According to last week’s local newspapers, the standing committee on finance, consisting of St. Albert councillors, unanimously endorsed a new waste collection system that would reduce pick-up to occur every 14 days instead of weekly. The item goes to council on June 28.
They also endorsed a new curbside organic waste collection system that would collect kitchen and yard waste separately from other garbage. The organic kitchen waste would have to be separated so it can be recycled together with the organic yard wastes such as grass clippings and leaves. This would reduce the amount of garbage going into the landfill, and allow garbage pick-up to be reduced to once bi-weekly.
The city would supply a metal cart to every household to be used for this organic disposal. The cart would come with a lid (to keep the skunks out?) so rotting kitchen waste would not lead to odours during hot weather as its sits waiting for the bi-weekly pick-up day. The carts would be designed to be lifted by truck-mounted equipment so workers would have fewer lifting injuries. The city would need to buy special trucks and carts for this purpose.
Paper, glass and can recycling would still be separate, but would also happen only every second week. Hurray! We don’t need weekly service anymore and no trips to the compost yard needed. But wait a minute ... what size cart would that be, to take 14 days of grass clippings? Even without added kitchen waste, I take at least three large (orange) bags full of grass clippings to the compost yard every week. This is just from my front lawn — all clippings from my backyard go to my own compost heap in the garden.
I just have a small place in Sturgeon Heights and half my back yard is a garden. If I had all grass (like most of my neighbours) there would be six to seven such large bags of clippings every week, and 12 to 14 bags every two weeks. But even my own skimpy six bags would need a very large cart to fit into. I am afraid I do not have enough room at my garbage stand to park such a cart there all year. Also, when I checked with my neighbours, none of them seem prepared to park or handle such a heavy cart. Most of those who have a garage do not want to park stinky organic waste in it, or just have not got the room beside their vehicles and other storage.
In case you did not notice, 95 per cent of homeowners in St. Albert already recycle their grass clippings and leaves by mulching them or taking them to the city’s compost yard, all at no cost to the city. Handling a heavy wheeled bin or cart is difficult for many people, some of whom are simply too old or fragile to cope, particularly if their residence is on a sloped property or becomes ice or snow covered in winter. There may be no grass in the cart at that time, but trying too wrangle the kitchen waste in a heavy cart could be too much for some.
It seems to me that is exactly why about two years ago a contractor supplied heavy wheeled garbage containers and the pick-up was discontinued in St. Albert. Some of my neighbours suggested that this organic waste pick-up is ridiculous and should be put to a vote during the upcoming election. Personally, I would prefer to be able to elect new council members who have their own common sense and put it to use, instead of getting costly advice about every issue from consultants who do not even live here.
A. K. Zimmer, St. Albert
