Beginning this Thursday, Sept. 29, glass will no longer be accepted at the Wetaskiwin Recycling Centre and the bin for glass collection will be removed from the site.
“It’s important to note that we’re not removing a service that was there before, but instead removing an inefficiency,” explains Kathy Lewin, General Manager of Municipal Services. “There is currently a limited market for glass recycling, so the glass from the Recycling Centre was being transported to the landfill. We’re just cutting out that middle step and saving on the cost of transportation.”
Wetaskiwin city council passed a motion at its regular Aug. 22 meeting directing administration to investigate contracting landfill services – the first step in a long-term plan to align the City’s waste management programs to current best practices.
“We’re a bit behind the times at the moment and we need to kick-start this movement. We want to improve everything about this program: efficiency, environmental impact, modernized technology and financial impacts,” Lewin says.
The City will issue an Expression of Interest notice to determine interest in opportunities to provide contracted waste services to the community. In the meantime, residents can put glass in their blue or grey garbage bin as part of their regular garbage pickup.
Residents are encouraged to share their thoughts on the levels of service provided by the City by reaching out directly to council – find their contact details at wetaskiwin.ca/mayor-council.