Landlords have until end of January to register for curbside recycling
Some renters in New Brunswick will soon have access to curbside recycling under a program offered by Circular Materials.
Apartment dwellers now have to bring their recyclables to a redemption centre or throw them away. Some communities, including Fredericton, have recycling depots where tenants can drop off containers and cardboard in bins as well.
But with a community's partnership with Circular Materials, the owners of multi-family buildings can now register for the curbside program.
The first phase of the program covers the northwest, Restigouche, Fundy, southwest, capital and western St. John River Valley regions.
The deadline for building owners to register is Jan. 31 to receive the service by May 1.
Andrew Philopoulos, the managing director for Circular Materials Atlantic Canada, told Information Morning Fredericton that so far, more than 200 multi-family dwellings in the city have been registered for the program.
Andrew Philopoulos, the managing director for Circular Materials Atlantic Canada, said landlords have until Jan. 31 to register for the first phase of apartment curbside recycle program. (Subitted by Alyssa Esparaz)
He estimated about 500 multi-family buildings are eligible in Fredericton alone.
"It's ultimately all about promoting the circular economy and making this program available to a sector that largely hasn't been recycling in the past," Philopoulos said.
He said multi-family dwellings with four or fewer units are already included in the existing curbside service. This new program will accommodate a wide range of buildings — some with hundreds of units.
Philopoulos said it is not mandatory for multi-family dwellings to register for recycling services provincially, but it will be a requirement in Fredericton because of a municipal bylaw coming into effect in May.
"The program is actually at no cost to property owners," he said. "We will be providing the service."
Philopoulos said the service will include recycling bins, the collection of the recyclables, and promotion and education materials.
"Each individual property and each individual tenant needs to figure out how to manage their recyclables in their household and how to get it to those receptacles," he said.
Phase two of the program expands to Kent and Kings counties. The deadline will be May 31 for those multi-family dwellings to be serviced starting in November.