After an audit found Edmonton’s waste collection program was not working the way it was meant to, the city is looking at making changes in an effort to divert more waste from the landfill.
On Friday morning, city staff pitched a potential compost program to the Utility Committee at City Hall. The potential program would have Edmontonians not only separating garbage and recycling for collection, but compost as well.
The committee is revisiting waste collection in Edmonton in the wake of an audit that found Edmonton’s waste collection system is not working as expected.
The city’s goal is to divert 90 percent of all waste from the landfill – but in 2016, the audit found just 36 percent of waste was diverted from the landfill.
Research also found Edmontonians support waste reduction.
One of the city’s first steps to address the issue is to introduce a new process to handle grass clippings and yard waste. The city would start by reducing how often crews collect that type of waste before eventually stopping curbside pickup. After the city stops collecting that type of waste, Edmontonians would have to start taking it to EcoStations themselves.
As for the possibility of adding a compost collection program, city staff will come back with details on possible changes to the waste collection system in June. Changes to that program could come into effect in the year 2020.
With files from Jeremy Thompson
