Ward 11 Alderman Brian Pincott | City of Calgary Office of the Aldermen

The City is rolling out automated waste collection this week, starting with Cedarbrae. This is piloting a new way of collecting garbage from our homes. Rather than a truck coming along and tossing the bags in the back, this system has an arm that comes out the side and grabs the rolling bin and dumps it into the truck. Here's the link on how it will work: http://www.calgary.ca/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_0_ 780_237_0_43/http%3B/content.calgary.ca/CCA/City +Hall/Business+Units/Waste+and+Recycling+ Services/Garbage+ Collection+Information/Automated +Garbage+Collection+Pilot/Automated+ Garbage+Collection+Pilot+Coming+Fall+2008.htm . This new system will be way more effecient and most importantly, will result in less wear and tear on the guys on the trucks. You may not know this, but I think on average they will individually pick up something like 15 tons of garbage each day.. that is 15 tons that a person physically picks up and throws in the back of a truck! It is no wonder that there are so many injuries on these guys!

This is an important step towards getting a more efficient waste collection service and recycling service. Essentially it will be the same equipment that will be collecting our recycling starting March 2009, and then, hopefully in the not too far distant future, our organics as well. Making everything work effeciently and easily will mean that we are well positioned to start down the road of recycling and eventually real waste reduction.

The City has a goal of reducing our waste to the landfills by 80% by 2020, and ambitious target that will require not only that we recycle all paper, metal and plastics, but that we also get all the organics out of the landfill as well. (in the summer, grass clippings can make up to 40% of the residential waste!). We truly must look at these things as resources that we are throwing away, rather than garbage.

We are finally moving in the right direction when it comes to recycling, and I can't wait for the curbside program to begin in March!