NEWS PHOTO COLLIN GALLANT Thousands of blue recycling carts are seen at the city's Marshall Avenue yard near Kipling Street in early April 2018. City workers began delivering the carts to houses on May 8, 2018.
Delivery of blue carts for curbside recycling has begun in Medicine Hat, though the process of getting 23,000 collection bins to residences could take seven weeks to complete.
Crews began distributing the carts that are stockpiled at the city’s Marshall Avenue yard on Tuesday, dropping them off at homes and residential addresses that already have grey bins for general trash collection.
It’s hard to determine when the bins will arrive in specific areas, said environmental utilities general manager Brian Murphy.
“The staggered delivery method is being utilized to reduce risks, minimize costs and ensure thorough delivery,” he said, adding the process will be updated weekly on the city’s website.
There was no immediate word on when collection would begin.
The carts can be used to dispose unsorted recyclable material, such as generally clean newsprint, paper, cardboard, tin cans and most plastics, though not polystyrene (Styrofoam) or glass.
Glass as well as all recyclable material can still be dropped off at the city’s recycling depot locations.
Council approved adding the service in early 2017 when it was contracted out to CanPak Environmental, which has subsequently purchased the city’s sorting facility and has been making depot pickups since last summer.
On Monday council approved the $1.7 million purchase of the bins from funds realized on the sale of the sorting facility.
CanPak is required to supply its own trucks, equipment and staff.
City administrators say the addition will result in no more than $6 per month added to utility bills, though that could include higher than $6 charge combined with a reduction in general solid waste charges.
The formal rate will go before council this spring for approval.
