Quispamsis prepares to launch curbside recycling

Quispamsis is gearing up for the long-awaited launch of curbside recycling on May 9.

Blue bins for paper and cardboardand green bins for plastic, metal and milk cartonsare beingdropped off at every home.

Mayor Murray Driscoll says all of the bins are expected to be delivered within 10 days.

The community dropoff depots will be phased out in the coming months.

• Quispamsis solo recycling approach raises questions
• Quispamsis approves garbage collection, curbside recycling
• Quispamsis council refuses to revisit curbside recycling

Council voted last August to bring in a townwide garbage collection system by the beginning of the year, and switch from community recyclingdepots tocurbside collection by May.

The changes are expected to raise the tax rate byabout two cents per $100 of assessment, saidDriscoll.

'Big savings'

"If you have a house of $200,000, you're going to be paying about $43 for total garbage and probably$64if your house is worth 300,000," he said.

"It's a good deal for everyone," saidDriscoll, describing it as a "big savings," compared to the approximately $310 homeowners used to have to pay private contractors.

FeroWaste and Recycling was awarded a fouryear, $558,000 contract.

Reactions mixed

Resident Larry Darling is looking forward tohaving his recycling picked up every two weeks. "Works a hundred per cent for me," he said.

But not everyone is happy about the switch.

"I can see this being a problem for older people," or anyone with mobility issues,said JohnRoherty, referring to the curbside bins being too heavy to carryto the end of their driveways.

RussellMacDonaldalsobelieves there will be problems with curbside collection."I think when people start putting it out the wind's going to blow everything all over the place, and it's going to be in the ditches and you're going to have to clean ditches up."

A survey by the local waste commission hasindicated 57 per cent of the people in Quispamsis support curbside pickup.

In 2014, Quispamsis had rejected a proposal for a Fundy regionrecycling program.

The Fundy Regional Service Commission hadestimated the added cost forQuispamsisto move from the existing community blue bin dropoff depots, to full curbside recycling pickup, would be about $60,000 a year.

Driscollhad said, at the time, there were many uncertainties over the cost of the regional program,and the new contract with Fero seemed consistent with what other communities pay.

The neighbouring town ofRothesay launched its program lastfall.

Participation in Rothesay is about 90 per cent far greater than expected, officials have said.