The Bruce Area Solid Waste Recycling Association is forecasting a budget shortfall of over 446 thousand dollars for 2009.
Sharply declining commodity prices for the recyclable materials collected from blue boxes is the reason.
The per-tonne value of some materials has declined to only pennies or even zero.
To deal with the shortfall and continue providing service, the association is planning to increase the per household amount it charges its member municipalities.
The increase could take it as high as 27 dollars.
Huron-Kinloss Mayor Mitch Twolan calls the situation a double-edged sword and says recycling is still better than having waste end up in landfills.
He says waste collection costs the township money either way and thinks recycling is still the best option.
Twolan hopes that the price recycling companies pay for various materials increases soon and brings the cost of municipal recycling down.
