Growing pains for new collection company

Monday was the first recycling pickup for the new company servicing Kanesatake. There was just one hiccup - they didn’t come.

That was the experience of most Kanehsata’kehró:non, who were frustrated to find full bins, but few answers, after recycling pickup was supposed to take place.

“I hope this new company gets their ó’ta’ together quick,” said Kanehsata’kehró:non Brenda Etienne.

“You got the contract, exercise due diligence according to your contract,” she said. “I should not have to fork over money to have a strong young man pull my bins out of the ditch.”

As of January 1, Eco Entreprises Quebec (EEQ) is overseeing all curbside recycling in the province, part of a drive to modernize and streamline recycling in the province. This has benefits such as a single list of accepted items for recycling across Quebec.

However, the non-profit organization is not directly coordinating the pickups. According to Marie-Claude Rivet, spokesperson for EEQ, the organization’s contract is with the municipality of Two Mountains, which in turn has a contract with a company that is doing the collection in the area that includes Kanesatake and Oka.

“We are in charge of the supervision and the financing of the curbside recycling system throughout the province. To make that happen, we have partnerships with different municipal organizations, but it is the municipal organizations that sign the contracts with the collectors,” she said.

The Pines Reporter reached out to Two Mountains to ask for the name of the collection company but did not hear back by deadline.

“Things are not going well because it’s a new company, as you know,” said Gabrielle Lamouche of the Mohawk Council of Kanesatake (MCK) environment department. She has been coordinating with Oka throughout the week to resolve the issue and has sent over a map including the names of streets where collection was missed.

“This week’s pick up was their first time on the territory and they were not familiar with the area,” said MCK chief Brant Etienne of the new company, adding that Council has been told the collection should be finished by today (Friday).

A recycling day that was added to the calendar for January 2, after the new contract took effect, was done by the previous collector.

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Marcus Bankuti, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter