With winter approaching, the City of Lethbridge is letting residents know that green cart collection will now be changing from a weekly pick up to bi-weekly starting Nov. 7.
This seasonal approach is due to the amount of yard waste decreasing and the “yuck factor”, or odours, not as big of a factor as it is during the spring and summer months.
James Nicholls, Waste Environment Collections Manager, says in the first six months of the green carts, they’ve seen over 4,000 tonnes of materials, which prior to the roll out, would’ve been put into the black cart. These materials go to the compost facility which then turns this into high-quality compost that can be given back to residents or sold commercially.
“Participation has been excellent; we’ve seen over 85 per cent of people in the city use their green cart since they received it, really encouraging numbers. We know there is more growth to go, but so far, so good,” says Nicholls.
When it comes to items in the green carts that shouldn’t be, Nicholls says they’re seeing about a two per cent contamination rate, mostly plastic bags that residents use for organic waste. He recommends using cardboard liners, or paper bags to dispose of organic materials, and suggests putting the waste inside pizza boxes or cereal boxes for easy layering.
“There are lots of opportunity for people to be putting food waste items into the green cart, and again thinking a little outside of the box, thinking of things like pizza boxes, paper towels, soiled cardboard. Not just things like your eggshells and traditional food waste,” says Nicholls.
With collection dates changing, Nicholls mentions that it can be tricky to remember which carts go out every week. There are three ways that residents can keep up to date with cart collections, the Lethbridge Loop app, which can be set up to send reminders about collection dates, as well as snow route declarations, street sweeping and more. Residents can also contact 311 or check the city’s website.
Community members who would like to learn more about the Lethbridge Loop app, including how it works and how to set reminders for cart collection, can attend a pop-up booth at the Lethbridge Senior Citizens Organization from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Nov. 9.