By TREENA MIELKE
There will be no increase in residential garbage pickup fees for Rimbey residents even though a blue bag program will go into effect next month.
Residential pickup for the bi-weekly blue bag program will begin April 12.
Mayor Sheldon Ibbotson is pleased the program is in place.
“It will make it much easier for the residents to recycle and it will reduce the amount of garbage going to the landfill.”
To be effective, residents need to adhere to regulations regarding the program, said Jay Hohn, co-owner of Cast-A-Waste Inc., the company who will be picking up the recyclables.
He said recyclables are to be placed in a transparent plastic bag.
It is important residents recycle only accepted items, as unwanted materials increase costs and can put the health of workers at risk, Hohn added.
Paper items that can be recycled include newspapers, magazines, catalogues, white and computer paper, Christmas cards, no foil gift wrap, junk mail, paper bags, envelopes, paper egg cartons, paperback and hardcover books (with cover removed) and phone books.
Cardboards include flattened cereal and food boxes with liners discarded, refundable juice boxes, rinsed and flattened milk cartons, flattened shoe boxes and brown paper bags and flattened corrugated boxes which have been reduced to four feet by four feet.
Metals include clean tin cans, aluminum containers and empty non-hazardous aerosol cans.
Green, brown and clear glass jars and bottles will be accepted.
Plastics are to include household cleaner bottles, shampoo and conditioner bottles, vinegar bottles, plastic bags, pop and beverage bottles, milk jugs, detergent or fabric softener bottles, margarine and yogurt containers, ice cream pails, vitamin bottles and windshield washer containers.
As well as the blue bag program, Hohn said Cast-A-Waste will continue to pick up cardboard from Rimbey businesses. The company had been contracted by the town for cardboard pickup, but the town has opted out of this service.
Cast-A-Waste plans to continue offering the service on a three-month trial, and will continue if enough businesses come on board.
Businesses will be charged according to the frequency of pickups and the amount of cardboard, Hohn said. Response to the cardboard pickup has been good.
“So far we have had more yeses than nos.”