As we are moving into 2022 the Hornby Island Recycling Depot is now again accepting foam and glass packaging. Thank you to all of you for holding on to these recycling streams while our recycling partners were recovering from the flood damages that they were experiencing in December.
In late December we were requested by our regional district to see if we could not reduce our operational budget for 2022. The increase in our labour costs due to unionization and covid protocol enforcement had raised some red flags at the district office. To comply with their request, we reduced bour budget by employing a Free Store Geeter to enforce masking protocols for only to two days a week throughout the year.
As well, from a suggestion by our executive at the last budget approval meeting, to perhaps increase tipping fees to help pay for some of the staffing, we increased our bag ticket price by $.50 per bag during July and August to help reduce the tax burden this year.
Further staff savings would be achieved when we do no longer have to enforce masking protocols in our Free Store.
The next step in the CVRD’s budget approval process requires the approval of our budget by our regional director and the CVRD board and the approval process should be completed by March.
Early in May we will be re-negotiating our collective agreement with CUPE who has been representing our staff since 2019. We are looking forward to completing this important and impacting task well before our budget time in September.
Because of the rise of covid cases in our area we decided to close our Free Store during the month of January. Depending on the information available at the time, we are hoping to have the Free Store reopen in February.
In February we will start collecting many milk containers as refundable containers. This applies to all “ready-to-drink” milk and plant-based beverage containers of assorted sizes, purchased on February 1, 2022, or later. Containers that are NOT included in the program are those not meant primarily as “ready-to-drink”, such as infant formula, meal replacement or dietary supplements, coffee cream and other coffee additives, whipping cream, buttermilk, drinkable yogurt, and kefir.
Please note that glass outside the provincial recycling program must be deposited as waste and can no longer be added to the old glass pile. At the moment the pile has reached its maximum and we can no longer add to it. If you are interested in taking away some of our glass for one of your own projects, please talk to us.
A reminder when planning to drop of drywall to call ahead to ensure our drywall bin is on the island and that there is room for what you want to drop. As well make sure you have filled out the required paperwork available at https://recycling.hirra.ca/wp/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Dry-Wall-Waste-Disposal-Application-March-2017.pdf.
And a Thank You to all our volunteers in the Free Store, in the gardens, and at the committee for all your time that you have been donating over the years.
……See you up on depot hill
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