Editor:
Re: Recycling whitewash
The recent efforts by the City of New Westminster to get public input and get engagement at the recycling depot recently was laughable and so disappointing.
There was no engagement and only an online survey to fill out. Anyone with a sales and marketing background will (say) you can easily structure a survey to get the answers you want. None of our councillors were present when I was at the recycle centre, but I did complete the survey.
The questions were all structured around what items were causing you the most issues and my favourite was what tips can you share with your neighbours on recycling. I view this survey as a very weak attempt to appease the public so city council can say they got community feedback.
Where are the really tough questions from city council, such as:
Do you feel the City of New Westminster needs to maintain a complete recycle centre for our citizens?
Are you in favour of shutting down the New West recycle centre and having no facility in New West?
Are you in favour of increasing your carbon footprint when driving to the new centre in Coquitlam?
We recently visited a wonderful recycling centre in Gibsons, B.C., with a population under 10,000. I shake my head when thinking that New West with a population of over 70,000 will soon be without our recycle centre.
Council, please wake up and reconsider - it is never too late to say you have made a mistake and really listen to your citizens and change your direction.
Brad Clarke, New Westminster
