Waste Check
Waste Check provides waste-reduction awareness, education and program support. Their goal is to motivate everyone in the Western Region in Digby and Yarmouth counties to reduce waste for a healthy environment. They are located at 303 Forest Street in Yarmouth and are open Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Contact them by phone at (902)742-1312 or toll-free at
1-800-569-0039.
In 1995 Nova Scotia became a World Leader in waste management by adopting the Solid Waste-Resource Management Strategy. This strategy includes a disposal ban on items that can be diverted from the landfill and made into valuable resources.
When the strategy was adopted the province was split into seven different regions to make managing solid waste easier. The western region, Region 7 has a population of approximately 42,000 and includes 22,000 households. Waste Check formed an Authority made up of two municipal representatives from each of the six municipal units it represents. This Authority is named Waste Check and includes the following Municipal units:
Members of Region 7
- Municipality of Argyle
- Municipality of Clare
- Municipality of Digby
- Municipality of Yarmouth
- Town of Digby
- Town of Yarmouth
Everyone, including all residents and businesses in our region, and the Province is required by law to sort their waste into proper streams. In Region 7, there is a curbside collection for recyclables, organics and garbage. The curbside collection is provided through contracted haulers by each of the Municipal units.
Recyclables are collected in blue bags through a 2 bag system which means papers go in blue bag #1 and plastics and containers go in blue bag #2. Recyclables from Yarmouth County are transported to Scotia Recycling in Kentville and recyclables from Digby County are transported to the Scotia Recycling plant in Kentville, where they are sorted, processed and shipped out to markets to be recycled into useful items.
Organics are collected bi-weekly using a green cart at the curb in each municipal unit. There are two cart sizes available 65 gallons and 35 gallons. Only paper liners are accepted in the green cart. Organics are transported from our region to the Compost Plant in Yarmouth where it is processed on-site into valuable compost.
Garbage is collected bi-weekly in clear bags however one black/green bag is permitted per garbage collection for each household. Garbage is taken to the three transfer stations in our Region which are located in Yarmouth, Clare and Digby. The garbage is then loaded into tractor-trailers and shipped to a second-generation landfill in the Region of Queens Municipality. The main reason for switching to clear bags for garbage in April 2007 was so that we could reduce the amount of garbage being shipped to Queens. We are under contract agreements that require us to exercise due diligence in the removal of banned materials from the garbage. Having garbage in clear bags gives us a safe and quick way to see what is arriving at the transfer stations or placed at the curb for collection.
Waste Check is responsible for offering its services to help residents/business owners understand and carry out the terms of the Solid Waste-Resource Management Strategy. A new target has been added to these regulations by the Nova Scotia Department of Environment when they developed the Environmental Goals & Sustainable Prosperity Act in 2007 and set a new disposal target of 300kg/capita/year by 2015. Waste Check reached this goal in 2013 and is working hard to maintain it.
Waste Check has devoted staff that make visits to homes, schools, businesses and institutions free of charge. Waste Check offers many programs to assist everyone in reducing waste for a healthier environment.
For more information on the services and programs provided to Region 7 by Waste Check go to Wastecheck.
Enviro-Depot
Paper Chase Bottle Exchange Ltd.
10 Hardscratch Road
Yarmouth NS
Hours: 9:00 - 3:30 Monday; Saturday 8:00 - noon
Contact: Peter Hadley
Tel: 742-9747
Beverage Container Recycling
The Beverage Container Deposit-Refund System was established in 1996 as part of Nova Scotia’s Solid Waste Resource Management Regulations. These regulations ban certain beverage containers from disposal in provincial landfills and require beverage distributors or retailers to charge a recycling deposit fee on all regulated beverage containers sold in Nova Scotia and included in the program.
The regulations also established Divert NS as an independent agency responsible for the province’s Deposit-Refund Program and operation of a collection network for the recycling of regulated beverage containers.
Launched on April 1, 1996, the beverage container recycling program applies to all regulated ready-to-serve beverages. Check out the sample list of “What’s IN and What’s OUT” of the program.
How the Deposit-Refund Program Works
Retailers collect and remit the 10 cent deposit from consumers to Divert NS on liquor or non-liquor beverage containers.
| Container Type | Deposit Paid | Refund |
|---|---|---|
| Non-liquor less than 5 L | $.10 | $.05 |
| Liquor 500 ml or less | $.10 | $.05 |
| Liquor greater than 500 ml | $.20 | $.10 |
| Deposit on refillable domestic beer bottles are completely refundable ($1.20/dozen) | ||
RRFB Nova Scotia then returns a 5 cent refund to consumers for each container returned through the ENVIRO-DEPOT™ network.
In the case of liquor containers over 500 ml, a 20 cent deposit is collected and remitted to RRFB Nova Scotia and 10 cents is refunded.
Fact:
Since 1996, Nova Scotia has one of the highest return rates for beverage containers in North America. To date, it has helped divert and recycle more than three billion beverage containers away from the province's landfills.
Used Tire Management
Since 1997, Nova Scotia's Solid Waste-Resource Management Regulations have required that distributers and retailers selling on-road passenger tires must have a stewardship agreement with a program administrator. Divert NS is appointed by the Minister of Environment as Administrator for the used tire program. Within their stewardship agreements, Divert NS requires that distributers and retailers selling on-road passenger tires must collect a one-time environmental fee for each tire sold within the province. These fees are then submitted to Divert NS to support the costs of collecting and processing used tires.
Paint Recycling
Leftover Paint
Since 2002, Nova Scotians have been recycling leftover paint - keeping it out of landfills and out of our environment! Approximately two million containers of paint are purchased every year in Nova Scotia, and about 25% of that paint is never used.
How It Works
A paint recycling program was established in 2002 as part of Nova Scotia's Solid Waste Resource Management Regulations. These regulations ban paint from disposal in provincial landfills and require paint retailers to participate in a stewardship agreement, which is administered by Product Care.
When consumers purchase paint, they pay a recycling fee to support the costs of collecting and processing unused paint. For up-to-date information about the types of paint accepted and the recycling fee, please visit Product Care.
Nova Scotians can return leftover paint to any ENVIRO-DEPOT™ facility across the province, free of charge.
Safe Sharps
Most local pharmacies participate in the province's Safe Sharps program. Through this program, Nova Scotians can access a proper container for disposing of sharp needles in a safe manner. Once the container is full, it can be returned to the local pharmacy.
For your safety and the safety of others:
- Used needles, syringes or lancets should only be placed in a Safe Sharps Container.
- DO NOT put them in plastic bottles or jugs.
- DO NOT put them in garbage or recycling bags.
- DO NOT flush them down the toilet.
- DO NOT burn them
The Safe Sharps program does not include used sharps from medical, dental or veterinary clinics, home care professionals, intravenous drug users, or farms. To properly dispose of these types of sharps, please contact your respective professional association.
For more information visit the Pharmacy Association of Nova Scotia (PANS).
Electronics Recycling (EPRA) Dropoff Location
Hours of Operation:
Monday - Friday : 8:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Saturday: 8:00 AM-Noon
Phone: (902) 742-9747
Location: Paper Chase Bottle Exchange, 10 Hardscratch Road., Yarmouth, NS
The EPRA Program is designed to manage unwanted electronic products that have exhausted their reuse potential. If your electronic items are not at the end of their useful life, you are encouraged to donate them to family members, friends or local charities.
All EPRA Drop-off Locations accept large volumes of unwanted electronics. For larger quantities of electronics (25 units or more), an appointment must be made with the EPRA Drop-off Location. When booking the appointment, the EPRA Drop-off Location staff will need to know the number of pieces being dropped off.