Residential users on the hook for too much of recycling costs

By Lethbridge Herald on November 4, 2022.

Editor:

We believe the Waste and Recycle management along with an environment-happy city council have done enough financial damage to residential citizens. 

The “Lets Talk” is a repeat document with a waste management plan for curbside recycling with $16 million debt, payments of $1.5 million, tipping fees of $1.5 million for under 5,000 tonnes, and figure the cost of tipping fees to residential customers. 

A look at the residential curbside organic program is $17 million reduced by a government grant for facility cost – $5.75 million- again debt cost, tipping fees of $1.5 million, total operating cost of $5.1 million. The $10 million organic facility is in question residential pay but the ICI/Business sector will deposit over 20,000 tonnes of organic present and for the past eight years deposited in a special landfill cell No. 7 funded by a no-nexus fund.

The new residential organic facility has a capacity of 20,000 tonnes, the residential will accumulate from curbside collection 3,900 tonnes. What will the ICI/ business sector tipping fees be for over 29,000 tonnes of organics? In the best interest of the residential group, the “Talk Trash” should be directed at the ICI/business sector which generates over 70,000 tonnes of waste and over 20,000 tonnes of organics to landfill. The residentials develop yearly 21,000 tonnes of waste. In our opinion, your “Trash Talk” should be directed to the ICI/Business sector. The non-professional City environment committee did a serious injustice by choosing the residential group and not the ICI strategy in spite of all hired consultants stating the ICI group must be the priority target. Council failed. Go get the ICI group.

Ken Ikle 

Lethbridge

Committee for Residential Utilities