By Sue Tiffin
The Lochlin recycling facility will potentially close at the end of summer, unless the municipality decides to take it on.
Garbutt
Disposal has run the Minden Hills facility for approximately 15 years,
recycling mixed paper and corrugated cardboard, but plans to close after
this summer.
Disposal has run the Minden Hills facility for approximately 15 years,
recycling mixed paper and corrugated cardboard, but plans to close after
this summer.
“What
we are here for this morning is to discuss a little about the recycling
problem that’s taking place in Canada, not only in Minden Hills, but
it’s a crisis,” Jim Garbutt told council in a delegation on May 30.
we are here for this morning is to discuss a little about the recycling
problem that’s taking place in Canada, not only in Minden Hills, but
it’s a crisis,” Jim Garbutt told council in a delegation on May 30.
Garbutt
told council that flooded markets and lack of demand were resulting in
“higher processing fees to compensate for the loss in revenue.”
told council that flooded markets and lack of demand were resulting in
“higher processing fees to compensate for the loss in revenue.”
“It’s
been running along reasonably well until [the past few years] where
we’ve had so many problems with sorting and carrying on so the product
is clean enough to ship and get out to Toronto,” he said. “…We are at
the point where we are going to close that very shortly, mainly because
we’ve lost a lot of money over this couple of years, trying to do this,
to keep it locally and we just can’t absorb the loss because we’re in
business to make money.”
been running along reasonably well until [the past few years] where
we’ve had so many problems with sorting and carrying on so the product
is clean enough to ship and get out to Toronto,” he said. “…We are at
the point where we are going to close that very shortly, mainly because
we’ve lost a lot of money over this couple of years, trying to do this,
to keep it locally and we just can’t absorb the loss because we’re in
business to make money.”
Garbutt
said he has done extensive research to assess expenses. He said it
costs $105 for Garbutt Disposal to process one ton of baled corrugated
cardboard, but that the best price currently available is $90 per ton,
resulting in a $15 loss per ton. He said recently he received $60 per
ton, and that some places are now charging to accept it.
said he has done extensive research to assess expenses. He said it
costs $105 for Garbutt Disposal to process one ton of baled corrugated
cardboard, but that the best price currently available is $90 per ton,
resulting in a $15 loss per ton. He said recently he received $60 per
ton, and that some places are now charging to accept it.
“The
last load of mixed paper we sent out, on a 53-foot trailer, all baled
and everything, it took us two weeks for us to find a location where we
could take it,” he said. “Of course we had to get rid of it. We had it
in a trailer, sitting in Lindsay, it was refused one time. It ends up
that we got $0 for it, which resulted in about a $3,000 loss to us in
one load. This is just an example of what’s going on.”
last load of mixed paper we sent out, on a 53-foot trailer, all baled
and everything, it took us two weeks for us to find a location where we
could take it,” he said. “Of course we had to get rid of it. We had it
in a trailer, sitting in Lindsay, it was refused one time. It ends up
that we got $0 for it, which resulted in about a $3,000 loss to us in
one load. This is just an example of what’s going on.”
Garbutt
said this is the reason his company has chosen to eliminate the mixed
paper portion at the Lochlin recycling facility. Corrugated cardboard
recycling can continue at the site, but would require a processing fee
of $100 per ton, which is comparable to most other facilities he said.
said this is the reason his company has chosen to eliminate the mixed
paper portion at the Lochlin recycling facility. Corrugated cardboard
recycling can continue at the site, but would require a processing fee
of $100 per ton, which is comparable to most other facilities he said.
“We’ll try to go through the summer because this is a bad time for all this to happen,” he said.
In
a letter to council, he said the increased processing fee would “keep
us through the upcoming busy season and then we would see if it is
feasible to continue.”
a letter to council, he said the increased processing fee would “keep
us through the upcoming busy season and then we would see if it is
feasible to continue.”
Additionally, it has also been challenging, Garbutt said, to haul cans and recyclables to a recycling facility in Bracebridge.
