The Skeena-Queen Charlotte Regional District has hired an operations manager for the garbage system, a move it hopes will lead to more recycling and a better organized landfill site."This is the first time we've had an on-site manager," said administrator John Holland. "We want islanders to know that having someone on the ground on Haida Gwaii will ultimately make our operations more efficient and their lives easier."Robert Kidd, previously of Oliver, comes to the position with 23 years of experience in solid waste operations, having worked for the past decade in Fort McMurray, Alberta. Only into his second week on the job, Mr. Kidd said he has already identified ways to streamline operations and introduce efficiencies into both the recycling and landfill operations."I am trying to get things organized so that there's a flow," Mr. Kidd said. "The biggest challenge is to clean things up and run it right. That means making operations more user-friendly. We've got a plan to set the dump up to better accommodate customers so they can dump their refuse without driving around 100 acres."Mr. Kidd said he will be introducing a number of incentive programs to get islanders to recycle more efficiently. With recycling volumes up 15 percent this year over 2008, he is setting his sights on improving the quality of operations rather than on increasing collections."We're not set up to handle what the people want to give us. People are now putting cardboard into their garbage. In other districts they would be fined. But we can't stop that until we provide the necessary areas for people to go to," Mr. Kidd said, adding that he plans to work with local businesses to find solutions to the expanding demand for recycling.