OLIVER PAIPOONGE — The part-owner of a company that largely deals with commercial and industrial waste recycling says a recent expansion to their operations will allow them to hire more staff and process more materials.
Recycle West, whose Ontario office is based in Oliver Paipoonge, collects hazardous and non-hazardous waste, mostly from businesses and industries, and brings it back to its Twin City Crossroads processing facility where it is sorted, contained and shipped for proper disposal. The company services all of Northwestern Ontario and as far east as Sudbury, said Jason Cook, part owner and regional manager, adding that they also work in a number of remote northern First Nations.
Cook said the roughly new 7,600-square-foot warehouse will allow company vehicles to be stored there, freeing up space in other areas for the handling and processing of the materials to be recycled.
“By adding the square footage of the (new) truck shop, it allowed us to essentially free up space within our waste storage building and processing building,” he said. “It allowed us to essentially further add additional processing … so it allows us to do more — faster, more efficient, better.”
The company handles materials like oils, fuels, antifreeze, plastics and other commercial and industrial waste from sectors like mining, automotive and manufacturing, Cook said, adding that they also have some residential clients.
Thunder Bay-Atikokan MPP Kevin Holland was on hand Wednesday to announce a $540,000 contribution from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation to the new facility. Cook said the total cost of the build was about $1.4 million.
“The investment into Recycle West’s operation obviously is going to help keep that industrial waste out of our landfill,” Holland said. “They process it and then forward it on for final disposal, and it's really important to make sure that their operations are protecting (and) helping us to protect the environment.”
Holland said the province has increased the NOHFC budget by $30 million over the next three years, with “a bit of a revamp” to focus on funding projects in the north that are centred on economic development.
It’s “vital to help our industries as we deal with some of the uncertainties that are in the world right now,” he said. “And, really, to give that assistance to businesses to expand their operations and continue to meet the needs of their customers in Ontario.”
Cook said they’re now looking to fill two truck driving positions and, because of the expansion, have hired a couple of new staff to work in their processing facility.
The company opened up in the Thunder Bay area in 2019, he said.
