The City of Calgary Composting Program, which has been implemented all across the city for just over six months, is definitely an extremely environmental initiative, but the question is how effectively are Calgarians using their green bins?
While some citizens do have personal yard composts, providing every Calgarian with a green bin and scheduled compost pick-ups was something the municipal government had been talking about for many years. The pilot program was implemented in March 2012 in the four neighbourhoods of Abbeydale, Brentwood, Cougar Ridge and Southwood. In just those four communities, in the past five years – more than ten million kilograms of compost have been picked up. Which is why from June to September 2017, the remaining communities in all four quadrants of our city received their carts and started their scheduled compost pick-ups. Currently, every citizen, whether they are using their green bin or not is paying $6.50 per month in order to cover costs of this new program.
If Calgarians use their green bins to the degree the City has hoped they will, it is estimated we will keep 85 million kilograms of food and yard waste out of our landfills every year. Not only are we able to generate nutrient rich compost to help with the growth of plants, we are also working to protect our priceless land, air and water resources. Not to mention, the great long term economic benefits of avoiding extravagant landfill costs that come with the implementation of the green cart program.
So, why is it then, that many Calgarians don’t seem to be taking full advantage and getting rid of their natural waste in this environmentally friendly way? In some cases, it’s as simple as practical issues such as lack of storage area in small alleyways to keep their green bins. It also takes some time and work on the part of citizens. They must set up pails in their kitchen, line these pails, fill the green carts, and then start adding waste to them. After so many years of putting everything in the black carts, this new process definitely takes some getting used to. Finally, there’s also the problem of fear of the unknown. For those who have never heard about a compost program, it brings about the worry of unpleasant smells and attracting unwanted rodents such as racoons and maggots.
The new schedule which has green and blue bins being picked up once every week, but garbage from black bins being picked up only once every two weeks definitely creates a need for Calgarians to use their green bins more extensively, as likely not all of their garbage will fit in the black bin. As we move forward, we must continue to educate and provide helpful tips and resources to our fellow citizens so they too can continue to use their green bins to the best of their abilities. As cliche as it sounds, together, we can create phenomenal changes for the betterment of the environment.
