PUSLINCH – An audit of the township's local public spaces recycling initiative has recorded some impressive, albeit delayed, results.
In a new report coming to council on Wednesday, a comprehensive waste audit completed by Reclay StewardEdge says the township's public space waste reduction and recovery strategy has produced low contamination rates and above-average rate recovery for select recyclables.
Funded by Blue Triton Brands Canada, formerly Nestlé Waters Canada, the program and post-audit were approved in 2020 as a way to assess and measure the composition of garbage and recycling generation while measuring the current recovery and contamination rates in the township's public spaces.
However, while the initiative went ahead according to plan, COVID-19 travel limitations and public facility restrictions delayed the post-audit to August 2022.
Placing 30 general-use recycling bins, 25 dual-stream public space bins and five indoor
dual-stream bins in public areas throughout Puslinch, the dual-stream bins were split between three locations: Badenoch Soccer Field, Morriston Meadows Park and the Puslinch Community Centre.
According to the audit, all three locations recorded beverage container recovery rates of over 80 per cent – above average for public spaces in Canada.
But while the report didn't include recovery rates for any other recyclables, it did find contamination rates are "well below" 30 per cent, which is low compared to the average public space.
Polycoat coffee cups were identified as the top contaminant.
In the future, the RSE is recommending additional promotion and education regarding good recycling practices and annual reports to the public on community, capture, and contamination rates.
The report also recommended staff ensure all recycling bins use clear bags as all recycling bins audited had black bags instead.
Isabel Buckmaster is the Local Journalism Initiative reporter for GuelphToday. LJI is a federally-funded program.
