Okotoks real estate owners continue to become greener every year. Fifty percent of eligible households subscribe to the Curb It curbside recycling program, with more jumping on board every week.
The handy curbside service provides 240 L bins for unsorted recyclables including plastics, metals, and paper products. Each month, 88 tons of material has been spared from an eternal resting place in a landfill, instead being processed to make handy materials like rayon and post-consumer plastics.
The new carts only cost $8.45 per month and are estimated to save hundreds a year on extra garbage bags and waste-disposal surcharges. Also, the luxury of no longer having to sort various recyclables has been met with enthusiasm.
What you Need to Know About Okotoks’ Recycling Program
Specialty Items
The local recycling centre has been alleviated of a majority of pressure thanks to the dedicated curbside-processing facility. This fact means that the recycling centre is now able to handle specialty items that are normally difficult to dispose.
Batteries, paint, and the increasingly popular individual-serving coffee pods are now being accepted by the centre and recycled for little to no cost to the town.
Additionally, items such as electronics, furniture, clothing, and plumbing fixtures can be donated to the Salvage Centre located adjacent to the towns landfill site.
Still No Styrofoam
Unfortunately, the town remains currently unable to accept Styrofoam or polystyrene bead products. A Styrofoam compacter machine necessary to the process of recycling those materials was on the books for purchase, but the facility that manufactured those machines was heavily damaged in the Japanese tsunami several years back.
The program continues to evolve, however, and is in the midst of receiving suggestions from local Town Council meetings for a long-term plan concluding in 2020.
Okotoks Leading Calgary In Curbside Service
Okotoks recent expansion has put it slightly ahead of its bigger neighbor, Calgary, in terms of curbside service availability. The wide coverage the Curb It program offers, in addition to the sizable bins, has made lightening the landfill load easier for thousands of local citizens.
Many families are even boasting that they have reduced landfill waste to one bag a week thanks to the curbside service.
Calgary DIGs Up Some Headway
Calgary isn’t keen on being second fiddle, however. A local initiative calling themselves Do It Green (DIG) has begun to actively campaign for more responsible waste habits from Calgary inhabitants.
DIG recently set up interactive sorting station during the increasingly popular Calgary stampede, diverting waste that would normally end up in a landfill into recycling bins. Volunteers aided patrons as they disposed of food and paper goods, helpfully suggesting to remove items like lemons into the compost receptacle and recycling cups instead of throwing them away.
Okotoks Looking For a Greener Future
As the recycling efforts continue to ramp up, more and more citizens are demanding ecologically responsible alternatives to dumping waste.
For more information about Okotoks real estate waste management options, or to find out which neighborhoods receive Curb It service, contact our office so you can get the information you need.
