City chucks recycling fee in the trash

By Al Beeber - Lethbridge Herald on March 13, 2025.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDabeeber@lethbridgeherald.com

It’s no joke — starting April 1 city residents will no longer pay for curbside recycling on their utility bills. That’s the date the City of Lethbridge officially opts in to the new Extended Producer Responsibility regulation established by the Alberta government.
The City’s blue bin program is presently a utility charge on residential bills and is about $9 per month or a net of $7 with a two-dollar reduction on the garbage utility charge.
Residents will see reduced fees with the EPR program and those fees will be removed from their utility bills starting April 1.
On Tuesday, city council voted unanimously to approve a recommendation  by Waste and Environment general manager Mandi Parker to direct City  Manager Lloyd Brierley to pay off debt associated with the Material Recovery Facility from the Waste and Environment department’s surplus.
That debt amounts to $7,588,244. The City of Lethbridge has been  contracted by Circular Materials — the only Producer Responsibility  Organization for PPP (printed and packaged products) in the province —  which will be delivering recycling programs for registered communities  in Alberta.
According to a presentation made by Parker to council, “to meet the cost scenarios moving forward, the debt on the material recovery  facility needs to be removed from the equation.”
The total amount of the loan balances to be paid by March 31 is  $7,588,244. Paying it will result in interest savings of $1,456,856 .
PPP includes such materials as newspapers and magazines, printed paper and cardboard, plastics and metal and glass.
Once the program goes into effect, materials allowed in the blue bins that are collected every second week will remain the status quo.

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