What's New
Provincial recycling program now in effect (May 1, 2024) Only Saint John residents will notice a change in their collection schedule.
The City of Saint John has changes to curbside recycling collection services. The schedule for Compost and Garbage collection will not change. As part of the Province of New Brunswick’s recently expanded Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) program, management of all curbside recycling collection will become the responsibility of a third-party service provider, Miller Waste, beginning May 1.
All recycling collection inquiries should be directed to Miller Waste including replacement totes, schedules and missed collections:
Phone: 1-833-644-1163
Email: nb@millerwaste.ca
The ReCollect app is the best source for determining your pickup day.
A non-profit called Circular Materials (https://www.circularmaterials.ca/) is coordinating this EPR expansion. The recycling collection service provider for Saint John is Miller Waste.
What Saint John residents need to know about their curbside recycling collection
- As of May 1, residents will have new curbside recycling pickup dates and times. Collection schedules will be managed and implemented by Miller Waste and details about the changes are expected to be communicated by Circular Materials in the coming days.
- The ReCollect app has the recycling schedule.
- There will be no changes to the types of materials that can be recycled under the new program.
- There are no changes to collection of your garbage or compost as a result of this program.
The change comes as a result of the Province of New Brunswick’s expansion of the EPR program to paper and packaging under the Designated Materials Regulation and is being implemented in municipalities throughout the province.
Draft Regional Strategy 2023 - 2028
The Fundy Regional Service Commission's first ever Regional Strategy offers a platform for communities and partners to come together to deliver new value and outcomes for the Region. The development of the strategy highlights a tangible will across the Fundy Region to collaborate in new and innovative ways. The Draft Regional Strategy was presented to the FRSC Board of Directors on June 22, 2023, and is open for review, until July 19th, 2023. The Final version will be presented at the July Commission meeting.
Comments and feedback can be sent to RegionalStrategy@fundyregion.ca
New Landfill Gas Wells Drilled May 30 - June 2nd 2023
New landfill gas wells are being drilled as part of Crane Mountain Landfill's gas system and odour mitigation.
Crane Mountain Landfill is designed to protect the environment and the surrounding community. The robust liner system protects groundwater, and the landfill gas mitigation system reduces greenhouse gases. Landfill gas is captured as green energy, eliminating odours and decreasing environmental impact.
Capped landfill cells have a series of gas collection wells to funnel landfill gas to the generator to produce and transmit electricity. A flaring unit is also available as backup, with the capacity to burn off methane. Burning methane through the generator or the flare results in the destruction of harmful methane and reduces unpleasant odours.
At various times the gas wells can become blocked due to water buildup or freezing, blocking the gas from travelling through the extraction pipes. Landfill gas that can’t make its way through the pipes, may escape into the air, and bring unpleasant odours with it.
Over the winter of 2023, both the generator and the flare were inoperable due to equipment supply chain issues, and some residents noticed an odour near the landfill. In mid-March 2023, the flare was repaired and brought back online. Additional gas wells will be drilled in 2023 in recently capped cells. This winter brought the first odour complaints in over 10 years and we are working hard to mitigate problems in the future.
Recycling Moving to Curbside Collection
The Fundy Regional Service Commission is phasing out the recycling depots as a system to collect recyclable materials.
Curbside recycling is being introduced into communities across our region. In the City of Saint John, curbside collection will begin in October 2022.
The following depots will close September 26th:
* Lorneville Recycling Depot on King William Road,
* Millidgeville Recycling Depot on Boars Head Rd,
* Grand Bay-Westfield (Foodland)
* Saint John Airport on Loch Lomond Rd.
Four main sites will remain open in Saint John until October 24th, 2022
East: McAllister Place (off McAllister Dr)
Central: Rothesay Ave SuperStore
West: Lancaster Mall (rear parking lot)
North: Lansdowne Ave Sobeys
Recycling can be brought directly to Crane Mountain Landfill. Recyclables are accepted at the Public Drop-off at no charge.
We would like to thank our Community Partners who have hosted the depot sites. They have provided an amazing service by hosting the recycling depots on their property, aiding in the recycling of thousands of tonnes of material.
The first recycling depots opened in 1999. Twenty years later it is time for the depots to close. Back in 2015, the Commission agreed to continue to operate the depots for an additional 5 years, we are two years past that time. The recycling depot equipment, both bins and trucks, have been stretched beyond their functional life.
The Province of New Brunswick has adopted legislation that will
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Leaves in Paper Bags
If you have excess leaves or yard waste you can dispose of them through the following methods:
- place them in your compost cart
- use paper leaf bags
- bundle excess branches or twigs in 4 ft x 2 ft bundles and place with compost cart
Remember leaves in plastic bags will NOT be collected. As part of our Plastic Bag Reduction Strategy, we have removed clear plastic bags as an acceptable packaging for leaves as of July 1, 2021. You may still use compostable plastic bags, however, they are not recommended due to their strength, and they get caught in the machinery during the compost process. Paper bags are extremely sturdy and compost well - resulting in nutrient-rich humus or compost to return to gardens & lawns around the Fundy Region.
Of course, the best method is to utilize the leaves right on your property, they are a valuable resource for your lawn and garden as they are full of nutrients. Consider mulching them into your lawn by going over them with the lawnmower. Use fall leaves to mulch your flower garden for the winter. Save leaves to add the 'carbon' layer to your backyard compost throughout the year.
Nespresso Partnership to Recycle Aluminum Coffee Capsules
Fundy Regional Service Commission is pleased to announce a new partnership with Nespresso Canada to accept Nespresso's Green Bag for aluminium coffee capsules in recycling.
Residents place their coffee capsules in the Green Bag (provided by Nespresso), once full, they seal the bag and place it with their other 'containers' in the recycling, either the curbside recycling box or at the recycling depots. The green bags are then easily separated from the other recycling, and shipped to a facility where the aluminum and the coffee grounds are separated. The aluminum is recycled, and the coffee grounds are composted, providing a nutrient rich soil amendment.
More info
Plastic Bag Reduction Bylaw for the Fundy Region
All municipalities in the Fundy Regional Service Commission have adopted the Plastic Bag Reduction Bylaw as of July 1 2021.
That means businesses in the Fundy Region no longer provide single-use plastic checkout bags. This bylaw will remove an estimated 35 Million plastic bags per year, and is similar to legislation in Nova Scotia, PEI, Newfoundland and Labrador, along with the Cities of Moncton, Riverview and Dieppe in New Brunswick.
All plastic bags and film were removed from the accepted items in recycling in the Fundy Region.
For more information.
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Remember, Plastic Bags are not Recyclable
Plastic bags and plastic wrap are not accepted in recycling. They are garbage.
This includes all ‘soft’ plastic such as grocery and retail bags, bread and frozen food bags, dry cleaner bags, and ‘shrink wrap’ (like the wrap on paper towel) or plastic film.
Please continue to recycle your plastic containers with the recycling number 1, 2, or 5. These containers are sent to Ontario and Quebec for recycling.