Burnaby NOW • Wednesday, June 29, 2011 • A03
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Save your carrot tops – scrap program grows Janaya Fuller-Evans staff reporter
Council has approved plans to expand the multi-family food scraps collection pilot project throughout the city by next fall. The six-month pilot project involving six complexes was completed in March. Belgravia Tower, the one highrise involved in the pilot project, received an Environment Award from the city this month for its sustainability efforts, including involvement in the food scrap pilot project. “We’re about as green as you can get,” Dan Leah, president of Belgravia’s strata council, said in a phone interview. The tower has techno-trash recycling, a discard room for donating old clothes and other items to Value Village, he said. The building has had paper and bottle recycling
for years, and put in low-energy lights and ballasts as well, Leah added. Belgravia has had uncooked food scrap composting for years, but intends to stick with the city’s food scrap collection program from this point in, according to Leah. The strata council intends to introduce CFL light recycling and plastic bag returns in the future, he said. Leah credits some of the condo owners who have worked to bring in the initiatives, such as Sharon Jackson and Wendie Nelson, for the success of Belgravia’s sustainability efforts. “My hope is we can use the award as a springboard to bring more people on board,” he said. That was the main challenge with the food scrap collection program, Leah said – getting everyone to participate. Despite being the largest complex
involved, with 155 units, the Belgravia only diverted 1,281 kilograms of food during the six-month project, which was one of the lower diversion amounts of the six complexes that participated. Part of the problem was difficulty communicating about the project to the tower’s Asian population, many of whom speak English as a second language, he said. But the strata resisted introducing signage in multiple languages, he said, because it would be difficult to know when to stop. “If you have signs in Mandarin,” he pointed out, “then you also have to have signs in Korean.” There is also a sense of disconnect in such a large building, Leah said, adding implementing the food scrap program would probably be easier in smaller buildings. The multi-family food scrap collection expansion includes all multi-family build-
ings where garbage and recycling pick-up is managed by the city, according to Lambert Chu, Burnaby’s director of engineering. In all, the city would provide food scrap collection for about 30,000 multi-family units throughout the city, he said. While city staff works with the managers of these complexes to decide on the numbers and placement of toters and other final details, the city will continue providing food scrap pick-up for the six buildings that participated in the pilot project, he said. “They have been great customers of the program,” Chu added. The largest amount of food waste was collected from Wiltshire Village over the six months, at nearly 2,050 kilograms. The second largest was at Halston Hills, with about 1,735 kilograms of food scraps Scraps Page 4
Trees: Mayor defends city’s environmental record continued from page 1
Vancouver, saying Burnaby has made many environmental advances that Vancouver has not, such as Burnaby’s uncovered protected waterways. “I appreciate you’re very passionate about the trees, that being said, I’ll forgive you for being well over the top,” he told the delegation. “To denigrate the city, the record of the city, is well over the top.” The city has dedicated a higher percentage of space to park land than Vancouver, he pointed out. Burnaby has consistently been on the cutting edge when it comes to environmental initiatives, Corrigan said, adding he was recently given an award for being the greenest mayor in Canada. He was referring to his recent Green Champion Award from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. But he conceded that new property owners might get around the city’s requirements by simply waiting a year before cutting down trees on their properties or three months before demolishing the residence and putting in a new development. “We tried to catch that problem (with the bylaw),” he said. “I don’t think we’ve been successful. People have waited us out.” But it is a balancing act, Corrigan added. “I think it is always a good thing when the city respects private property rights,” he said. “There’s a balance to achieve.” The city’s environment committee is planning a workshop with city staff on the bylaw, Corrigan said. “The wheels of city hall do turn slowly,” he said in response to a comment from Polos about having contacted the city about the issue six months before. Coun. Dan Johnston, head of the com6
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Fighting for trees: Donna Polos and neighbor Thomas Chan created a petition earlier this year to urge the city to strengthen its tree bylaws. Polos and fellow residents Heather Duff and Joyce Spencer, brought the petition to council on Monday night. mittee, said the workshop would take place but might be delayed by the summer schedule. “We are looking at the situation,” he said. Polos said on Tuesday that she drew the
comparisons between Burnaby and other municipalities to clarify the issue. “I really think we need to think regionally,” she said. She intends to keep track of where the issue goes with Burnaby council, but to also
Zellers* Visions* The Bay* Shoppers Drug Mart* Safeway* Revy* Summit Tools* * not in all areas
look to other avenues, such as environmental organizations and other city councils, to move the issue forward. “I think it needs to be put to a plebiscite,” she said. jfuller-evans@burnabynow.com
Last week’s question Have online riot “name and shame” efforts gone too far? YES 32% NO 68% This week’s question Is city council doing enough to protect trees in Burnaby? Vote at: www.burnabynow.com
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