Blog - RethinkIt B.C.

Your Voice Counts

We received a lot of complaints from our members and people who are affected by the changes. But, we want to hear you and help you overcome these issues. The government has implemented new changes regarding recycling, which in some way it can increase the prices, and fees and many business owners don’t agree.

In this way, we want to explain the entire procedure and assist you with this issue. So, if you have any questions, please write us at our email premier@gov.bc.ca., and we will respond at our earliest convenience. We are looking forward to hearing from you and reading your comments.

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Ms. Clark,

Please rethink your plan to sell-off provincial recycling programs to what is essentially an unneeded duplication, and additional expenses to all provincial taxpayers, with legislation to have blue box programs taken over by an additional layer of (out of province, private for profit) administration.

I am pleased to note that my local council has refused to join this, stating that our existing program is better, more comprehensive and cheaper.

Whoever came up with this idea should be fired.

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Dear Premier Clark,

We oppose the changes to the current Blue Box recycling program. These changes will end up costing each one of us too much!

Rethink this before it is too late!

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Dear Premier Clark…..As supporters of your government we wish to express our opposition to sending B. C. business out of province. This has proven over & over to cost more with a drop in benefit to the consumer & taxpayer. Why do we insist on fixing things that aren’t broken? Why do we continually change things at high costs for the process when the end result does not improve things. We along with the majority of British Columbians & Canadians are sick & tired of the waste & mismanagement of our tax dollars. The masses are getting restless. It’s best you start paying attention.

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This ridiculous idea of transferring our recycling program to be based out of Ontario is insane. WHY???? Why take money away from our BC Municipalities and give the money to another province?

This program works well in the Okanagan, as I am sure it does in most other areas of our beautiful province. This is not expensive for homeowners now either, but I am sure our rates will go up 10-fold!

We live in YOUR riding of Westbank and are outraged about this!

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Dear Premier Clark:

I’ve been aware that there has been recent information coming out about new recycling regulations.

It is certainly not clear to me why these new regulations are required.

Information is scanty – and it seems that the procedure will be costly (however it is looked at) and I definitely prefer to see local workers and businesses employed rather than bigger companies.

We are looking at scenarios where LOCAL is a very important component of any undertaking.

Please rethink this proposal before we have to designate a very huge number of blue boxes to a recycling procedure.

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Do not change the way our recycling works. It is working and we don`t need big cooperate companies telling us how to recycle. This will only add more cost to products. If it works don’t fix it.

12/28/2017 / MMBC

Top Concerns About MMBC

Stephanie Williams / MMBC, Opposed /

Changes to BC’s recycling regulations has created an issue that has united BC business owners, local government officials and citizens against the looming takeover of curbside recycling for the whole province by Multi Material BC (MMBC).

Who is opposed?

The grassroots opposition comes from employers and entrepreneurs from across business sectors representing thousands of businesses and their employees, who typically support governments that focus on balanced budgets, lower taxes and cutting red tape. The following group of business associations has stepped forward to let the BC government know they are passionately opposed to the new recycling regulations.

BC Agriculture Council

BC Bottle Depot Association

BC Landscape and Nursery Association

BC Printing & Imaging Association

BC Yukon Community Newspapers Association

Canadian Federation of Independent Business

Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters

Newspapers Canada

Waste Management Association of BC

In addition, there is a growing list of business organizations and municipal governments who are now expressing grave misgivings about the MMBC plan in public. These include:

Burnaby Board of Trade

City of Prince George

Corporation of Delta

Fort Nelson District Chamber of Commerce

New Westminster Chamber of Commerce

South Surrey & White Rock Chamber of Commerce

Surrey Board of Trade

What are the top concerns?

The program is monopolistic, anti-competitive and will kill jobs.

Businesses producing products from post-consumer waste (e.g. plastic beverage containers, cardboard) cannot access these materials on an open market because MMBC partner Green By Nature will own it all. For example, a Maple Ridge plastic manufacturing business with 25 employees, which depends upon a local supply of plastic from curbside recycling for their stock feed, has said that without access to this plastic their company will shrink or close altogether.

Some BC grocery firms are corresponding with their small business suppliers telling them to register for MMBC, otherwise face the potential loss of business or administrative fees. Suppliers are told by these firms that they are not prepared to accept the increased costs caused by the fees.

Private recycle depot businesses around BC passed over by MMBC now risk significant loss of business and/or closure.

Some recycle depots that will be impacted by the MMBC monopoly employ people with disabilities who track and sort the materials, thus threatening those jobs as well.

It is a tax on business and consumers?

Unlike a normal tax that can be used for schools, hospitals or public infrastructure, the proceeds of MMBC’s fees will be sent into the coffers of an organization at arm’s-length from government.

It creates red tape and charges usurious fines

Businesses are obligated to measure the quantity and type of every trade, and they should report it to MMBC. The fees will be determined whether they are used for residential or commercial purposes.

Our agency suggests small businesses and businesses owners to verify everything with the legal or finance department. Based on some statistics, 80% of companies in BC have five or fewer employees.

Garbage trucks need to comply with regulations and agree to sign a contract with MMBC. Otherwise, they will be fined $5,000 per haul, for recycling waste, which isn’t by the standard.