Lethbridge City Council reconsiders curbside recycling

Curbside recycling has once again found its way on to the Lethbridge City Council agenda. This comes 11 months after council defeated essentially the same plan.

The original proposal would of have seen a pilot curbside project begin this year.

In the new proposal, the pilot will start in 2018 with only select areas of the city involved. The following year will see biweekly, city-wide curbside collection and a change from weekly to biweekly garbage pick-up.

This time the idea was brought forward by councillors Rob Miyashiro and Liz Iwaskiw, both of whom voted no in January.

“It’s more affordable than it was before and it’s more comprehensive. It makes more sense economically than it did even a year ago,” Miyashiro said.

READ MORE: City council rejects curbside recycling resolution in 5-4 vote

Landfill costs per household in Lethbridge will be decreased by $2 next year, as the debt from the original purchase of the landfill expires soon. This brings the entire cost of the proposed curbside recycling bins down from $10 a month to around $7.

 “This could improve our landfill by 60 years,” Miyashiro said

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter:  "This could improve our landfill by 60 years," Miyashiro said

The change of heart is welcomed by councillor Bridget Mearns, who was brought to tears when it was first defeated.

“It’s the right thing to do from an environmental perspective and there’s an economic argument seeing our landfill fill up with things that just shouldn’t be there.”

READ MORE: Trash talk inspires Lethbridge residents to #wasteLESS

Although some councillors seem optimistic, some residents aren’t convinced this is the answer.

Avid recycler Harold Pereverseff doesn’t want to see curbside recycling.

“People who want to recycle will recycle, those that don’t, you can put a recycling bin in front of their bed they won’t do it,” he said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "People who want to recycle will recycle, those that don't, you can put a recycling bin in front of their bed they won't do it," he said.