File photo of green, black and blue carts at the sanitation building at Lethbridge public operations on June 22, 2023. The Mandatory Recycling and Organics program surcharges for Lethbridge businesses come into effect on September 5, 2023. (File photo: LNN)

By Justin Goulet

Mandatory Recycling and Organics program surcharges come into effect September 5, 2023

Aug 29, 2023 | 9:24 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – At the start of September, businesses in Lethbridge will have to be more cognizant of how staff dispose of organic and recyclable materials.

On September 5, 2023, surcharges for the Mandatory Recycling and Organics program take effect.

The collection program was relaunched earlier this year and requires local businesses to ensure that all recyclable and organic materials generated by staff, contractors and visitors, are disposed of properly. This aims to help divert materials from the landfill. The City of Lethbridge said this can be done by using the appropriate collection containers and providing education.

The surcharges, which come into effect September 5, are in place for Industrial, Commercial and Institutional (ICI) loads being sent to the landfill that contain a combination of more than 25 per cent commercially recyclable and/or organic items. The City of Lethbridge said its waste audits have found that historically, the ICI, as well as the construction and demolition sectors, have represented two-thirds to three-quarters of landfilled waste each year.

Officials noted that the surcharges will mostly apply to haulers who are carting waste to the Waste & Recycling Centre, and businesses that self-haul. Businesses that use a hauler to remove waste are encouraged to speak with their hauler about what needs to be done to prevent incurring a surcharge.

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The $50 per tonne surcharge officially started in February 2023, but the City of Lethbridge offered a grace period to help local businesses understand the process and implement their own strategies.

Officials said multiple engagement efforts have taken place since City Council approved the Business Waste Diversion Strategy in 2015. The strategy aims to reduce business waste by 45 per cent by 2030.

Educational initiatives have included:

• City of Lethbridge staff visiting more than 550 businesses in-person this summer
• Businesses being sent program information by mail
• Presentations with industry bodies, including the Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Lethbridge BRZ
• Phone calls
• The development of a training video, guide and web resources
• Open houses as well as other in-person engagement events

There are more than 2,900 businesses, institutions and private organizations that call Lethbridge home.

Officials said that whether they are large, small, family-owned, part of a national corporation, for-profit, or a charitable organization, businesses fall under the Mandatory Recycling and Organics provisions within Waste Bylaw 6146. The bylaw also requires businesses to submit an annual waste report, due on January 31, 2024. More information is available at the City of Lethbridge website.

READ MORE: Lethbridge News Now.

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(Editor’s Note: An original version of this story stated that the Mandatory Recycling and Organics program was set to start on September 5, 2023. However, the City of Lethbridge has clarified that the program has been in place for “quite some time” and explained that a post-COVID relaunch of the program occurred in early 2023. The September 5 date marks the start of surcharges coming into effect. The article has since been corrected.)