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THURSDAY, MARCH 9, 2017
A Metro special focus on: GARBAGE
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One man’s trash is another’s cash GREEN CARTS
Landlords to pay for your organics pickup — at least initially Helen Pike
Metro | Calgary
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SAVINGS City aims to reuse landfill gas, metroNEWS
Going green will mean parting with green for landlords, condo owners and tenants as the city moves to include multi-family units in their organics and composting goals. On Nov. 1, the city’s new green cart bylaw will come into effect. It means landlords and owners of residences with five or more units will have to seek out private haulers to remove your banana peels, kitchen scraps and yard waste. However, Gerry Baxter, executive director of the Calgary Residential Rental Association, said ultimately tenants will have to bear the brunt of any added costs. “It becomes an added expense no matter how you slice it,” said Baxter. “Recycling became an added expense too....
Most businesses are set up so they can absorb small increases, but depending on the amount and increases you see, ultimately everything gets passed on to the consumer.” In September, councillors voted to waive green cart fees for single-family homes until 2018. It was estimated that fee would cost citizens $6.50 per month. But for multi-family units, there’s no such luck. Landlords are expected to engage private haulers, and Baxter said some of the landlords CRRA represents saw their prices for hauling jump from $50 a month to $150. “That gets to be pretty expensive,” Baxter said. Leanne Michie, waste diversion specialist with Waste & Recycling Services at the City of Calgary, said if users are sorting their trash correctly, there may be a decrease in materials landlords pay to haul, which could mean a cost reduction or levelling out. “There’s lots of opportunity for multifamily buildings and owners to find effective and efficient solutions,” Michie said.