Recycling Success in Amherst

Another example of success in recycling was marked today with the grand opening of Novapet Inc. of Amherst.

Environment Minister Don Downe joined Bryan Howell of Novapet, and Adrian White of the Resource Recovery Fund Board (RRFB) in a ribbon cutting ceremony to officially open one of the newest recycling businesses in Nova Scotia.

"What we have here is a business that did not exist in Nova Scotia a year ago," said Mr. Downe. "With initiatives like Novapet, we are realizing our vision in waste management, cutting down on the waste going to our landfills, and providing job opportunities for Nova Scotians. You can't beat that!"

Novapet processes recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic, such as water and pop bottles, collected through deposit/refund programs operating in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland. Bryan Howell of Novapet says these three provinces generate 10 million pounds of PET every year.

"When you consider these numbers you realize this as an incredible resource that before now was being thrown away, or shipped out of province for processing," said Mr. Howell. "In tangible terms it means 14 jobs here during the peak summer months, and a business plan that could eventually see that number triple."

Novapet has been operating in the Amherst Industrial Park since last spring, grinding PET plastic to "flake". It is sold to markets in Canada and the United States where it is used in manufacturing items such as carpet. Currently, its average production averages 800,000 pounds per month.

The Resource Recovery Fund operates the deposit/refund program in Nova Scotia. Adrian White of the RRFB said Novapet is a text book example of how Nova Scotia's Solid Waste Management Strategy is working.

"Part of our mandate is to promote the development of value-added manufacturing in the province. Novapet is a perfect fit. It is creating jobs using solid waste as a resource material that will be used to manufacture new items."