MMSB cash not meant for recycling, minister insists

The Newfoundland and Labrador government will not direct a recycling agency sitting on a $11-million stockpile to spend any of it on actual recycling programs, a minister says.

The MMSB Multi-Materials Stewardship Board collects a deposit for every recyclable beverage container bought in Newfoundland and Labrador, and supports campaigns encouraging citizens to reduce waste and recycle.

Few municipalities, however, have recycling programs of their own, and St. John's city councillors sparked outrage earlier this month by delaying the implementation of a curbside recycling program, on a claim that the city cannot afford it for at least the next year.

Coun. Keith Coombs wants to know why the MMSB cannot tap into its eight-figure surplus to help pay for actual recycling programs, rather than simply encouraging consumers to do so through advertisements.

"Right now we have people who are calling out for this recycling to start," Coombs told CBC News.

"Now we're saying we have to move it eight months beyond, and I hope that's the last deadline before we can start, I really hope so."

Coombs said, however, that the city cannot make any guarantees, and said the MMSB's help could prove useful.

"There's a lot of expenses that the MMSB should be involved with, and should be involved with directly," Coombs said.

The MMSB's programs include offering compost bins at discounted prices, but largely focus on promoting a greener lifestyle.

Environmentalists have often questioned why the MMSB has allowed a substantial reserve largely comprised of unclaimed refunds to accumulate over the years.

But Clyde Jackman, Newfoundland and Labrador's acting environment minister, said the money is not meant to operate recycling programs. That work, he said, belongs to individual municipalities.

As well, he added, $2 million has already been earmarked to pay for the closure of small garbage dumps around the province.

"We will help with the setting up of a program. But from the operational side of it, we have not and we will not," Jackman told CBC News.

"That's one municipality. It's a large one within a province, but then we've got other municipalities that are ready to line up and, I'm telling you, $9 million won't be long going."

The MMSB has come in for criticism before for not taking a more direct role in recycling. Earlier this year, the provincially controlled agency refused to provide bridge financing for a paper recycling program.

At the time, Environment Minister Charlene Johnson, who is now on leave, said the loss of the paper recycling service in St. John's was acceptable because the city was supposed to start curbside recycling in 2009.