Meaford’s Committee of the Whole is recommending council include a year-round styrofoam recycling program in its 2023 budget.
During a meeting on Jan. 16, a report was brought forward by Director of Operation Jessica Wiley.
The report says Meaford has historically allowed for expanded styrofoam disposal as part of its waste management garbage stream.
In 2021, staff started to develop a styrofoam recycling program to divert expanded styrofoam from the landfill by utilizing services from Second Wind Recycling, a styrofoam recycling service based out of St. Thomas. The service allows for styrofoam to be reused as new products.
A one-year pilot of the program was organized for residents and a facility to collect the styrofoam was open once a month, starting October, 2021. It ran for 15 months to the end of 2022, and during this time, the report says 198 cubic yards of material were collected.
During the meeting, the committee was presented three options, discontinue the operation of the styrofoam depot, operating the depot seasonally, where it would be one once a month from May to October, or offer the service all year by opening the depot every second Saturday each month.
Operating the depot seasonally would cost the municipality $2,608 a year, while the year round operation comes with a $4,188 price point.
“The annual cost of the program does not cover disposal of industrial, commercial or institutional Styrofoam. If local businesses want to take part in the program they will be required to cover the costs of recycling which is $25 per two cubic yard bag. The styrofoam will be collected separately and tracked,” says the report. “Municipal staff will continue to investigate options for reducing staff costs through grants or student volunteering opportunities.”
