Recycling deal expected with interim provider
A permanent contract for curbside pickup of recyclable material from homes in Medicine Hat should be negotiated with the interim provider, GFL Industries, city administrators are recommending.
The finding, presented in an administrative committee meeting held in mid-December, will be discussed at city council’s meeting on Monday evening. The “request for proposals” tender was put out in the fall after the city and previous provider, Environmental 360 Solutions, broke off talks on updating a year-old contract. Three parties expressed interest in the new permanent contract, including GFL, E360S, and Redi Enterprises, which previously operated the city’s sorting facility prior to 2018.
New dump fee
The new year has brought in new fees to dispose of bulky furniture and mattresses at landfills around Medicine Hat.
As of January 1, the Cypress County-Redcliff facility that is jointly managed by Cypress County brought in the special charge, which mimics one in place for several years at the City of Medicine Hat landfill.
Disposing of mattresses or box springs will come with a $15 charge per item, while a new charge for sofas, recliners and upholstered chars is $20 each.
The set rate for “bulky items” such as furniture at the Medicine Hat land fill has been $15 for several years, and accounts for the fact they are separated out, crushed and shredded before going into the waste cell.
Last month Medicine Hat city council approved keeping the local general tipping fee at $80 per tonne mainly to stay in line with the Redcliff rate of $72. That compares to the 2019 rate in Lethbridge of $105 per tonne, Calgary $113 and Edmonton $96.