Editor, The News:
I would like to share a little of my frustration when it comes to waste management and recycling in Maple Ridge.
I just moved to Maple Ridge in October 2014 after living in Surrey for 30 years.
I was very surprised that there was no curbside services for garbage and recycling.
I have been storing my garbage and recyclables in my garage, then once a week I load them up and take them to the Maple Ridge transfer station.
Upon going there on April 7, I was told that the rates had changed the day before and the new minimum fee is $15, and if done during peak times, it’s $25.
Luckily I am currently able to do this during the week so I can avoid the peak times.
I cannot understand how you want to achieve a recycling rate of 70 per cent for 2015 and 80 per cent by 2020 without offering a curbside pick up for garbage, recycling, and green garden waste.
I would strongly suggest that you look at and implement a system similar to what is being done currently in Surrey.
I strongly feel that if you have specific bins that can be rolled out to the curb once a week, then people would do a lot more to recycle rather then just disposing of everything as garbage.
I know for myself that it would be a lot easier than having to keep all of the recyclables and garbage sorted in different containers and take the time to line up to get rid of recycling, then line up again to dispose of the garbage.
I can tell you right now that most people in Maple Ridge are certainly not taking the time and effort to do this and will take the much easier route and just call everything garbage.
I would also like to make the comment that when you increase the cost of disposing of your garbage by 50 per cent, and offer no services that this will make a lot of people think twice about the amount of effort they want to put into recycling .
If you want to see your goals, then give curbside service and incentive to participate with the program.
Lastly, I like most others wish we could mark up our rates by 50 per cent in order to make ends meet at the end of each month.
Brittany Johnson
Maple Ridge