The City of Airdrie’s Waste and Recycling department is hoping residents will cast their votes for their community to participate in a Pet Waste Pilot project this summer, according to a release issued by the City on May 19.
Residents can go online at airdrie.ca until June 5 and vote for their community.
All communities who receive organics recycling on the same day will win the right to take part in the pilot project, if one of those communities receives the most votes.
The City’s organics recycling program was launched in April 2014 and has proven to be very popular and successful, according to the results of a survey conducted in November of 2014 by Bannister Research and Consulting and presented to council on Jan. 19.
Since the organics program began in 2014, Airdrie has diverted four million kilograms of organics that were destined for the landfill.
One item that has been banned from the green organics recycling carts since the program launched is pet waste but with the number of licensed dogs in Airdrie hovering at approximately 7,000, according to the City’s Municipal Enforcement department, finding a way to dispose of this smelly puppy by-product could be in everyone’s best interests.
The winning neighbourhoods will be announced on June 8 and the pilot project will take place from June 15 to July 31, according to the release from the City.
Residents in the pilot neighbourhoods will be able to place pet waste in their recycling bins during the pilot project. The pet waste must be placed in compostable garbage bags and kitty litter is not being accepted.
Residents who participate in the project and those who voted for their community online may be contacted to provide their feedback once the pilot project is completed, according to information on the City’s website.
According to the release from the City, recycling staff will take results from the pilot project including resident feedback and use it to decide if recycling of pet waste through the curbside organics recycling program can be launched city-wide. A date for when those recommendations might be presented to City council has not been released.
Dog owners in Airdrie are required to pick up after their pets when off their own property, including at City parks and on public and private property. Cleaning up your own yard is also considered good pet ownership.
The City of Airdrie will celebrate the first birthday of the curbside organics program on May 30 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Eastside Recycling Depot. Everyone is invited to attend.
Phone calls to the City for more information about the Pet Waste Pilot project were not returned by press time.
