked closely with the town to select several types of recycling bins and strategic locations for their placement.
In September, the CBA will work with the town to conduct another waste audit to see how much recycling has improved following the installation of the bins and the completion of the promotion and education campaign.
The results of the second audit will be included in a final report that will gauge the project’s success and provide guidelines for the town to keep improving recycling in public spaces.
The pilot project is modelled after the successful Recycle Everywhere program operated in Manitoba.
This program has increased the beverage container recovery rate in the province to 70 per cent, up from just 42 per cent in 2010, through a combination of improving access to public space recycling bins and targeted education campaigns.
