MMBC program spurs building of flagship container recycling facility
$15M building will increase plastics recycling efficiency, divert containers from landfills
New Westminster is set to get an economic boost spurred by the Multi-Material BC (MMBC) program, the non-profit organization that will assume responsibility for managing residential packaging and printed paper recycling in B.C., starting in May.
Green by Nature EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility), which will manage the sorting and sale of recyclables on behalf of MMBC after being picked up from residents, has confirmed it will site a new, $15 million container recycling facility in the community.
Green by Nature says the 179,000 square foot facility is the first of its kind in North America and will employ as many as 70 people throughout construction and operations. The facility, expected to be completed in early 2015, will boost the sorting efficiency of recyclable residential plastics under the MMBC program, which will begin delivering services to approximately 1.25 million households on May 19, 2014.
"MMBC's partnership with Green by Nature EPR is a clear example of the many benefits B.C. residents stand to gain from the MMBC program," says Allen Langdon, Managing Director, MMBC. "New Westminster will benefit from job creation; British Columbians will be able to recycle a wider range of items; and the province will benefit from having a state-of-the-art recycling facility that positions B.C. as a leader in recycling across Canada."
Green by Nature EPR will be responsible for managing the processing and marketing of approximately 185,000 tonnes of packaging and printed paper material after it has been collected from curbside households, multi-family buildings and depots across the province. It is estimated that residential plastics that will be sorted by the facility make up approximately 20 per cent of recyclables collected under the MMBC program.
"The MMBC program has created an opportunity for Green by Nature EPR to develop a world class, leading edge recycling facility right here in B.C. that wasn't possible before. It can handle a greater volume of plastics and a greater variety of plastics than any other facility in the province. Our company is proud to be playing such a large role in the progress and improvement of B.C.'s recycling system," says Albino Metauro, President and CEO of Green by Nature EPR.
Green by Nature EPR has engaged 20 plus subcontractors that are leaders in recycling in their local communities to be part of the integrated province-wide MMBC post-collection system. This coordinated approach will ensure the MMBC program operates as efficiently as possible, and will help MMBC to achieve its targeted 75% recovery rate for packaging and printed paper.
In May 2011, BC's Recycling Regulation was updated to include packaging and printed paper. The regulation shifts the responsibility for managing the residential recycling of packaging and printed paper from regional and municipal governments and their taxpayers to business.
Multi-Material British Columbia (MMBC) is a non-profit industry-led and financed organization that will assume responsibility for managing residential packaging and printed paper recycling on behalf of industry in May 2014.
More information, including lists of MMBC collectors and members, is available at www.multimaterialbc.ca
Green by Nature EPR is a national organization founded by key industry leaders in discarded materials management in Canada. Our principals are renowned pioneers in the materials recovery and recycling fields, with over 20+ years of experience in the design, build, operations, and management of complex material recovery programs and related infrastructure. Green by Nature EPR comprises service providers with extensive expertise in the collection, processing and marketing of discarded printed paper and packaging with an unmatched network of material recovery services to our customers and shareholders.
Visit www.greenbynature.com for more information.
