INNISFAIL – The Town of Innisfail is considering a switch from manual to automated recycling pick-up, a move staff says could improve collection and reduce the risk of loose items flying out of containers and littering nearby properties.
Administration is also proposing reducing organic collection in both winter and summer, which it says could save the town a combined total of $127,000 a year.
On April 4 at its Agenda & Priorities Meeting, town council was presented with a report from Steven Kennedy, the town’s director of operational services, who outlined proposed changes to the town’s solid waste collection program, which in 2019 changed to automated collection for garbage and organics, with recycling staying at manual collection.
Council was reminded that funding for the program’s new carts came from the General Capital Reserve (GCR), with an annual transfer of $34,000 from solid waste revenue going into the GCR each year until the balance is paid off in 2029.
Kennedy told council the current service provider, E360s, recently provided a quote to change the recycling pick-up from manual to automated. Council was told this switch would reduce the pickup cost per house per month by $0.60. That would be an annual savings of about $19,836.
However, the cost for new larger carts to replace the smaller current ones, as well as their assembly and delivery, would be $223,112.
Kennedy told council the Solid Waste Reserve is currently at $163,704, and if the remaining funding was to come from General Capital Reserve, the expense of the program change would push the pay pack date to 2031.
Coun. Don Harrison said he supported the plan for automated recycling collection, which would change the pick-up from a smaller green container to a larger blue bin.
“I would like to see that, yes. I know other municipalities have that and it seems to work quite well. I think it is a little bit more efficient,” said Harrison, adding the change would be better in times of stormy weather.
“We get a windstorm and they’re forecasting a windstorm with 80 kilometres an hour wind tonight. There’s going to be garbage all over town.”
Coun. Jason Heistad called the plan a “win-win”, adding he believes the town has evolved from the current small green bins that have been around for about 18 years.
“And the stuff that flies around? Tonight, is going to be a gong show,” said Heistad, of the pending windstorm over town. “You are going to have garbage flying all over.”
Coun. Dale Dunham added the long-term costs after the projected pay back date of 2031 will “level out” and the town will have savings thereafter.
“It may take a few years (savings) but all in all I think it is a better program,” said Dunham.
As for organic collection, administration is proposing it be reduced in winter monthly pick-up, which would save the town $18,000 per year. For summer months, the proposal is for collection to be reduced to bi-weekly, which would have an annual savings of $109,000, or $3.28 per household.
Council was told the current organic pick-up, which is bi-weekly as of Nov. 1, becomes weekly June 1.
Mayor Jean Barclay said she would like it to start “much sooner”, noting bins fill up quickly this time of year and leaving homeowners unable to continue yard work.
“I would like to see us pull that back to April,” said Barclay, adding she is in favour of moving the service to once a month in the winter. “I don’t think those bins are used very much at all in the winter time.”
Council was told there has been a quarterly survey of 400 local homes conducted on organics usage since 2019.
The survey showed cart usage during the winter from November to May is 24 per cent and 47 per cent in the summer months. Council was told the results also showed carts are only on average about 16 per cent full.
Kennedy said in his report he will come back to council in the future with a request for its decision on his proposed changes, which may require an amendment to the Solid Waste Bylaw. He added that a public communication strategy would be provided.
Council accepted Kennedy’s report as information.
