CALGARY – Multi-family recycling in Calgary becomes mandatory Feb. 1, 2016, but despite strong support for the bylaw from residents, the uptake from building owners has been slow.
“We did have 90 per cent support of a city-wide recycling program from residents, so we have a lot of feedback they really want this in place,” said multi-family recycling project manager with Waste and Recycling Services Parnell Legg.
But 110,000 of Calgary’s 163,000 multi-family homes still have no such recycling programs.
Multi-family residents include those in apartments, condos, townhouses, or buildings with five or more units on one piece of land.
The new rule comes under the waste and recycling bylaw, which says building owners will be responsible for providing a recycling service that accepts the following:
- Newspaper
- Catalogues and magazines
- Mixed paper
- Shredded paper
- Telephone books
- Boxboard and corrugated cardboard
- Glass food and beverage containers
- Metal food and beverage containers
- Aluminum cans, aluminum foil and aluminum foil plates
- Refundable beverage containers
- Plastic containers with the recycling symbols from 1-7, except polystyrene foam (including Styrofoam™)
- Plastic bags
- Polycoat and aseptic containers (including Tetra Pak®)
Recycling will be collected by the building owners themselves or private recyclers, not the city, though city officials will offer “educational support and resources” to building owners. Fines can reach up to $250 per unit; a full list can be seen at the end of the bylaw amendment here.
“Approximately 35 per cent of multi-family residents have recycling in place already and we’re just trying to encourage the remainder to ensure they have a recycling program by February 2016,” said Legg.
Contractors are quoting prices around $4 to $5 per month, but costs can range depending on the building.
Anne MacLeod, president of the board at the Courtyards of Garrison Woods condo development, said the price for residents is only $8 per year.
“We are getting fully refunded for all pop bottles and liquor bottles, that subsidizes it,” said MacLeod.”We are doing the transportation, taking it down to a central location.”
For more information on the multi-family recycling laws including printable posters that show what can and cannot be recycled, visit the city’s program page here.
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