Thank you and holiday hours
Thank you for your continued partnership and support during a challenging 2021 and our best wishes for a safe and prosperous New Year. Please be advised that offices will close at 1 p.m. regional time on December 24 and December 31, and will be closed for the statutory holidays. Staff continue to work remotely and regular office hours will be maintained for the rest of the holiday period.
2022 invoices and payments
Packaging and paper stewards will receive their 2022 invoices based on 2021 reports in early January. Invoice amounts up to $5,000 can be paid online by credit card. Stewards paying by mailed cheque are encouraged to move to electronic funds transfer (EFT). Questions about invoices or EFT can be directed to Accounts Receivable: accounting@cssalliance.ca or 1-855-354-2772 ext. 117 or 145.
2021 Annual Steward Meeting recap
Thank you to all stewards and stakeholders who attended the October 27 webcast to learn about 2022 budgets, fees and program updates. ASM materials -- including the Report to Stewards, presentation, cause of change graphs and Q&A -- can be found here.
Ready to Report webinars and resources
The annual reporting webinars for 2022 are scheduled for Wednesday, February 23 (new stewards and individuals new to the reporting role) and Thursday, February 24 (all interested stewards). Invitations and registration will be sent after mid-January along with the launch of 2022 Reporting Resources page on the CSSA website. A reminder that 2022 reports based on 2021 data are to be submitted by May 31.
WeRecycle Portal scheduled maintenance
The WeRecycle Portal will be undergoing regular maintenance and will be unavailable between December 17, 2021, and January 4, 2022. During this period, billing inquiries can be directed to accounting@cssalliance.ca and for general assistance please contact National Steward Services: stewards@cssalliance.ca or 1-888-980-9549. Reporting and self-serve options will be available again on January 4.  
Milk packaging, single-use items and packaging-like products
A reminder that effective February 2022, containers of milk and milk substitutes will be removed from the Recycle BC program and transferred to the province’s beverage deposit system. Also, in preparation for the addition of single-use products and packaging-like products to the program in 2023, producers will need to report 2021 sales data for these materials in the 2022 reporting cycle to inform 2023 fee rates and invoices. 
BC state of emergency
On November 17, the Province of BC declared a state of emergency after unprecedented rain and flooding. Transportation corridors were severely compromised, with many communities and businesses affected, including Recycle BC’s primary glass end-market which flooded and closed. During this time, Recycle BC temporarily suspended collection of glass bottles and jars and foam packaging. Collection resumed in phases December 6. Recycle BC was able to continue to collect and receive paper, cardboard, containers and soft plastics throughout the emergency.
Investment in new receiving facility
In pursuit of continuous program improvement, Recycle BC launched a new recycling receiving and sorting facility in Chemainus, on Vancouver Island, in November. Recycle BC’s post-collection partner, GFL Environmental, invested $3 million to create this facility which increases recycling processing capability on the island, avoiding transporting in bulk to mainland facilities, thus reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It also enables Crofton Pulp and Paper to be a local end market for the program.
Recycling myths debunked
Recycle BC has continued its Get the Facts campaign, debunking common residential packaging and paper recycling myths. The campaign is supported by ocean-themed creative and was available on various platforms.
Community onboarding
This fall, the Town of Creston and District of Kitimat joined the Recycle BC program as curbside collectors, concluding accessibility expansion for 2021.
Collector payments and GHG reporting
A second increase to collector payments will be implemented January 2022. This is the final payment adjustment from the phased implementation of the 2019 cost study approved by the board to meet the requirement for the program to fund up to 75% of net program costs. Collectors will also be submitting their second annual GHG reports by January 31, following an 87% submission rate in the first year.
2022 cost study
MMSW is obligated to compile municipal cost data every two to three years so that tonnes, costs and revenues used as the basis for collector payments are updated. The next cost study will occur in 2022 and an accounting firm has been retained to perform the required work during the first half of the year.
Draft Transition Plan submitted
Following a comprehensive consultation process, MMSM submitted the draft Transition Plan to the Minister of Conservation and Climate on November 17, 2021, outlining how it proposes to transition the current shared responsibility model for the delivery of residential recycling of packaging and printed paper to one that is fully operated and financed by industry.
 
The draft Transition Plan reflects the input received from stakeholders during consultations over the past five months. The process by which MMSM consulted with stakeholders and the input received is summarized in the Consultation Report. All materials on the transition are available on stewardshipmanitoba.org. 
Newspaper In-Kind agreement
An agreement has been reached between News Media Canada, the City of Winnipeg, and the Association of Manitoba Municipalities on an In-Kind Advertising Program. Under the program Manitoba newspapers will contribute newspaper space to participating communities in lieu of cash funding for their portion of the residential recycling program. The program will launch on January 1, 2022.
Holiday campaign
MMSM’s holiday campaign launched in late November with digital ads, radio tags, television sponsorships, and social media posts directing residents to the Recyclepedia and Holiday Recycling Guide. The goal of the campaign is to reduce contamination and educate residents about what common holiday items are accepted and not accepted in their recycling bins. 
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