Encouraging numbers from a report on the City of Melville’s recycling and waste management.

Director of Public Works Andrew Fahlman says ever since the curbside single stream recycling program was launched in July of last year, the amount recycled has increased by 28 percent from 247.9 metric tonnes to 317.08 metric tonnes.

“This amount of waste diversion from going to our landfill is outstanding,” Fahlman said. “It’s a 28 percent increase in the recyclable materials, but that equates to well over a 30 percent waste diversion in our community.”

This is all part of an initiative to extend the life of Melville’s Landfill, as the Ministry of Environment originally wanted to shut the it down nearly 5 years ago.

The tone has since changed to a vertical expansion of the Landfill, and to meet the Ministry’s goal of 30 percent waste reduction by 2030 as outlined in the provincial government’s new solid waste management strategy, announced on January 23, 2020.

Another factor in the increase of recyclable material diverted from the land fill is the use of the Recycle Coach app.

“Now with this app people in Melville can have reminders on what day is their recycling day, what day is their garbage day, but also log on to see where they can recycle that used paint or that tire or that battery, things that we don’t accept at our landfill.” he said.

According to Fahlman’s report, the app currently partners “with over 3000 cities and towns and is used by over 6.8 million people.

Based on data collected in January, Fahlman says the City of Melville has 503 app users per 1000 households compared to 252 users in other peer groups.

Fahlman says the expectation moving forward is the recycling program continues to grow and surpassing goals made by themselves and the Ministry of Environment.

“The uptake has just been so outstanding. People here wanted to recycle, all we had to do was provide them an opportunity to do it and they are, and they are surpassing everybody’s expectations ” Fahlman said proudly. “So for that I do thank the entire community of Melville.