Big Brother to help with the garbage - computer chipped recycling bins report your bylaw infractions

Computer chipped recycling bins will cost the City of Prince Rupert $564,850 plus sales tax in a decision made by the council on April 12 at a regular meeting.

The curbside recycling program proposed to start in the summer of 2021 to all 4,300 households in the city requires the provision of collection bins under the city’s contract with Recycle BC.

A recent request for proposal closed with four qualified submissions being received and city staff made the recommendation to award the tender to Rollins Machinery and IPL as the lowest tenders for the manufacture and supply.

The up-right hinged bins need to be compatible with the tilt assist mechanism on the rear-loading solid waste collection vehicle purchased in 2020. The vehicle works with a tilt assist mechanism that deposits the material into the rear collection bay. A photo-eye scans the refuse as it is emptied into the truck.

“This bin is also compatible with the RFID (computer chip tracking) system installed on the new collection vehicle,” Richard Pucci director of operations for the City of Prince Rupert stated, in a written report to the council.

“[This] will allow staff to return lost bins when found, and to track contamination and other solid waste bylaw violations during collection activities,” he said.

“The style of bin is of durable construction, and should be resistant to the significant wind and rain experienced here,” Pucci stated.

Each household would receive two bins, one for general refuse and the other for recyclables.

Pucci stated that there were three possible ways to fund the acquisition of the bins, with city council approving the finance department’s recommendation of a one-time charge of $20 per household through a levy on the 2022 utility bill. This option will see the purchase financed in part through the use of Gas Tax.

The other options include the container purchase being financed through a short-term loan to be repaid by each household through an additional levy on the utility bill. Over the next five years, households would be charged $25.35 per year starting in 2022 and ending in 2026. This amount would equate to each household paying $126.75 for the two bins.

The third option was for the acquisition to be financed wholly through the Gas Tax.

“The cost to a user to replace a damaged or lost bin is $41 for a garbage bin and $65 for a recycling bin, plus assembly and delivery. These charges will be reflected in an upcoming bylaw amendment to introduce the service,” Pucci stated in his report.