“The
last two summers there’s been twice where their line has broke down
over there, and all of a sudden they can’t accept things for three or
four days,” he said. “If they add the paper and stuff to them too, well
that can be a real disaster. We’re willing to continue doing the
cardboard, we’re already shipping the paper to Bracebridge, but we just
couldn’t afford to lose another $3,000 load.”
last two summers there’s been twice where their line has broke down
over there, and all of a sudden they can’t accept things for three or
four days,” he said. “If they add the paper and stuff to them too, well
that can be a real disaster. We’re willing to continue doing the
cardboard, we’re already shipping the paper to Bracebridge, but we just
couldn’t afford to lose another $3,000 load.”
Garbutt
Disposal has been paying the invoice for processing fees in Bracebridge
– approximately $35,000 in 2018 – and being reimbursed by the township,
but moving forward has requested the township be directly invoiced to
avoid wait time.
Disposal has been paying the invoice for processing fees in Bracebridge
– approximately $35,000 in 2018 – and being reimbursed by the township,
but moving forward has requested the township be directly invoiced to
avoid wait time.
The
only way Garbutt could see the Lochlin recycling facility being
feasible, he said, is if the township ran the plant, having control over
processing fees for paper and cardboard.
“The facility over there
is all set up to do this,” he said. “As a private company we can’t
continue to do it. I’m not a big fan of municipality’s taking things
over, but the only reason I’m putting this forward is because it could
control what the maximum processing fees could be for our township for
years to come.”
only way Garbutt could see the Lochlin recycling facility being
feasible, he said, is if the township ran the plant, having control over
processing fees for paper and cardboard.
“The facility over there
is all set up to do this,” he said. “As a private company we can’t
continue to do it. I’m not a big fan of municipality’s taking things
over, but the only reason I’m putting this forward is because it could
control what the maximum processing fees could be for our township for
years to come.”
Should
the facility close, Garbutt said Garbutt Disposal would require a
location at the Minden Hills landfill to put the cardboard it collects
from Minden businesses.
the facility close, Garbutt said Garbutt Disposal would require a
location at the Minden Hills landfill to put the cardboard it collects
from Minden businesses.
“As
of now our compactor truck dumps directly at our facility and this
material never even sees the landfill site,” his letter to council
states.
of now our compactor truck dumps directly at our facility and this
material never even sees the landfill site,” his letter to council
states.
“China
has closed their doors, now the Philippines, a lot of places are
closing their doors to everyone including Canada, [and it’s] all back to
us,” said Garbutt. “Being a small municipality, I’m here to just say,
we have to expect a lot higher costs for the recycling, there’s no way
around it.”
has closed their doors, now the Philippines, a lot of places are
closing their doors to everyone including Canada, [and it’s] all back to
us,” said Garbutt. “Being a small municipality, I’m here to just say,
we have to expect a lot higher costs for the recycling, there’s no way
around it.”
Mayor
Brent Devolin said it was “sad but not surprising,” and said the topic
is the “elephant in the room” for many municipal politicians but that
Garbutt had offered much for council and staff to digest for plans on
how to proceed.
Brent Devolin said it was “sad but not surprising,” and said the topic
is the “elephant in the room” for many municipal politicians but that
Garbutt had offered much for council and staff to digest for plans on
how to proceed.
Councillor Pam Sayne said she would appreciate accessing the extensive research Garbutt had collected.
“I’ve
gone to some of these places in the Philippines, like Smokey Mountain,
and visited those communities and we have a global crisis here,” she
said, noting jobs were also at stake in our own community.
gone to some of these places in the Philippines, like Smokey Mountain,
and visited those communities and we have a global crisis here,” she
said, noting jobs were also at stake in our own community.
Garbutt
said summer was “fast approaching,” and the issue was not as big as the
spring flooding issue, but that it was still an issue and a decision
was needed so he knew how to proceed. He clarified the discussion
strictly focused on Garbutt Disposal’s recycling facility, not their
waste disposal services.
