With all of the packaging materials such as plastics and Styrofoam permeating modern life, knowing how to properly recycle is not always cut and dried.
With all of the packaging materials such as plastics and Styrofoam permeating modern life, knowing how to properly recycle is not always cut and dried.
So the Round Up recently spoke with the Town of Sundre's operations manager Jim Hall to walk through the basic steps of recycling, composting as well as waste disposal for any residents who might not be sure about the process.
Since the municipality rolled out the blue recycling bins last year, residents for the most part have not expressed any serious concerns, he said.
"It's been a huge success."
However, there has been a bit of a learning curve in terms of getting accustomed to knowing what can go in the containers as well as how to best make the most of the space available. For example, when recycling bigger cardboard boxes, people should break them down to make sure room remains for other items until the next scheduled pickup date, he said.
Of course the recycling containers take far more than cardboard alone. Other materials that can be disposed of in the blue bins include paper products such as office stock and magazines, cleaned tin cans with labels removed, as well as just about any kind of plastic packaging. However, larger items such as plastic lawn chairs should be brought to a landfill or transfer station, he said.
Otherwise, any plastic product stamped with a recycling symbol numbered one to seven can go in the blue bin provided the item is clean. Please see the featured photos for examples. That includes lids for coffee cups, which properly rinsed out also can go in there, he said, showing during a tour of the town's shop a blue bin containing numerous empty cups.
"I really like my coffee!" he said with a chuckle.
Some plastic packaging, such as bags in cereal boxes or grocery store produce bags, are not always numbered or identified as recyclable, but they can be placed in the blue bins as well, he added.
Just about the only exception to the rule is Styrofoam packaging that is often found in purchases of products such as new televisions. This material is not recyclable and should be disposed of in the municipality's black garbage bins. And any plastic packaging that was used to wrap meat products should be either cleaned and dried before going in the blue bin or just disposed of with other refuse, he said.
"Try to be aware of the packaging you're going to get," recommends the operations manager, who hopes humanity will eventually shift away from using Styrofoam in favour of more sustainable alternatives such as corrugated cardboard packing that also protects sensitive products.
"Don't buy overly packaged products," he said, adding that having reuseable fabric grocery bags handy also helps reduce plastic waste.
Non-deposit glass products — cleaned with labels washed off — are essentially the only recyclable materials that do not go in the blue bins, but they can be dropped off at the Sundre Recycling Centre, which has signs indicating what items go where, he said.
When it comes to compost, just about everything from kitchen scraps to yard waste can go in the green bins. Smaller bones from chicken and pork can be composted, but larger bones from, for example, a hunter's deer carcass cannot. Dog poops can be sealed in compostable bags to reduce foul smells, but cat litter goes into the garbage bin. Additionally, mulching is highly recommended to avoid bagging grass clippings that take up plenty of space in the compost container, he said.
While kitchen sink garburators might seem like a handy solution, the garbage disposal units actually tend to create unintended consequences in the municipality's wastewater system by producing what's known as FOG — fats, oils and greases — that does not break down well and can potentially bind up and clog pipes, even creating backups, he said.
"Garburators are not the best friend of the sewer system," he said, adding, "We're really urging people to just put the three Ps — toilet paper, pee and poop — in the sewer."
Should people run out of room in their compost or recycling bin before the next pickup, the option to drop off recyclable materials at the Sundre Recycling Centre on Sixth Street SE remains available to town and county residents, and the municipality just this year also introduced two drop-offs for clean, compostable yard waste at the town shop, a service that's available Mondays to Fridays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., he said.
"We don't want a full tree dropped off, but pruned branches can be dropped off."
The odours emitted by compost bins are a common concern expressed by residents, and among the steps to significantly reduce the issue is to simply purchase compostable bags that can be tied up, largely confining any potential stench, he said. Other tips on the municipality's official website include frequently cleaning or at least rinsing the bin after each pickup as well as keeping the container in a shady or enclosed spot that provides shelter from the sweltering summer sun.
As for used cooking or motor oils, old paints or thinners, dead batteries, old appliances or furniture as well as electronics such as televisions, computers and their accessories, residents must go to the transfer station located about two kilometres east of Sundre on Highway 27 and south on Rge. Rd. 51. That facility's hours of operations are Fridays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
None of these aforementioned items should be left at the municipality's recycling depot, said Hall.
"Please let us know if you see any kinds of infractions or if people are misusing the facility."
Anyone who still might have questions or concerns to share is welcome and encouraged to contact the municipality's staff by calling the shop, which can be accessed by 10th Street SW behind Black Gold Rush, at 403-638-4707.
"We'll try and guide you in the right direction!" said Hall.
Alternatively, click here for the municipality's instructions on properly dealing with compost, recyclables and waste.
