After a nearly two-month closure, the Recycle Depot reopened May 7.
According to Susan Grimm, team leader for Waste and Recycling, the depot was originally scheduled to open May 13, but her team was able to move that date up by a week. Several new measures accompanied the reopening to protect against the spread of COVID-19.
“We’re only allowing five vehicles inside the recycle depot at one time," Grimm said. "And if you come with multiple people in your vehicle, only one will be allowed to exit the vehicle once inside the gate.”
Additionally, the facility will turn away any vehicle larger than a pickup truck. Trailers will also not be permitted on the premises.
“Something residents can do to be prepared is sort their materials before they get here, because we’re trying to limit visits to 10 minutes,” Grimm said. “We’re looking for people to get in and recycle what they need to and then exit as quickly as possible.”
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Some areas of the depot have also been rearranged, she said.
“When people arrive to the depot, they’ll expect to mostly see what they’re used to,” she said. “Some thing’s have been moved around and outside of buildings, just so that they don’t have to have everybody congregating in small spaces.”
The Recycle Depot is operating with modified hours compared to a regular summer, Grimm said – the facility is currently open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday to Sunday. Normally during the summer, it would be open on Tuesday and have extended hours on Thursday.
Grimm said her team is trying to reserve the first hour of the morning on Thursday for seniors and essential workers.
“We’re really relying on other residents to be respectful of this time that we’ve set aside and allow frontline workers and seniors to come on Thursday mornings,” she said. “We’re not opening early or anything for this purpose, but we did want to try to dedicate a specific timeframe that is first thing in the morning for those users.”
In the immediate aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Recycle Depot was closed March 16. While Airdrie’s blue bin program was able to collect most recyclables, Grimm said certain items like household chemicals and Styrofoam were piling up in homes.
“With people home, they’re doing a lot more ordering things online, [with] a lot more larger boxes,” Grimm said. “There was a need.”
During the closure, Grimm said, many people also attempted to get rid of recyclables by taking them to the Airdrie Transfer Site, where recycling is not available.
While operations at the depot have now resumed, a number of “high touch” programs have been cancelled in light of the pandemic, Grimm said. Textiles and clothing will not be accepted, as contractors are not collecting those materials. Additionally, the bike exchange program is on hold and the book shed is closed.
The depot is also not selling extra garbage tags or rain barrels. Garbage tags are still available at Co-op and all Shoppers Drug Mart locations.
“Please be patient with us,” Grimm said regarding the reopening. “The staff are doing their best. We don’t know what to expect. We’re going to try to do it with a smile, and we would appreciate that from the residents in return.”
Ben Sherick, AirdrieToday.com
Follow me on Twitter @BenSherick
