After recently removing all of their public recycling bins due to problems with garbage being dumped into them, Cowichan Valley Regional District is looking for a private contractor to host a recycling bin that will be constantly monitored.
"There would be total control of what goes in," explained the CVRD's interim CAO Frank Raimondo.
Cobble Hill Area Director Gerry Giles said she's fielded "several" requests for such a recycling option since the bins were removed.
The CVRD had run a neighbourhood recycling bin program since the early 1990s, with seven unstaffed bins in various public locations. That program came to an end last month because of soaring costs due to contamination of the recyclables with garbage.
That has left people having to haul their recyclables to one of the three CVRD recycling centres in Duncan, Ladysmith and Meade Creek.
The distance, particularly for south Cowichan residents, discourages people from recycling.
Also an issue are new rules under the MMBC program that now governs curbside recycling in the province. Some items that used to be collected at the curb are no longer allowed.
"People have really got the bug about saving their plastics and now soft plastic is not allowed," said Giles.
"Why are we going backwards?" questioned Saltair Dir. Mel Dorey.
The CVRD is looking for a single site in the south Cowichan area that would be on private property and constantly monitored to prevent the misuse of the bins.