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New Brunswick Environmental Trust Fund
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Waste Reduction and Diversion
New Brunswick has made significant strides in the area of waste reduction and diversion - achieving a 39% rate of diversion from 1988 to 1998. However, more work remains to be done in order to achieve the 50 per cent waste diversion goal set by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment in 1989.
Some Successes - Beverage Containers and Tires
Since the implementation of the Beverage Container Act in 1992, over 1 billion containers have been diverted from landscapes and landfills throughout the province. Furthermore, as a result of the Tire Stewardship Program launched in 1996, over 2.5 million tires have been diverted from landfill, creating jobs and valuable products. Tires are collected and processed by the Tire Recycling Atlantic Canada Corporation (TRACC), which shreds and crumbs the rubber from the tires to manufacture new rubber products at their Minto facility.
Action Plan for the Future
The New Brunswick Department of Environment and Local Government released Waste Reduction & Diversion: An Action Plan for New Brunswick in the Fall of 2001. It outlines the province's ten-point plan for continued success in solid waste management in New Brunswick. The first of ten points outlines the following initiatives:
"Each Regional Solid Waste Commission would be required to implement region-wide recycling programs for:
- Corrugated cardboard, newsprint, boxboard, and office paper by December 31, 2003.
- High- and low-density polyethylene plastics (#1 and #2) by December 31, 2004.
- Composting of all organic waste by December 31, 2006."
Action at the Local Level Each of the 12 Regional Solid Waste Commissions and Corporations are in various stages of development of recycling and composting programs. Many commissions currently offer residential recycling programs for various materials and both the Westmorland-Albert Solid Waste Corporation and the Fundy Region Solid Waste Commission have implemented large-scale residential composting programs. It is expected that within the next few years, ALL New Brunswickers will have access to recycling and composting programs.
To see a map of New Brunswick's 12 Solid Waste Commissions, click here.
Find out more about Solid Waste Management
For more information about Solid Waste, click on the links below
Sanitary Landfills
Waste Diversion | |
