Commission to push landlord outreach, promotes Recycle Coach while city weighs new recycling bin policy

Members of the New Brunswick Environmental Commission agreed Sept. 20 to draft materials for property owners and managers to improve recycling and property‑maintenance practices while city staff continue reviewing a county proposal on standardized 95‑gallon recycling bins.

The commission tasked Glenn (commission member) and Jamie (commission member) to assemble content that could be inserted into the city’s rent‑control packet and distributed to landlords and management companies, with the explicit goal of getting recycling guidance directly into the hands of occupants and owners. Erin, a city staff member, urged the commission to promote the Recycle Coach smartphone app as a way to deliver schedules, item‑by‑item guidance and emergency alerts to residents.

Why it matters: commissioners said better distribution of simple recycling instructions could reduce illegal dumping and curbside overflow that leads to stormwater pollution and litter. The city’s eventual decision about replacing curbside containers with county‑sized, wheeled 95‑gallon carts will affect storage and handling for single‑family homes, multi‑unit buildings and properties that contract private collection.

Commission discussion and next steps

Glenn said the immediate action is to produce a short, landlord‑facing insert for the rent‑control packet so landlords can give tenants clear directions at move‑in and move‑out. "That's why I wanna include something in the rental rent control packet," Glenn said, explaining landlords typically receive the mailer and are the logical channel to reach transient tenants.

Erin described the Recycle Coach app's features and recommended the commission promote it. "It would be super helpful if the commission wanted to take on the role of, promoting the the app, recycle coach," Erin said, noting the app can push schedules, search items and send emergency notices.

Aaron, a city public‑works staff member, cautioned that the app covers only properties served by the city’s collection contract and not buildings with private haulers. "The recycle coach app is only for, like, people that have, like, city trash," he said.

Several commissioners and residents described practical obstacles in multi‑unit buildings: space limits for large wheeled carts, frequent turnover from student rentals, and rooms or chutes that collect cardboard and bulk items. Jamie said some buildings are already posting laminated county flyers near trash rooms and that managements are beginning to use cameras and fines to curb illegal drop‑off.

On the bins question, Erin said administration had not made a final decision about whether to adopt the county’s single‑size 95‑gallon recycling cart model. "The answer is administration has not made a final decision," she said. Commissioners noted the county's single‑size approach introduces tradeoffs: large wheeled carts can ease curbside collection but create storage problems and access issues for people without driveways or with narrow lot setbacks.

What the commission directed

- Glenn and Jamie will draft landlord/management guidance that covers recycling basics, property maintenance expectations and references to existing city resources and county flyers. They will coordinate with Erin to have the materials included in the next rent‑control mailing and available for management companies to forward to tenants. - Erin will promote Recycle Coach through available city channels and supply the commission with the city’s current outreach assets for reproduction. - The commission will not pursue a local push for business‑level recycling rules tied to statewide legislation until the Legislature's progress is clearer (separate agenda item).

Clarifications and constraints

Commissioners emphasized distribution limitations: the rent‑control packet goes to the property address, which may not reach short‑term tenants who move in after the January mailing. Aaron said private haulers for large congregate buildings typically use county facilities and that the Department of Public Works does not provide bulk services to properties with private contracts.

Timeline and follow up

Commissioners set an action for Glenn and Jamie to confer and return a draft to the commission before the October meeting so it can be finalized for the next mailing cycle. Erin will report back when administration reaches a decision on adopting county‑sized carts.

Ending

Members said education and simpler materials for landlords and managers were the most immediate, feasible steps while the city and county weigh equipment standardization and operational changes.