Tough new rules on recycling in Windsor-Essex begin Monday.
As of June 1, if a red or blue box contains a plastic bag, of any kind, the recyclables will not be picked up.
The Essex-Windsor Solid Waste Authority (EWSWA) says the incoming plastic bags were a major source of contamination and increased the cost to process the recyclables at the sorting facility.
“We can no longer accept that and here's why, imagine you take all of that paper, it gets compacted and pressed together in the form of a bale. The marketers, the people we sell those bales to, are now rejecting all of the bales if they see plastic,” says Windsor Mayor, Drew Dilkens.
“We just can't have plastics in the paper stream, otherwise we get a rejected bale and it all goes to landfill and costs you money,” he says.
Speaking on AM800's The Moring Drive, Dilkens says if the recycled material is rejected, it all goes to landfill and costs money.
“Reuse the single-use plastics or throw them in the garbage to begin with because it will just cost you money if you don't,” he says, “It's called 'wish cycling,' many of us wish we can recycle something even if it's plastic and it's not recyclable. We can't wish cycle this stuff away.
Bags included in the new measure include bread bags, chip bags, snack bags, pet waste bags, milk bags, cereal bags and plastic wrap.
You can find more information on the new recycling rules on the Essex-Windsor Solid Waste Authority website.