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Town of Ponoka seeking more input on proposed waste and recycling changes

Jul 22, 2018 | 3:22 PM

The Town of Ponoka is inviting citizen input on proposed changes to the community’s waste and recycling program.

Officials say the input can be submitted through a Citizen Comment Form via an online survey which can be found on the Town’s website until August 3.

The online Citizen Comment Form is described as the next step in a program review and design process that began earlier this year to gauge citizen satisfaction and evaluate possible changes to the Town’s Waste and Recycling Program for 2019. 

Following extensive public consultation this year that included two public open houses and a Citizen Input Survey, as well as research into the cost and logistics of various program options, the Town is proposing to add a full organics, year-round, green cart compost program to its existing curbside program.

Officials say a full organics compost program would expand the Town’s existing green cart program into a year round initiative that allows citizens to compost all food waste in their green carts, including meat and bones, soiled paper and cardboard such as pizza boxes, pet waste (in a certified compostable bag or paper bag), animal bedding, coffee grinds, tea bags, yard waste and many other items.    

“A full organics green cart program could resolve a lot of the concerns we’ve been hearing from residents about our current Waste and Recycling Program,” says Chris McKenna, Manager of Operations for the Town of Ponoka, in a press release.

“It would remove most odor-causing items from the grey garbage bins and reduce the amount of waste placed in those grey bins, freeing up space for other garbage,” adds McKenna. “The green carts would be picked up every week from May through October, and biweekly the rest of the year when volumes are lower because there’s limited yard waste and smell is less of a concern.”

McKenna notes however that grey carts would continue to be picked up biweekly year round. 

The proposed full organics compost program would also help the Town get closer to achieving the provincial goal set for municipalities in 2008 of diverting 80 per cent of municipal waste from landfills according to Town officials.  

If implemented, a full organics compost program would be expected to divert approximately an additional 15 per cent of household waste from the landfill, bringing the Town’s total household waste diversion rate up to about 50 per cent, as Ponoka continues to work toward the provincial goal of 80 per cent waste diversion.

The Town’s current curbside Waste and Recycling Program contract expires at the end of this year.

Citizen input gathered through the online survey and from a Public Open House held earlier in July will be carefully reviewed and considered by Town Council and Administration as the Waste and Recycling Program design is finalized for 2019.

Paper copies of the Citizen Comment Form are also available at the Town Office until August 3.