The Weekly Anchor
Monday, July 18th, 2016
By Mackenzie Burnett
In the months of July and August, employees from the West Yellowhead Recycling Society will be surveying communities in the West Yellowhead. The canvassers will mainly be targeting the commercial sector in Edson, Hinton, and Jasper. In Niton, Peers, Wildwood, and Evansburg, however, the canvassers will mostly be focusing on residential areas.
The society aims to gather information about the types of waste being generated and how they’re being handled. The canvassers will also be asking about the collection methods being used for garbage & recycling. Employees will be inquiring about any recycling barriers individuals are experiencing and any suggestions they might have as well. In the future the West Yellowhead Recycling Society aims to use this information to improve their services.
A report from Stats Canada concluded that industrial, commercial & institutional, IC&I, waste made up 49% of the total waste in the province. Residential waste contributed to 24%, while construction & demolition waste made up the last 27%.
Another report, the 2005 Provincial Waste Characterization Framework, stated 33% of IC&I waste was paper. In comparison, Alberta’s residential waste was largely made up of yard waste, paper, and food waste according to the same report. Yard waste made up 31% of the total, paper contributed to 22%, and 21% of the total was food waste. In the graphs associated with these figures, “other” signifies waste that was not recyclable in the waste diversion programs. The charts that have been used are the most recent available.
A significant portion of the waste generated within Alberta is non-residential. Since substantial portions of the non-residential waste is recyclable, reports indicate non-residential sectors present areas for vast improvement. Residential areas could improve as well according to some reports, particularly when it comes to handling yard waste, food waste, and paper.
A report done by sonnevera international corp. in 2010 for the Town of Edson and Yellowhead County similarly reflected that waste diversion could be improved. 49% of the county’s overall waste could have been composted, while an additional 20% could have been recycled. Since seeing the results of the 2010 report, the county has taken actions to increase recycling and composting, however. The West Yellowhead Recycling Society will lastly be reminding businesses and residents that there are alternatives when it comes to handling these items.