News Release Archive
ENVIRONMENT--SOLID WASTE RESOURCE STRATEGY
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Environment Minister Wayne Adams has unveiled a Solid Waste
Resource Management Strategy for Nova Scotia that will cut
in half the amount of waste going to the province's
landfills by the year 2000.
An added benefit of the Strategy will be the creation of an
estimated 600 new jobs in the recycling, collection and
environmental industries sector.
The strategy will offer every Nova Scotian an opportunity to
recycle, end the dumping of organic compostable materials
and other recyclables in landfills, expand the
deposit/refund system to cover most beverage containers, and
reduce the number of landfills in operation by approximately
75%.
The province made a commitment, in the new Environment Act,
to divert 50% of its solid waste.
"The time has come to stop throwing away our future. We are
fouling the earth, and throwing away materials that can be
turned into products and jobs. We are heeding the call of
Nova Scotians to stop thinking of solid waste as a problem
and instead recognizing it as an opportunity to do something
for our environment and our economy," said Mr. Adams at a
news conference held at the Lunenburg Regional Recycling and
Composting Facility in Whynotts Settlement, Lunenburg
County.
He said the public will be now able to participate in an
expanded deposit/refund system. All beverage containers,
except for milk, will be included. The public will pay a
deposit on all applicable containers and receive a refund
equalling half the deposit upon return. The other half of
the deposit will go to the Resource Recovery Fund (RRF) to
assist municipalities with their diversion and recycling
programs. This is similar to the program currently employed
with liquor containers.
All new landfills will have to meet stricter guidelines to
prevent leachate and other associated problems.
Beginning April 1, 1996, beverage containers, corrugated
cardboard, newsprint, scrap tires, automotive batteries and
all leaf and yard waste will be banned from landfill sites.
A year later the ban will be expanded to include waste
paint, automotive antifreeze and all compostable organic
material from industrial, commercial and institutional
sources.
Effective April 1, 1998, steel and tin cans, glass food
containers, and plastics will no longer be accepted for
disposal in landfills.
To ensure cost effectiveness for the taxpayer, municipal
units will be encouraged to participate in regional
cooperation.
The province will be divided into seven solid waste
management regions. The department has used municipal
studies on solid waste cooperation as the guide to the
establishment of the boundaries of the regions. If municipal
units can provide suggestions to improve the efficiency of
the regional system, the minister will consider alterations.
The strategy will reduce the number of landfills in the
province from the current number of 40 to between seven and
10.
The open burning of solid waste will be banned effective
April 1, 1996. This is three months later than originally
planned in order to allow municipal units that use open
burning more time to prepare alternative arrangements.
However, incineration that meets the national air emission
standards will be allowed; but, municipal units using waste
to energy incinerators will not be allowed to use the
generation of energy in factoring their 50% diversion
requirements.
An integral part of the strategy is the creation of jobs. In
order to ensure that Nova Scotia solid waste resources are
developed into Nova Scotia based jobs, the strategy includes
plans for the establishment of processing facilities for
recyclables.
Industry studies have estimated that up to 900 jobs could be
created as the result of recycling, diversion and
composting. The Department of the Environment's own studies
have indicated a minimum of 600 jobs as a direct result of
the implementation of the strategy.
"For example, Nova Scotians discard about one million tires
annually. Today, they end up clogging landfills, but
tomorrow they will be a source of paycheques," said the
minister.
The Environmental Industries and Technology Division has
been working on a plan to establish a scrap tire
reprocessing facility and expects to have the final details
completed in the near future.
The Resource Recovery Fund, a public-private, non-profit
organization, will be responsible for the marketing of
recyclable materials in order to ensure Nova Scotia's
environmental industries have a critical mass of feedstock
from domestic sources.
The RRF will sign agreements with the municipalities to buy
the recyclables they collect. Municipalities will be
encouraged to partner with the RRF, but will be free to sell
to other buyers, should they find a better financial offer.
"This will ensure that the RRF gives municipalities fair
value for the recyclables they collect," said Mr. Adams.
The RRF will use the profits of sales of recyclables to
promote diversion and recycling in its partner
municipalities. The membership of the board will include
representatives from industry and government. The RRF has
been promoting municipal recycling and diversion efforts
since its creation in 1989.
"These steps are vital to the environmental, as well as
economic, health of our province. They are the result of
nearly two years of consultation with municipalities and the
public. In effect, what we are doing is casting aside the
throw-a-way mentality and replacing it with common sense.
You would not throw money out the window. Then why have we
for so long allowed ourselves to throw out money in garbage
bags? It's not garbage, it's a resource, and its time we
recognized the environmental and economic benefits of
treating our province with respect," Mr. Adams said.
The strategy will come into effect April 1, 1996.
Copies of the Nova Scotia Solid Waste Management Strategy
can be obtained by calling toll-free 1-800-726-5779, or in
Metro, 424-2300.
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Contact: Paul McEachern 902-424-5300
trp Nov. 07, 1995