By Lara Fominoff @LaraFominoff on Twitter

City addresses curbside recycling questions; explores new initiatives including banning plastic bags

May 1, 2018 | 11:07 AM

LETHBRIDGE – At Monday’s City Council meeting (April 30), Mayor Chris Spearman presented several questions from the community about the first phase of the city’s new curbside recycling program to Director of Infrastructure Services, Doug Hawkins.

They included concerns about recycled material marketability; whether the city would have issues selling on the world market, how the city could guarantee that recyclables don’t end up in the land fill and whether residents can refuse to take part in the blue bin program.

Hawkins also talked about some new initiatives administration is beginning to look at, including potentially banning local retailers from selling or using plastic bags.

He told council that because Lethbridge is one of the last municipalities in the country to begin a curbside recycling program, the city has the advantage of designing it to focus on the quality of the material and with recommendations from industry experts and commodity brokers. A thorough and ongoing public education program and engagement is part of that process.

Hawkins added that when the new MRF (Materials Recovery Facility) is up and running in 2019, they believe there will be new facilities to process the city’s recyclables in North America. More detailed answers can be found here. 

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For those who are not interested in recycling, there is no “opt out” of the program. By next spring, 35,000 blue bins will be delivered to homes and businesses. They will be charged $7 per month, regardless of their participation.

Right now, 70 per cent of those who have a blue bin are using it.

Each bin has an electronic tag with a code on it, and if extra or incorrect materials are included in the recycling bins, loads and routes can be tracked. While there will be enforcement of recycling material quality, Hawkins told council the focus is on education, rather than punishment.

“We have a recycling bylaw today, and it needs to be amended to reflect the curbside program, instead of just the centralized depots that we have. And there will be prohibitions – we’ll spell it out – and to the extent that we have bylaws in place, we’ll be able to chase people that are repeatedly not getting with the program.

“We don’t have an enforcement mentality in Lethbridge, like other communities,” he continued. “They take a harder stand in terms of enforcing bylaws and dedicated enforcement officers. That isn’t our style. Our style is public education and outreach first. We prefer compliance first.”

However, all bylaws do come with specified penalties and the ability to fine someone. But he emphasized that would be a last resort.

While the blue bin program is being worked out, Hawkins also told council overall, residents need to reduce the amount of garbage that ends up in the landfill.

“Clearly, things like single use plastic bags…staff has begun to explore opportunities where we, you, as a governance body may want to impose some of those bans… that’s the direction we’re heading in terms of the role out and what we receive in the landfill.”

Hawkins says the idea to restrict or ban single use bags is something other municipalities have also done, and it’s that’s gaining more traction as his staff begin to explore the idea.

“You’re generally seeing big retailers heading in that direction already. They encourage you to bring your own bags, they give you a credit in some instances, or they charge you extra if you want to buy a plastic bag. I think that the industry is getting accustomed to the idea that this might be doable.”

However, he adds that nothing will be brought forward to council until there is engagement and consultation with small and large local businesses. A bylaw would not likely be presented to City Council before early 2019.

“We’ll look at what’s doable and practical as a municipality before we move forward.”