Kincardine council agrees to assist Terracycle program

The Terracycle program in Kincardine has a new champion, as Kincardine council has agreed to provide some assistance.

In committee-of-the-whole Wednesday night (Feb. 18), program co-ordinator Amanda Saxton explained the benefits of Terracycle which began in Kincardine in September, 2010. It accepts waste that cannot be recycled in the Blue Box, and sends it to the company, Terracycle, which upcycles or recycles the waste into various products, such as garbage cans, park benches and watering cans.

Initially, it was for only juice pouches and snack cracker/cookie packaging, said Saxton. However, it has expanded extensively in the past 12-18 months, to collecting Tassimo coffee discs (T-discs), coffee bags, snack pouches, cereal bags, and so much more.

Over the past year-and-a-half, the Kincardine Terracycle program has collected 70,000 T-discs, 4,000 juice pouches, 1,500 snack pouches, 1,500 lunchable trays, 2,000 cookie wrappers, 1,000 cereal bags, 1,500 coffee bags, and 700 diaper packages.

There are drop-off locations at the Davidson Centre (outside the new entrance), at St. Anthony's School (in the parking lot by the basketball court), in the Tim-BR Mart parking lot, at the Kincardine Public Library and the Tiverton Public Library.

Using a system of "brigades," Terracycle accepts a vast assortment of waste, including used writing tools, toner and inkjet cartridges, air care products, cereal bags, snack pouches, drink pouches, cookie and cracker wrappers, lunchmate containers, electronics, diaper packaging, T-discs and bags, coffee bags, Open Farm pet food bags, and cigarette waste.

"The program started with our St. Anthony's Green Team and our school families," said Saxton, "and then it expanded to the rest of Kincardine. It's a free way to dispose of extra items that can't be recycled through the municipality."

She said the Green Team empties the bins every week-and-a-half, sorts the items and when there is enough for a load, ships them to Terracycle. The work is currently done in Saxton's garage, and students from St. Anthony's and Ecole Elgin Market Public School are involved. "We're trying to get Huron Heights and Kincardine Township-Tiverton public schools onboard as well," she said.

Magnets, outlining the 10 different brigades of acceptable Terracycle items, are available at the libraries in Kincardine and Tiverton.

Saxton asked the municipality for help in finding a storage location for the items, and a spot on the Kincardine municipal website to promote Terracycle.

"It's wonderful the work you've done," said mayor Anne Eadie. "You've even dedicated your garage to do this."

Chief administrative officer Murray Clarke said there is storage space at the public works garage on Valentine Avenue in Ward 1 (Town of Kincardine) for this program to use, provided council supports it. And there is definitely space on the website to promote this program.

When asked if there is a profit made on the recycled items, Saxton said each piece of garbage is worth about one cent. That money is used to purchase bins and the promotional magnets. If there is any surplus, it goes to the Green Teams and for community events.

As for storage requirements, Saxton said each brigade requires a six-foot-by-six-foot box, and these boxes can be stacked - once a box is full, it's shipped. Space is also required for sorting the items.

Councillor Laura Haight said it's good to see a program like this. "It gives us a choice at the grocery store, purchasing things that are recycled through our program or through Terracycle."

Deputy mayor Jacqueline Faubert said she would like to discuss with Saxton about the municipality providing "Environmental Stewardship" bag tags so Saxton can dispose of any garbage that ends up in the bins and can't be recycled.

"It would be lovely to have that," said Saxton, "but I usually have only one full bag per month of contaminated items. The bins are respected more than I anticipated. People sort their garbage well."
Eadie said the Kincardine Environmental Action Group would like to work with Saxton and this program as well.

Council agreed to provide storage space for the Terracycle program, as well as space on the website to promote this program.

For further information about Kincardine Terracycle, check on facebook at: www.facebook.com/kincardineterracycle