Owners of Saint John apartment buildings with more than four units must now register for on-site recycling.

A bylaw that made its way through Common Council received its third and final reading during this week’s meeting.

The city has been providing curbside recycling to all residential buildings with up to four units since Oct. 22.

“Members of council have repeatedly requested to staff that we provide the same opportunity to dwellers in large apartment buildings,” Tim O’Reilly, the city’s director of public works, told council in April.

Then came Circular Materials, a non-profit company approved by Recycle NB to collect recyclable paper and packaging materials across the province.

The company took over curbside collection of paper, cardboard, hard plastics and metals from the city in 2024 and, as part of its stewardship plan, must offer services to larger apartment buildings.

However, in order to take part in the program, owners of those buildings must register with Circular Materials.

As of the first deadline of Jan. 31, only 54 apartment buildings across the Fundy region signed up, according to a city staff report.

In the Capital region, which includes Fredericton, owners of 461 apartment buildings registered by the deadline. City staff believe a City of Fredericton bylaw compelling building owners to register was the most significant factor.

That prompted Saint John city staff to bring forward its own bylaw in hopes of seeing similar results in the region.

Circular Materials will cover the cost of recycling collection and the on-site storage containers. Building owners will need to supply proper space to store and empty the containers.

Owners must register by May 31 and will start receiving recycling services as of Nov. 1.