A new recycling program set to launch soon aims to simplify the recycling process for households, but it is causing challenges for a local company in Windsor, Ontario. Starting in January, the company, Herby Curby, will not be permitted to use its recycling bins. Herby Curby, a long-standing company with a history of four decades, currently rents out approximately 2,200 recycling bins and has sold around 8,800 of them.
The company has initiated a petition requesting that its bins be accepted by the trucks, arguing that their products offer the same functionality as the new carts being distributed for free to households in Windsor-Essex. Charlotte Coates, one of the company’s four employees, expressed concerns about the impact on their business, stating, “Being locally owned and operated, this is our main focus—garbage and recycle bins. Losing half of our products would mean losing half of our business.”
Coates also worries that with households receiving only one bin, people may resort to disposing of excess recycling in the trash. Some residents who received their bins shared mixed reactions. While one resident welcomed the convenience of using just one bin, another expressed uncertainty about the fate of their existing wheelie bins.
The new recycling initiative, managed by the non-profit organization Circular Materials, mandates the use of the new bin starting in January. This move aligns with a province-wide transition to a unified recycling system, where companies responsible for packaging and paper will bear financial accountability. Notable changes for Windsor-Essex residents include no longer needing to separate paper and containers, as all recyclables can now be placed in the same bin. Moreover, there is an expanded list of accepted items, such as deodorant and toothpaste packaging.
Circular Materials CEO, Allen Langdon, emphasized the necessity of using the provided bin to ensure compatibility with the new automated collection system. Andrew Dowie, the PC MPP for Windsor-Tecumseh, explained that the barcoded bins will facilitate data collection to optimize collection logistics based on truck capacity.
Circular Materials assures that households will receive their cart before the rollout of the new system and that one cart should suffice for most households. In case a household consistently exceeds the cart’s capacity, they can request an additional cart at no cost from the local collection contractor, GFL Environmental, following a needs assessment.
Overall, the new recycling program aims to streamline the recycling process and enhance efficiency while promoting environmentally friendly practices in Windsor-Essex.
