At Monday's (January 15) City Council meeting, members of the City of Airdrie's Waste & Recycling team presented the findings of a recent waste audit.

The waste audit was conducted in September 2017, and was the second of three to be carried out by the City. The waste audits were a condition of removing the requirement to use clear bags for garbage as part of the City's new waste and recycling bylaw adopted in the Spring. The first audit was conducted in March 2017 before the enactment of that bylaw.

One hundred houses in Windsong, Coopers Crossing, Edgewater and Airdrie Meadows were selected for the waste audits. Based on City of Airdrie stats that show there are 17,696 dwellings in Airdrie, the sample size gives a confidence level of 95 percent. Susan Grimm, Team Leader for Waste & Recycling, summarized the findings of the audit.

"It indicates generally that we're doing a good job with curbside recycling and with curbside organics. From April to November we recycled 2,400 metric tonnes of recyclable material and about 4,500 metric tonnes in the green cart program."

While those findings are in line with Waste & Recycling's expectations and the team is excited that people are using their green and blue bins, Grimm said there is still some work that needs to be done.

"Over 50 percent of what's going in the garbage should actually be going to either the green cart, the blue cart or the recycling depot. The largest opportunity that exists is getting organic material out of the garbage and into the green cart. 35 percent of what's in the garbage is actually organic material still."

There is a cost associated with putting material in the wrong place. Grimm explained successful diversion could have resulted in savings in excess of $88,000.

Grimm said the diversion rates found with this audit don't necessarily mean a move to the dreaded clear bags. While that option would be on the table if the third audit finds low levels of diversion, Grimm said it is just one of many options.

"Clear bags is one of the initiatives that could be revisited if the diversion levels aren't proving to be enough. I'm not prepared to go out and say that if we don't do this than clear bags are coming, but clear bags is an excellent method for us to ensure that material is being diverted to the right place."

No decision will be made until the third waste audit is conducted. Grimm explained they hope to do that audit this May, once organic pickups increase to once a week. After that audit is conducted, Waste & Recycling will have a full year of data to draw on and compare. That data will be compiled into a report to be presented to Council, along with future education plans and a five year waste management strategy.

 

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