Private company, Emterra Group, to take over services on Jan. 1, 2026

Sixty-two people will be out of jobs at the end of the year following a decision by the cities of Abbotsford and Mission to end their contract for recycling services with Archway Community Services after 42 years.

Aletta Vanderheyden, spokesperson for the City of Abbotsford, said the new contract with a private company – the Emterra Group – will save the the city approximately 40 per cent in costs. She said she could not give a specific dollar figure because the contract is still being finalized.

Vanderheyden said Archway was paid $1.02 million by the two cities in 2024 and is budgeted for $1.03 million this year.

“Recognizing our long-standing relationship with Archway Community Services, this was a difficult decision to make,” she said.

Archway – based in Abbotsford – has been running the recycling depots on Valley Road in Abbotsford and on Mershon Street in Mission. The services have been provided in Abbotsford since 1983 and in Mission since 1986.

Both of those will continue to operate following the change, and Vanderheyden said the public will not notice any change in services.

The depots are open for residents to drop off recyclables of all types, including those that are collected curbside and those that are not, such as foam packaging, batteries, lightbulbs, electronics, textiles, scrap metal and household paint cans.

The items collected at both depots are then delivered to the Abbotsford location for sorting and processing.

The recyclables are placed on a conveyor belt and hand-sorted into different types of materials by Abbotsford Mission Recycling Program employees.

Once sorted, the recyclables are either baled or loaded loose into shipping containers and sent to markets for processing.

Under the new contract, the recyclables that are dropped off will be sent to a transfer station in the Lower Mainland for sorting using automated machines.

Archway (formerly Abbotsford Community Services) began the recycling program to provide meaningful employment for those with barriers to employment, and it continues as such today.

Laura Midan, Archway’s director of recycling and operations, said the employees include newcomers to Canada, as well as those with physical, developmental and mental disabilities.

“We’re incredibly saddened by the decision, which will mean the loss of jobs for our entire team,” she said.

“… So many of our staff are devastated by the news. They are not only losing their jobs, but they are also losing their community and sense of purpose.”

Matt Dirks, CEO of Communitas Supportive Care Society – which also supports people living with disabilities – said the closure of Archway’s recycling program is a “significant loss.”

“For decades, it created meaningful work for people with disabilities, newcomers and others facing barriers. At Communitas, we’ve seen how inclusive employment fosters connection, purpose and contribution,” he said.

Archway CEO Rod Santiago said the organization would have been able to provide a more competitive bid “if the municipalities had followed through with approved and budget upgrades for the facility and equipment over the years.”

He said some of the equipment is more than 30 years old, and Archway had to factor into its bid the cost of some upgrades. Santiago said more than $1 million of these upgrades had already been approved in previous city capital plans (2020 to 2023) but were never implemented.

He said because the new contractor will not be sorting materials on site, those same upgrades are not needed.

“Rather than supporting a non-profit social enterprise which employed local residents, the contract will now go to a for-profit business and materials will be shipped away, increasing the carbon footprint,” Santiago said.

Vanderheyden said the city implemented its Solid Waste Operations Master Plan in 2017 to find more cost-effective and efficient ways to manage the area’s recyclables.

“A consultant carried out a detailed assessment to identify potential cost savings, improve efficiency, and ensure the system aligned with changes in service delivery under Recycle BC … This included the services that were provided by Archway Community Services,” she said.

Midan and Santiago said they will now focus on supporting the workers in finding new job opportunities.

“Many of the staff have shared that other employers would not give them a chance because of their barrier or disability,” Midan said.

“We are inviting every business and employer in the community to step up and support our dedicated team of loyal and hardworking individuals to secure their next place of employment.”

She said following Archway’s social media post about the issue, three employers have already reached out about potential job opportunities.

Midan said others who might have jobs available or have questions are asked to email inclusivejobs@archway.ca.

Vanderheyden said the city “remains committed” to working with Archway through services such as Abbotsford ACCESS, including providing land for Hearthstone Place supportive housing.

The contract with the Emterra Group is effective Jan. 1, 2026.

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