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Green bins for single-family homes, part of the City of Lethbridge's pilot project that launched on April 27, 2022. (Photo: Lethbridge News Now)

Phased approach for organics collection at Lethbridge multi-family homes

May 25, 2022 | 1:45 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – The City of Lethbridge is continuing planning efforts for the city-wide rollout of its Curbside Organics Program (COP).

An update was provided to Lethbridge City Council at the May 24, 2022 regular meeting, on the progress of implementing the program in multi-family residential units such as apartments and condos.

Officials say there are approximately 7,500 multi-family dwelling units in Lethbridge, all of which will become part of the COP through a phased approach.

In phase one, scheduled to take place between fall 2023 and summer 2024, multi-family properties with 45 or fewer units will be brought on board. This will include 124 properties with a total of 2,585 units.

Phase two is set to begin in summer 2024 and will entail multi-family properties with more than 45 dwelling units. Currently, 50 properties with 4,467 units fit this description.

Under the 2015 Waste Diversion Policy, the City of Lethbridge has already reached its first goal of reducing residential waste by 180 kilograms per capita by 2021.

The city plans to reduce residential waste by a further 140 kilograms per capita by 2030.

According to an information packet provided by the city, discarded food and yard waste makes up over half of the waste currently being thrown into black bins.

A pilot project for the COP in single-family homes started in April 2022. Approximately 1,900 homes in three neighbourhoods have been equipped with green bins with a city-wide rollout planned in spring 2023.

READ MORE: Phase one of Lethbridge’s curbside organics collection begins