Title
Curbside Blue Bag Recycling Program Options
Proposed Motions
1. That Council approve introducing free blue bag curbside recycling for Big Lake Area residents from June 1, 2025 to October 1, 2026, at a cost to the County of $36,000 per year.
2. That Council approve introducing free blue bag curbside recycling for Entwistle residents from June 1, 2025 to October 1, 2026, at a cost to the County of $14,400 per year.
3. That Council approve the closure of the Entwistle Recycling Depot as of July 1, 2025.
Body
Administration Recommendation
Given that Wabamun residents will receive free blue bag curbside recycling service as of April 1, 2025 under Phase I of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Program, Administration supports the Proposed Motions to provide that same level of service to the residents in Big Lake and Entwistle through the support of revenues provided to Parkland County through the Provincial EPR program.
Purpose
Due to the new provincial EPR Program funding recycling programs in Alberta municipalities, Parkland County will receive $24,391 per month from April 1, 2025, to October 1, 2026, from Circular Materials. This revenue will compensate the County for managing existing residential recycling at the County's waste transfer stations. Administration proposes using this additional revenue to subsidize free blue bag curbside recycling in the Big Lake residential area and the Hamlet of Entwistle until Phase 2 of the EPR program starts on October 1, 2026, when the entire costs of these services will be taken over by Circular Materials.
Summary
The Alberta Government introduced the EPR Program in November 2022, which is an environmental/economic policy approach in which producers of products and packaging bear responsibility for ensuring those products and packages are properly managed at the end of their life cycle. Oversight of the program will be conducted by the Alberta Recycling Management Authority (ARMA), who have chosen Circular ...
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