Kitimat’s curbside recycling and food waste collection program are now in full swing, however, there has been some confusion on social media regarding some specific rules of the new program.
Neither styrofoam nor glass are accepted during curbside collection. The two products can break into pieces and then mix with other materials. Styrofoam pieces are difficult to separate which means less of the foam and other materials can be recycled.
Broken glass is a safety hazard for anyone who is handling recyclables, it is also difficult to separate and less of the glass and other materials can be recycled.
According to the District of Kitimat’s website if recyclers do have styrofoam or glass they can bring it to the Kitimat Bottle Depot to have it recycled.
Being bear aware has always been top of mind for Kitimat residents as the city is known for its bear activity. A representative from the District of Kitimat says people can be more bear aware by not putting out their food waste, recycling and garbage bins until 8 a.m. on the day of collection.
The district also points out that materials in the blue bin that are not cleaned are considered contaminated and all items need to be rinsed out.
There is also a yellow bag for clean paper and cardboard which was delivered with the blue bin.
Residents can call 250-632-8900 if they did not receive the bag or lost it to arrange a time to pick up a new one. If residents have extra paper or cardboard they can put it in their blue bin and it will get collected, even if it gets wet.
Those looking to keep their recycling bins clean can use newspapers to line the bottom and sides to protect the bin from getting contaminated.
A full schedule along with a link to frequently asked questions can be found at the District of Kitimat’s website.