Rocky View County (RVC) will once more be holding eight Ag Roundup events this summer to help local farmers and residents in more remote locations of the county more easily dispose of their hard-to-recycle materials.
The Roundup events will be held at Madden Chuckwagon, Weedon Pioneer Hall, Springbank’s Westlife Church, Bottrel General Store, Delacour Community Hall, Co-op Agro in Crossfield, Jumping Pound Community Hall, and at RVC Fleet Services in Balzac.
“We’re going to have eight events across July and August at the same locations (as 2022) throughout the county,” explained Christian Yee, solid waste and recycling advisor for RVC. “These locations are pretty much more remote locations compared to where our transfer stations are located in the county, just so we can give more opportunity for these residents to properly recycle their ag plastics and (other recyclables).”
Among the recyclables being collected are ag plastics such grain bags, plastic twine, electronics, household hazardous waste, livestock lick tubs, used oil, oil filters, containers, paint, propane tanks, tires, unused chemicals in their original sealed containers, and barbed wire.
The Ag Roundup program is funded in conjunction with CleanFarms and the Alberta Recycling Management Authority (ARMA), who reimburse the County for all the materials collected.
“They just help to cover some of the costs of running those collection programs, and help municipalities recycle more of those materials,” explained Yee. “We want to make it more convenient for them so they are not hauling these materials 50 kilometres to the nearest site.”
Yee reminds residents that RVC will no longer be accepting any opened chemical or pesticide containers at its Ag Roundup events.
“Point of purchase dealers will be accepting them this year,” said Yee, explaining that all such containers must now be returned to the dealers who sold these products in the first place for collection. Those dealers will then be reimbursed by CleanFarms.
According to Yee, the only exception to this rule for 2023 is the Irricana transfer station.
“The Irricana transfer station will be accepting the empty chemical and pesticide containers until the end of 2023 to help with the transition, but once Jan. 1, 2024 hits, that site will no longer be accepting the empty containers either,” he said.
The Ag Roundups will accept household hazardous waste, Yee explained, but will not accept any household garbage. Household electronics also will be accepted for collection.
“That means anything with a cord, essentially, will be accepted as long as it is residential,” clarified Yee.
Residents with large quantities of recyclables to turn in at the Ag Roundups should call the County in advance at 403-230-1401, and ask to speak to RVC’s solid waste and recycling group.
“We do ask residents and ag producers to call ahead if they do have large volumes of materials,” Yee confirmed. “Just give us a call and make sure we have bin capacity on the day of to accept those materials, and we don’t have to refuse residents at the events.”
Over the past three years, RVC has been one of the leading collectors of recycled ag plastics, and that is no small part to the annual Ag Roundups.
According to Yee, RVC is responsible for collecting 10.5 per cent of all grain bags captured in Alberta and 7.5 per cent of plastic twine. Not only does this help to create a “circular economy,” but it also helps extend the lifespan of County waste disposal sites.
“They (farmers) can pretty much drop off all of their (recyclables), and it helps us divert all that waste from landfills,” he said. “We make sure it is recycled properly.”
For more information on the County’s annual Ag Roundup visit the RVC website or download the RVC Waste Guide app.
The first Ag Roundup of the year will be held in Madden on July 5.
