In an effort to make the fall clean-up collection more efficient, the municipality is changing things up for residents this year.

During the fall town clean-up scheduled for Oct. 11 and 12, only bagged organic yard waste, furniture and appliances will be picked up at the end of properties in the back alleys. However, from Oct. 3 to 7, the back of the Jasper Activity Centre (JAC) parking lot will be set up with collection areas for e-waste (computers and TVs), household waste, paint, metal, tires and wood. 

Ken Quackenbush, director of environmental services, said that while Oct. 3 to 7 is not an official take-it-or-leave-it, residents will not be discouraged from recycling and reusing items in the lot.

“During the week prior, town staff will monitor the alleys and put a friendly reminder to ‘do it right’ on items left outside,” said Quackenbush. “Hopefully this speeds things up and we’ll do a good job on separation.”

Doug Rodwell, manager of public works and utilities, said that there will be signage in the JAC parking lot, similar to those at the transfer station to help people know where to place their items.

“It (the fall clean-up) was really labour intensive last year,” said Rodwell. “Our goal this year is to make people responsible for their garbage.”

Rodwell said that he expects the municipality will see more items this time around with the transfer station expected to start charging people in the near future.

“But if it can be recycled, it’s expected that residents will recycle it,” he said. “We normally do a spring and fall clean-up, but we are a victim of our own success and as a result, we’ve had to modify practices to be able to have this continue. If you have to handle and sort your own waste, then you might want to know what you are throwing out.”

Following the unofficial take-it-or-leave-it, the annual fall town clean-up will be on Oct. 11 and Oct. 12. Items that will be picked up by the curb or in the alley will be bagged organic yard waste (branches must be tied in bundles for easy pick up), furniture and appliances. Items that will not be picked up and that should be taken to the town recycling depot are cardboard, paper, newsprint, beverage containers, plastic kitchen composting, bike tires, glass, tins cans and aluminum. 

Quackenbush said that the town clean-up is a waste pick-up service that the municipality has provided for many years. This is an opportunity for residents to clean out their yards and house. Unwanted items are properly recycled or disposed of. 

“It is done to keep the town clean and attractive, even in the lanes and alleys,” he said. “It also helps out that certain part of the population that doesn’t have access to the dump.”

Residents who need assistance can call 780-852-1563.

According to a report from environmental services at the municipality, the town clean-ups have become very labour intensive for municipal staff with the new procedure of source separating waste before it enters the transfer station. In the 2011 spring clean up, residents were required to separate their own curb-side waste into piles of wood, e-waste, metal, etc., in order for it to be picked up.

A concentrated communication campaign was very successful – almost too successful – resulting in 44,755 kilograms of waste being picked up. The total weight for both spring and fall clean ups in 2010 was 52,205 kilograms.

Town staff are currently collaborating with experts on an overall waste management plan that is expected to be presented to council in late fall. 

“It will set the course and determine the direction of where we invest our energy as far as waste management,” said Quackenbush, adding that regional opportunities with Hinton and Edson are being given special consideration in order to minimize the amount of landfills in the region and what is going into them.