On November 3rd, Donna McCallum, Operations Manager of Chestermere Utilities, presented to council the new curbside recycling and composting programs that are coming to Chestermere. The City of Calgary is implementing major changes to what is and is not allowed in their landfills and the pricing of these things. In 2015, landfills will have a rate increase of paper products going into the landfills, 2017 will show a price increase for accepting organics, 2018 there will be a full ban on paper products going into landfills and 2019 will show the same fate for organics. With these imminent changes coming, CUI is bringing curbside recycling and composting program to the residents of Chestermere.
The recycling program is set to roll out around May 1, 2015. Residents will be able to put their unsorted recyclables into blue bags and leave them on their curb on the same day that they are currently getting their garbage collected. Residents can leave out as many bags of recyclables as they need – there will be no bag limit like there is with garbage collection. Recycling will be picked up weekly as long as they are in the blue bags. Within two years, CUI plans on implementing a cart system for recyclables.
The composting program is also set to be in place on the same timeline as the recycling program. Cart’s will be used for this program and will be delivered one to each home in Chestermere. Composting will also be picked up on the same day as the day residents currently get their garbage collected, and will be getting their recycling picked up. With at least 40% of the waste stream being organic materials – and even as high as 50% during the spring and summer months when residents are disposing of grass clippings, garden soil, weeds and other organics, this program will drastically decrease the amount of garbage in the town. The carts that are being utilized for this program will belong to the home, therefore, if you move, leave the cart.
Typically, items that can be composted, tend to be the items that make the greatest weight in the regularly collected garage. “A garbage collector manually picks up 2,888 pounds of garbage on an average day in Chestermere. Which equals 11,552 in a week. This is one of the reasons we are targeting the heaviest part of the garbage stream for automated collection, “explained McCallum. With these two new programs going into place, it should cut down on both the amount of garbage being left at the curb and the weight of that garbage.
CUI realizes that it will take some time for residents to fully grasp the concept of both of these new programs. What can I put in my compost? What is accepted in the recycling? As the program start date gets closer, CUI will be providing thorough information that will answer all these questions. Once these programs are operating, a grace period will be given to allow residents time to fully understand all aspects of these programs. However, once the grace period is over, the unwillingness to participate in these programs will result in penalties. In an effort to ensure that these new programs are being followed, garbage will only be accepted if in clear bags to ensure that paper and other recyclables are not going out in the regular garbage and there will be a decrease in the number of garage you can leave at the curb. Should the garbage collector notice that there is paper products in the garbage bags, they will be left at the curb.
Starting in the New Year, CUI will start providing more in depth information surrounding these programs but it will be a sigh of relief to residents to know that there will be no fee increase for these programs. CUI has confirmed that what is being billed now for regular garbage collection will be what you are getting billed when these two new programs come into play.
The current recycling depot will remain, but CUI is hoping to increase the services at the facility that would allow household hazardous waste disposal, a drop off of broken appliances and metal recycling. Notices and updates will come out from CUI with regards to all of the new changes in the New Year.
