Curbside recycling, a hotly-debated topic according to some residents is once again up for discussion at a city level. After being defeated 6 -3 at a committee meeting on Feb. 9, the curbside debate is now being re-introduced to the entire city council to streamline information sharing so the green initiative discussion can continue.
Bridget Mearns, councillor and member of the city’s environment committee, says she’s eager to see the newly completed studies on the curbside recycling issue.
“On Nov. 30 council will be sitting as a whole and will receive the new reports so that we all have the same information. Some of the issues that we’ve had with progressing with curbside is that we all didn’t have the same level of understanding, so this information sharing will prevent that from happening.”
The reports Mearns referred to have been conducted by an outside consulting firm in the areas of material recycling facilities, collections and producer responsibility, as well as a study into blue bin collection programs in other cities within North America. All of these reports have been conducted to gain a better understanding on how to deliver a successful program to Lethbridge. Something that Mayor Chris Spearman was in favour of after he voted against the model that was brought before council earlier in the year.
While the curbside recycling initiative has made slow progress, the city has agreed to a target to reduce overall community waste by 50 per cent in the next 15 years under a new waste diversion policy. Spearman believes that this is a positive step forward to reducing the city’s overall waste.
“By setting tangible waste reduction targets, city council is taking meaningful steps toward achieving one of our strategic goals, which is to take a leadership role in the protection and preservation of our natural environment,” he said.
According the to city’s website, the new waste diversion policy sets a five-year target of a 30-per-cent overall per-capita waste disposal reduction by 2021. Currently, Lethbridge generates 1,150 kg per capita of waste annually from all residential and non-residential sources that is disposed of in the landfill.
Harm Thomas, local resident and frequent recycling depot user, believes the city should keep the system that is in place now.
“I like the depot recycling. You can just come with your recycling in your vehicle and do it yourself. You don’t have to sort or pay attention to which garbage you’re putting where, it’s just easier for me,” said Thomas.
After the last vote, Mearns said the feedback she received from residents who are in support of the curbside initiative was not surprising.
“I think people just feel defeated, I mean like, come on, make a decision. Do it or don’t. The people who contacted me who know I am in support of the idea were like, just get it done.”
Council will meet on Nov. 30 to review and discuss the newly completed reports in the hopes of taking one step further to a greener Lethbridge.
Local resident Harm Thomas recycles his household waste at the southside Safeway recycling depot on Nov. 17.
