Announcements
  
 

Spring Litter Cleanup 

All Mission non-profits are invited to participate in Mission Adopt-A-Block's Annual Spring & Fall Community Litter Cleanups. Selected groups will be awarded $250 for their participation in this important litter control event. The spring litter cleanup application deadline has been extended to February 15th. The fall litter cleanup application deadline is June 30th. Application forms and additional details are available online at www.missionadoptablock.com or call 604-826-9423 for more information.

Spring Litter Cleanup Dates: April 24th, May 1st, 8th & 15th
Fall Litter Cleanup Dates: September 25th, October 2nd, 9th, & 16th

Low-flow Toilet Replacement Program

*Extended on a month by month basis into 2010 for time being*

The District of Mission and the City of Abbotsford are offering $50 rebates to residents who replace a 13-litre per flush toilet with a new, ultra-low 6-litre per flush toilet. Find out more here.

NEW! Multi-family dwellings are now included.

Free Composting Workshops

Backyard composting is a great way to reduce your garbage all year round, even during the winter months, and it provides a great source of organic matter for spring plantings. The Abbotsford Mission Recycling Program is offering two one hour seminars to cover the basics of composting from how to start a home composting system to tips on maintaining your backyard composter. The workshop will also feature information about worm composting which is ideal for apartment dwellers, offices and classrooms.

Classes will be held at the Recycling Education Centre at the Abbotsford Mission Recycling Depot (33670 Valley Road, Abbotsford) on Saturday, January 30th at 10:00 am and 1:00 pm.

Please call the Abbotsford Mission Recycling Program at 604-850-3551, ext.3, to reserve a spot.

Curbside Collection Update

Heavy snowfalls and slippery streets may necessitate that garbage, recyclables and compost collection be restricted to streets that are safely accessible. When this happens, road conditions will be monitored throughout the day, and if possible, Remple Disposal will try to pick up on your street.

If your material has not been picked up by 4:30 p.m., please bring it back inside and set it out again next week. You will be able to set out all compost and recycling, as well as double the regular amount of garbage, on your next scheduled collection day by 8:00 a.m. Extra garbage resulting from the missed pickup may be placed at the curb in bags.

For any inquiries unrelated to weather and road conditions, please leave a message with Remple Disposal at 604-820-6487 or with the District's Engineering Department at 604-820-3736.

Changes to Curbside Collection 

Garbage

Effective June 1st, 2009, garbage must only be set out in 80-L bins with a secure lid, with the exception of extra garbage, featuring a sticker. Bins may be lined with a bag, but do not need to be, as long as garbage is contained in smaller bags (i.e. not loose). The purpose of this change is to reduce the amount of litter caused by animals interfering with garbage in bags.

Compost

Curbside compost will no longer be collected in clear plastic bags. Plastic bags must be manually removed at the processing plant and, due to the degree of contamination, become garbage at that point. In an effort to reduce the amount of waste requiring disposal at the landfill, the District is following suit with most other Lower Mainland municipalities and requiring the use of compostable bags or reusable bins. After April 1st, 2009, leftover clear plastic bags may be used to set out garbage.

Compost may be set out in compostable plastic bags, paper bags or 80-L bins with an orange stripe. If you're using bags, please ensure that bags are in fact compostable, not just "biodegradable." Compostable bags will have one of two specific logos. Paper bags and compostable plastic bags are available at most supermarkets and building supply stores.

Food waste should always be contained in a bin with a lid and an orange sticker. Bins may be lined with compostable bags, but do not have to be. Orange stickers are available at City Hall and at the Leisure Centre free of charge.

Landfill Updates

Surcharge for Unsecured Loads is Now $10

Effective October 1st, 2009, the surcharge for unsecured loads arriving at the landfill has increased from $5 to $10 per load. The surcharge is intended to reduce litter along access roads to the landfill and is used to support cleanup efforts. A load is considered "secured," if it is:

  • contained within a vehicle (e.g., trunk, canopy or covered trailer)
  • tarped (small and light-weight items, e.g., roofing shingles, gypsum board particles, Styrofoam™)
  • tied down (larger items, e.g., branches, garbage bags)

Surcharges on Unsorted Loads

Recyclable materials are banned from disposal. Unsorted loads received at the Mission landfill, which contain more than 5% recyclables will be surcharged 50% on the higher tipping fee for the weight of the entire load.

Out-of-Area Waste at Mission Landfill

The Mission landfill, Minnie's Pit, may now accept materials from outside of Mission and the Fraser Valley Regional District's Electoral Areas C, F and G, at a rate of $150/tonne. Residents, local businesses and property owners will be required to provide proof of residency and/or origin of materials in order to pay the regular rate of $79/tonne.

Mission Recycling Depot Updates

The Mission Recycling Depot is located at 7229 Mershon Street. Depot drop-off hours are seven days a week day from 8:30 to 4:30. The Depot accepts a number of products for recycling that cannot be set out at the curb for collection. All items listed below can be dropped off at the depot free of charge.

Books

The Mission Recycling Depot now has a drop-off bin for used books.

Electronics

The Mission Recycling Depot now accepts electronics (free of charge), currently limited to:

  • desktop computers & printers
  • laptops
  • monitors
  • fax machines
  • scanners
  • televisions
  • VCRs
  • mice, keyboards & cables

To find additional drop-off locations, visit www.electronicsrecycling.ca. For more information on electronics recycling and other provincially mandated industry stewardship programs, please visit http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/epd/epdpa/ips/index.html.

Household Hazardous Waste

The Depot also accepts specific household hazardous waste items, including domestic pesticides, paint thinner and gasoline free of charge. Please visit Product Care for details and limits.

Fluorescent Lights and Non-rechargeable Household Batteries

Neither non-rechargeable batteries nor fluorescent lights are currently covered under an industry stewardship program, which would put the cost of proper disposal on the producers and users. However, both fluorescents and batteries are on list of products under considerations for inclusion in the provincial Recycling Regulation. Visit the Ministry of Environment's Product Stewardship page for further information.

To bridge the gap, and to keep these materials out of the landfill, Mission residents may drop off fluorescent light tubes and non-rechargeable household batteries at the Mission Recycling Depot. Until a user-pay system is in place, the cost of recycling these products is carried by the Abbotsford-Mission Recycling Program.

Rechargeable batteries, such as found in power tools and cell phones, may also be dropped off, as long as they do not weigh more than 1 kg each. 

Solid Waste Management Plan Under Review

The Fraser Valley Regional District is embarking on a review of its Solid Waste Management Plan. The Plan is intended to provide guidance and direction to municipal governments to ensure a fair and efficient waste management system, while promoting waste reduction measures. If you are interested in participating in this review, please see the attached newspaper ad.