Residents to have size options for blue, black carts

Officials with The City of Red Deer say residents will be able to customize their Blue and Black Cart collection system to meet their household waste needs and influence their utility rates when the program expands next year.

Council has given first reading of the Utility Bylaw amendment that includes three different cart sizes for residents to choose from. A single rate will be charged for Green, Blue and Black Cart collection services on residents utility bill, and the rate will be determined by the size of Black Cart selected by the resident.

The proposed rates show a household that chooses the smallest Black Cart (120 litres, or equivalent to one and a half regular bags of garbage) to have a single rate of $18.25 per month. The standard (240 litre, or equivalent to three regular bags of garbage) would have a single rate of $22.25 per month and a resident who chooses the largest Black Cart size (360 litres, or equivalent to four and a half garbage bags) would have a single rate of $28.25 per month.

“The proposed rates for Black Cart size balances collecting revenue to support the operations of the program with the opportunity to adjust and customize service,” Janet Whitesell, Waste Management Superintendent said in a release. “Paying for what you are using as opposed to a flat rate provides options and control for residents, and we hope to motivate to fully utilize the three cart system.”