Dropping two bags of garbage at the end of a driveway may no longer be the norm in Langdon.
The results of a community-wide survey conducted last fall reveal 64 per cent of respondents want to use roll-out carts for their household waste and recyclables.
“Our landfill sites are filling up,” said Stacey Shaub Szabo with Waste Reduction Specialist at S-Cubed Environmental, the company that conducted the survey. She spoke to the Rocky View County Infrastructure and Operations Committee, April 16. She said people are becoming more open to finding alternate options to dispose of their waste and recycling.
Currently in Langdon, about 34 per cent of junk tossed into the garbage bags can be recycled, she said.
The new cart system will offer residents a black bin for garbage and a blue bin for recycling.
The new cart system was one of three options presented to Langdon residents last fall. It will cost $17.50 a month for the service.
The alternative options included providing a green organics bin as well as the other two carts, bumping costs to $24.50 a month or keeping garbage services as is, at $12 a month.
In total, 2,365 people took the survey with more than 60 per cent in favour of carts. The 2011 Canada Census said Langdon has a population of about 3,400.
Forty-eight per cent of respondents wanted the garbage and recycling bin and 18 wanted the garbage, recycling and organics bin.
Thirty-five per cent wanted to leave it as is.
“Those supporting roll carts said they were tired of paying for private recycling, they just moved from Calgary and wanted the same services, they felt roll carts would prevent animals from getting into bins and bins at home would help them with recycling,” said Shaub Szabo.
“Those in opposition said the transfer station accepts recycling and organics already, the transfer station is local and convenient, roll carts are expensive and unnecessary, the wind might blow them away and they would add to a messy streetscape,” she added.
Reeve Rolly Ashdown, area councillor said he received calls from a lot of people upset with the proposed changes. He said the survey didn’t get responses from everyone, and wanted to know how the price would change if people in Langdon could choose between having the carts or remaining with the black bags.
Councillor Margaret Bahcheli said she lives in an area that implemented all three of the carts but because people had the option to have the service, it isn’t viable as people keep dropping out of the program.
“They don’t have a subscription program,” said Joanne Walroth, solid waste and recycling officer for the County.
“I had a lot of people phone and said they didn’t want it and don’t see a use for it,” said Ashdown. He said he wanted to see an option for opting out in the report.
“It’s counter productive. If costs go up because people drop out, more people will drop out,” said Councillor Lois Habberfield.
The committee agreed to recommend that staff prepare a business plan and budget implications for the new program for council consideration later in the year.
