Waste diversion rates in Saugeen Shores declined last year.
The municipality says 8,875 tonnes of waste was accepted into the Southampton landfill in 2016, an increase of 2,270 tonnes compared to 2015, or a 26% increase.
Director of Public Works Amanda Froese says this was coupled with a decline in the amount of material collected for recycling, which dropped by 60 tonnes.
She says part of the explanation for the increase in waste at the landfill has to do with wood debris being carried down the Saugeen River, pointing out an unusually large amount of wood was carried down the river and into Lake Huron, where it washed up on the beaches in Southampton.
Froese says that wood is collected by the municipality, but is not able to be recycled because sand gets ingrained in the wood and it has to be disposed in the landfill.
She says it's too early to tell if the waste diversion numbers are a one-time fluctuation or a new trend, but Froese says they will continue to push recycling programs.
"We continue to do the blue box every two weeks, we encourage everyone to recycle what can be recycled, also encourage residents to use the cardboard recycling facilities," says Froese. "There's one off Lehnen Drive in Port Elgin, on Concession 6 in Port Elgin and there's one at the landfill site itself [in Southampton]."
