Caledonia BIA to examine recycling options
Businesses could team up to hire private contractor or establish regulated drop-off sites in town
The Caledonia Business Improvement Area is looking into options to help area businesses affected by the recent loss of municipal recycling pickups.
Following a Wednesday brainstorming session at the Community Support Centre of HaldimandNorfolk, BIA co-ordinator Kathy Marshall announced the next steps for helping businesses manage the cessation of curbside collection — a move that was mandated by the province.
Options for the BIA include hiring a private contractor to pick up recyclables, with costs shared by a consortium of local businesses, and establishing regulated drop-off sites around Caledonia, with member businesses issued keys for locked bins to prevent unauthorized dumping.
At Wednesday’s meeting, Marshall pledged to research costs associated with hiring a contractor, as well as potential drop-off locations. The information will be shared with members of the BIA and the Caledonia and District Chamber of Commerce via email and social media.
“Give me two weeks to do this and then I can disseminate it,” Marshall told meeting attendees.
By 2026, the provincial government will assume responsibility for curbside recycling collection in all municipalities. Under that new format, farms without a residence, industrial, commercial, institutional and BIA properties are ineligible for pickup.
Haldimand ended its municipal collection Jan. 1, during the transition period. Circular Materials Ontario, the firm hired by the province to manage the blue box transition, now picks up recyclables for the county.
While the county is providing a free drop-off location for recyclables at the Canborough Waste Management Facility through 2025, meeting attendees noted the 30-minute drive from Caledonia may be unmanageable for many small business owners.
Kim Richardson, founder of KRTS Transportation Specialists, expressed support for a cost-sharing arrangement.
“We as small businesses need to collaborate and form a consortium to do this collectively, as a community,” he said.
In addition to businesses, the new recycling rules also affect non-profits. Dorette Allemang, Caledonia and District Food Bank manager, noted the organization has excess cardboard boxes, and coffee cans it can no longer place at the curb.
“I cringe when recyclable things go into the garbage,” Allemang said.
While she acknowledged it’s not a long-term solution, Allemang said volunteers have been taking recyclables home with them since Jan. 1, to ensure items continue to be diverted from landfill.