City downplays product concerns as recycling program nears
Pilot project has been a success, says official
With the City of Lethbridge’s Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) still on track for completion by the end of December, and with preparations in full swing for a city-wide rollout of the recycling cart program by the end of next April, City officials are downplaying expectations on the range of products which will meet recycling eligibility under the new program.
“We’re working with different municipalities,” explained general manager Joel Sanchez of the City’s Waste and Recycling Services at a press conference at the City’s landfill on Tuesday morning, “and we are in the process of retaining a (privatesector) broker that will help us to define what are the materials that are going to be included in the program.”
“We want to collect materials we are going to be able to market,” added Sanchez, “and based on that we are going to make decisions (on what to collect).”
Mayor Chris Spearman said the City will be helping with the public education campaign surrounding what materials will be included for the recycling cart program.
“We’re not the first city to have curbside recycling and recyclable products,” said Spearman. “We can learn from the experience of others. But certainly community education is a big part of success. And getting clear messages out to citizens is going to be important to make sure we have the right products put into the bins so we can handle them efficiently here at the MRF.”
Sanchez added the plan is to rotate garbage collection and curbside recycling week to week for Lethbridge residents, with garbage being collected on a bi-weekly basis instead of on a weekly basis. He further stated the pilot project rolled out this past summer has proven to be a success — with a 70 per cent participation rate by those with the carts, and with only a 12-15 per cent contamination rate where inappropriate materials were accidentally thrown in for recycling.
While optimistic about the program, Spearman said it will likely take residents some time to adjust to the new collection schedules and to figure out what materials to recycle from their households.
“We need to do this together as a community,” stated Spearman, “and we need to understand what can be recycled and what can’t be.”
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