Coaldale to add composting to curbside recycling

Increase in tipping fees prompts decision

The Town of Coaldale is adding composting to its curbside recycling program. Cindy L’Hirondelle, Development and Environmental Services Manager, told Coaldale council during their regular meeting on Feb. 27 that tipping fees from waste collection rose from $75 per tonne in 2016 to $85 per tonne in 2017, meaning the Town will have to pay an additional $25,183 in 2017.

With the yearly increase in cost, the Town will hit $125 per tonne within five years, and cost an additional $100,733.60 per year — providing the amount of waste generated by the town remains the same, which it is unlikely to do. With expected population increase, the Town could see tipping costs close to $500,000 per year.

In 2012, the Town introduced curbside recycling as a second stream of waste collection. L’Hirondelle said curbside composting would be the next logical step in reducing greenhouse gases, extending the life of area landfills and practising positive environmental stewardship.

Curbside compost materials could be made into fertilizer or remain as straight compost at a composting facility. There would be no additional charge to residents to provide the service.

The new compost initiative could begin in May.

Coun. Bill Martens said the “commotion” in Lethbridge over curbside recycling might be an indicator the Town should look for more public input into composting in Coaldale.

“Here we are looking at passing composting without any public consultation,” he said. “It kind of bothers me just a little bit.”

Mayor Kim Craig said there is a large difference between curbside recycling in Lethbridge and a compost program in Coaldale.

“They built recycling depots, and they spent millions of dollars with that,” he said.

“And then they spent millions of dollars rebuilding them. People are going to come back and say they would have liked to have a chance to have some input.”

Craig responded by saying the Town does not have its own landfill, and that if they were able to set their own tipping fees that might be one issue. The costs are out of the Town’s hands, however.

“One way of absorbing and mitigating the tipping fee increases is implementing a mitigation factor like composting to try and lower the cost,” he said. “This is our reaction to trying to combat the higher tipping fees. In my mind, we’re doing exactly what we’re supposed to by saving taxpayers money.”

Following discussion, council passed a motion to institute curbside composting in Coaldale. The motion was opposed by Coun. Martens and Coun. Sherrie Duda.

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