Are Lethbridge residents a step closer to curbside recycling?

For the last decade, the city of Lethbridge has been discussing curbside recycling and the topic was brought up again at city council’s finance meeting. It’s an idea that could finally begin as a pilot project next year, but residents may not see the actual service implemented for several years. According to Mayor Chris Spearman, that’s far too long.

“I believe in continuing improvement that’s part of my mantra. Waiting for three years is just not acceptable,” says Spearman.

Manager of the City’s waste and recycling, Dave Schaaf, presented Council with several options, including weekly and bi-weekly recycling collection, along with weekly organic collection. He noted that there would be no direct impact on city taxes, rather an increase to utility bills of between $8 and $11 a month.

The first option would see weekly collection of recycling-suitable items added to the current schedule, at an addition cost of $10 or $11. Option two is a recycling run every second week, in addition to today’s service, for an extra $9 or $10. A third would be an alternate-week service – recyclables this week, refuse next week – for $8 or $9 per month.

Schaaf says a one-year pilot project is needed to test the equipment and make sure there is a solid action plan in place.

“We would implement a pilot project in the spring of 2015 and that would allow us to test the methodologies and then we would have a full scale implementation in spring of 2017.

A community survey conducted by IPSOS reid in February of 2013 found that 80 per cent of Lethbridge residents support curbside recycling. When it came to the cost, 66-per cent approved of an $8 monthly fee, and 61-per cent approved when the monthly bill climbed to $10.

The matter will come back for debate between November 17 and 21, as the finance committee looks at the operating budget.