File photo of Nicholas Sheran Park in Lethbridge (Lethbridge News Now)

By Justin Goulet

City of Lethbridge celebrating Environment Week

Jun 1, 2020 | 12:06 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – The City of Lethbridge has put a twist on its Environment Week celebrations this year.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the initiative is being recognized online from June 1 to 7.

“It is a nation-wide event and basically it was created to create awareness and share tips and tricks on how we can live more sustainably,” said Waste and Recycling Education Specialist Nichole Robinson.

“For the city of Lethbridge this year, we’re really focusing on waste reduction and diversion, so making sure that people are trying to cut down on waste that they’re producing, stuff that’s being sent to the landfill – cut back on all that.”

Some of the ways residents can get involved include:

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COMPOSTING

Nearly half of all garbage that is thrown away in Lethbridge could actually be turned into compost, according to the city.

Backyard composters are available for purchase, along with composting accessories, to help residents get started on their composting at home.

“There’s a common misconception that if you throw it into the landfill, it’s going to break down just like it would in nature, so there’s no harm in that but it actually doesn’t break down the same way because there’s no air in a landfill environment,” Robinson said.

“The difference is with composting is that it’s nature’s way of recycling that and turning it back into useful material for your soil, so all those nutrients and the good things that are in our food scraps and our yard waste, instead of wasting it and letting it sit in the landfill, they can actually be turned back into a really good, free natural fertilizer for your lawn.”

More details about composting can be found here.

CONDO COMPOSTING

Anyone who is interested in composting but doesn’t have a backyard can still do so.

On Wednesday, June 3, the city will be hosting a ‘virtual workshop on indoor composting’. The session is being hosted in partnership with Environment Lethbridge.

It’s free to join in and anyone who takes part will be entered to win an indoor vermi-composting system.

Registration can be done here. The session is scheduled to start at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday.

SOCIAL MEDIA CONTEST

Residents can enter to win a backyard composter.

All they have to do is share a photo, story or tip on how they’re reducing waste this spring on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and tag the City of Lethbridge while using the hashtag #EnvironmentWeekYQL.

GRASS CYCLING

The city is suggested that residents leave their grass clippings on their lawn, as opposed to collecting them and tossing them out after mowing the lawn.

Robinson said this is a known as ‘grass cycling’ or ‘grass mulching’.

“Those grass clippings are actually a really great way to provide fertilizer for your lawn and it keeps your lawn healthy and saves you a lot of time bagging,” she said.

“Instead of having to bag and then take that yard waste away, you can just leave it on the lawn and it’ll fertilize right there for you.”

For more on how the City of Lethbridge is celebrating Environment Week, visit the city’s website.