Curbside recycling starts Aug. 1 in Moosomin
June 2, 2015, 1:49 am
Kara Kinna
Residents to be charged gate fees for landfill use as of August 1
Curbside recycling will start on August 1 in Moosomin.
At their meeting last week, Moosomin town council passed a motion to sign a contract with Loraas Disposal to provide residential curbside recycling with collection every two weeks.
Council also passed a motion to set the rate for recycling at $10 a month for residents, to be invoiced on quarterly utility invoices. Starting August 1, there will also be a fee at the gate for Moosomin residents to take loads out to the landfill in Moosomin.
The fees vary from $5 per entry for cars or cars with utility trailers, to $10 per entry for quarter-ton, half-ton or three-quarter-ton trucks. For one-ton trucks and over with a single axle, the fee will be $25 per entry, for one-ton trucks and over with a tandem axle, the fee is $37.50 per entry, and for semi trailers, the fee will be $75 per entry.
Fees have always existed for out-of-town users. The fees for out-of-town users are double that of residents.
Due to the addition of curbside recycling in town, council also passed a resolution to have the 30 recycling bins at the landfill emptied once a week instead of twice a week, resulting in a cost savings of $3,000 a month.
Mayor Larry Tomlinson says the changes are needed in order to cover costs at the landfill and extend the life of the landfill. The town was originally under the impression that the landfill could be closed by 2017, but was informed by the ministry of environment earlier this year that the landfill can stay open indefinitely.
Council also passed a motion at their meeting Wednesday to lease a garbage compactor for the dump at a rate of $69,000 a year.
Tomlinson says that’s one of the reasons the town decided to bring in a fee system per load.
“It’s mainly because of the expenses, and we’ve got to buy that compactor,” he says.
“Originally they were going to close the landfill in 2017 and now they are going to extend it. In order to keep it open the way they want it, that’s what we have to do.”
Tomlinson says the compactor is required by the town. The machine will compact the garbage being pushed at the landfill. Currently the town is using a smaller machine to cover the garbage at the landfill.
Tomlinson says other towns charge fees for use of their landfills.
According to town administrator Paul Listrom, Loraas Disposal will provide every household with a bin for the curbside recycling, and will also be implementing a schedule for pickup.
The recycling will be single stream, meaning that mixed recyclables can be placed into the bin without being bagged.
Allowable materials will be paper and cardboard, aluminum and tin, plastic, and aseptic packaging and cartons.
Materials not allowed in the bins are glass, household garbage or organics, soiled napkins, tissues, and paper, food-soiled paper or cardboard, waxed or plasticized paper or cardboard, shredded paper, styrofoam or foam packing materials, and auto parts and batteries.
Garbage pickup will continue weekly as usual.