The winter at the Hornby Island Recycling Depot was full of surprises. Because of the flooding in the lower mainland we had to suspend the collection of glass containers and “Styro” foam for some time, as the processing facilities for these materials stood 2 feet under water.
Snow forced us to close on Christmas Eve Day. We were able to clear the snow for New Year’s Eve Day but were shut down again due to a windstorm and a tree downing a hydro pole and wire across the road to the depot and blocking access. By January 7th we were operational again.
On February 1st we started collecting Milk Beverages as refundables. 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.
Our Free Store is still closed due to the large number of covid cases in our area and will remain closed for the time being.
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 concerns at the district office. To comply with their request, we reduced our budget by employing a Free Store Greeter to enforce masking protocols to only 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 will increase 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. We hope that the approval process is 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.
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.
……See you up on depot hill
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