News and Updates | March 2022
Email and website address changes
A reminder that Resource Recovery Alliance recently transitioned its email and website domains. The shift is largely seamless, with emails and website visits automatically redirected. To ensure that you continue to receive email information from RRA, including messages from the WeRecycle Portal and billing documents, please check your email settings and filters to ensure messages from @rralliance.com make it to your inbox.
Ready to Report webinars and resources
More than 300 stewards participated in recent reporting webinars to help them prepare to submit packaging and paper data in the WeRecycle Portal by the May 31 deadline. Webinar replays, presentations, questions and answers, and other information to assist stewards are available on the 2022 Reporting Resources webpage.
EFT for invoice payments
Stewards currently paying invoices by cheque are encouraged to switch to Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT). Along with eliminating the need to print and mail cheques, EFT provides better tracking controls and improves administrative efficiencies. Please contact us for our bank and remittance details that are required to set up EFT: accounting@rralliance.com or 1-855-354-2772.
Milk packaging, single-use items and packaging-like products
A reminder that effective February 2022, containers of milk and milk substitutes were 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. 
Material collection management
Despite ongoing supply-chain challenges following the November floods, Recycle BC continues to effectively manage material to end markets. Collection of suspended materials (foam packaging and glass) resumed in a phased approach throughout December and various contingencies were employed to ensure continued responsible material management. 
First Nations engagement
Recycle BC continues to engage with First Nation communities to support recycling in British Columbia. In addition to its own initiatives, Recycle BC is an active member of the First Nations Recycling Initiative in collaboration with eight other stewardship agencies. View the 2021 summary report.
Municipal cost study
MMSW has initiated its review of collectors’ costs and tonnage. The MMSW Stewardship Plan includes a requirement for Saskatchewan cost studies to fund 75% of program costs and also requires assessments every two or three years to inform updates to collector payments.
Seasonally occupied housing study
A new study of seasonally occupied housing is underway to generate data to guide a potential payment structure. Previous work undertaken to understand the impact of seasonal residents on a community has not provided sufficient information for modeling.
GHG reporting
MMSW is in its second year of collecting data on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with the program’s collection and recycling of residential waste packaging and paper. The completion rate by service providers for providing 2021 data is 78%. Final GHG results will be included in the MMSW annual report available at the end of June.
Municipal cost survey
MMSM has initiated its annual municipal Cost Monitoring Survey (CMS) process. Participation in the CMS is mandatory for communities that receive municipal support payments for recycling. The survey helps MMSM better understand Manitoba’s recycling system and provides a key input to annual municipal funding rates and the program budget.
MMSM and City of Winnipeg partner on the Recyclepedia
Manitoba’s largest municipality, the City of Winnipeg recently partnered with MMSM on its highly successful Recyclepedia webtool. The Recyclepedia is becoming the primary source of recycling information for Manitobans. Residents can now view a custom version of the Recyclepedia on Winnipeg’s website. The change will increase residents’ knowledge of what can and cannot be recycled, which helps reduce contamination and confusion.
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