The City of Lethbridge said its curbside organics collection program has been successul over its first six months, October 16, 2023. (Photo: Lethbridge News Now)

By David Opinko

Lethbridge green bins divert 4,000 tonnes of organic waste in six months

Oct 16, 2023 | 12:00 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – The City of Lethbridge is calling its curbside organics collection program a success in its initial year.

It has been six months since the City rolled out the program to all single-family homes in the community.

Waste & Recycling Collections Manager James Nicholls said most residents have utilized their new green bins.

“We’ve seen roughly 85 per cent of residents participate in the green cart program in the first six months,” said Nicholls. “It’s a very encouraging statistic for a community of our size. We know change can be hard to adapt to, especially when it comes to household routines. However, the results we’re seeing show residents support this change, which ultimately benefits our community for years to come.”

Since the start of green bin collection in April 2023, the City said nearly 4,000 tonnes of organic waste had been diverted from the landfill. That averages out to approximately 120 kilograms oer household.

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General Manager of the Waste & Recycling department Mandi Parker said those numbers are highly encouraging.

“We want to thank residents for being so willing to try something new to help benefit the entire community. Our focus is now on finding ways to increase those diversion numbers and strive towards our overall waste diversion targets,” said Parker.

As the weather grows cooler, green bin collection will soon become less frequent until the spring. Starting November 6, 2023, the City said collection will happen every two weeks.

The City of Lethbridge has a mobile app called “Lethbridge Loop” that includes waste collection schedules for your home and more.

READ MORE: Lethbridge News Now

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