Curb your enthusiasm

SURVEY SUGGESTS RESIDENTS COMING AROUND TO THE IDEA OF CURBSIDE RECYCLING

Ready for curbside recycling? “Bring it on,” replied 62 per cent of the city’s residents.

With the first blue-bin services scheduled to begin this year, a new study shows a majority of the Lethbridge residents contacted now agree with city council’s approach.

That’s a real change from three years ago, points out political scientist Faron Ellis.

Less than 35 per cent of those who responded in 2015 agreed with plans to introduce curbside recycling while reducing garbage collection, he points out.

“Clearly, a majority of Lethbridge residents are willing to give it a try.”

The Citizen Society Research Lab conducted the poll earlier this month. Ellis, research chair at Lethbridge College, says with 1,288 randomly selected residents contacted by phone, its results are considered accurate within 2.7 percent — plus or minus — 19 times out of 20.

“We’ve seen it go from 2:1 opposed to 2:1 in favour,” he observes.

At the same time, the number of those who “strongly support” the plan has risen from 14.7 per cent to 30.6 per cent over three years, while the number “strongly opposed” has fallen from 45 to about 25 per cent.

Women are more supportive than men — about 67 per cent to 58 per cent — while the survey also found southside residents were most enthusiastic, at about 79 per cent.

“But seniors are still not onside,” with just 44.6 per cent agreeing.

The issue has been debated for some years, Ellis notes. In its 2014 operating budget debates, however, council deferred further discussion for a year.

In 2015, council members rejected all four recycling options advanced by city officials.

But then late in 2016, council reopened debate and voted to launch blue-box recycling for materials including paper, cardboard, plastic, glass and other items that could be sold for recycling.

Those blue boxes would be picked up by city crews biweekly, alternating with regular garbage collection. The additional charge on city utility bills was pegged at $7 per month.

Officials say the blue boxes will be introduced in a handful of neighbourhoods this year, with no changes in service elsewhere in the city. A full roll-out would follow in 2019.

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