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By Josh Hall | @Vancan19

talking about blue

Blackfalds among communities considering new provincial recycling service

Nov 23, 2023 | 7:35 PM

The landscape of waste management across Alberta is making a significant shift.

That includes in Blackfalds, where a decision was made earlier this month that will impact waste collection in the growing central Alberta town before long.

It was November 2022 when Alberta introduced Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations, a system to be overseen by the Alberta Recycling Management Authority (ARMA) which will have financial and environmental benefits.

Under the new regulations, communities can voluntarily register for recycling pick-up which would be done by an external provider (called a PRO) under ARMA’s oversight.

The pick-up includes that of single-use products, packaging and printed paper (PPP), and hazardous and special products (HSP).

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• PPP: paper products such as newspapers, packaging, cardboard, printed paper and magazines, plastics (both rigid and flexible), plus metal and glass
• HSP: consumer-sized solid, liquid, and gaseous products that are flammable, corrosive, and toxic, batteries, and pesticides

Service in communities will begin April 1, 2025 if they apply before the end of 2023, or on Oct. 1, 2026 if they apply after. Municipalities are not obligated to select either date, but if they do, they are to work with the provider on how they’d like service to be.

In Red Deer, for example, where recycling is done using blue carts, that wouldn’t necessarily change as long as the City and PRO can agree on how it best continues. Red Deer will be registering by Dec. 31, with city council to make a final decision in 2024, administration confirms.

Blackfalds will also register by the earlier deadline, eventually saving it $280,000 annually if it goes through with it.

In other words, explains ARMA CEO Ed Gugenheimer, cost savings for municipalities means the same for taxpayers when it comes to their utility bill.

“The province made sure this wouldn’t cause municipalities any heartache, which is why they can choose to pick one or the other program, or neither. Plus, communities can still opt out even after they’ve registered,” says Gugenheimer.

“As for the environmental benefits, there are targets that have been set by the province. Our landfills won’t be used nearly as much, so it will absolutely be a great benefit in that way.”

Gugenheimer says one target is to sign up 400 communities. As of Nov. 23, 2023, 87 are registered for PPP and 54 for HSP service. A full list of those communities is not available at this time.

“This definitely will have an environmental impact,” believes Preston Weran, Director of Infrastructure and Property Services, Town of Blackfalds.

“It will encourage producers of these types of recyclables to think about different ways of packaging that material, as well as put end of life costs onto producers.”

Another material change for some municipalities, like Blackfalds, is that the regulations require curbside pick-up every two weeks. Blackfalds currently has weekly pick-up.

Learn more about ARMA and the new regulations at albertarecycling.ca.

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