Over 50,000kg of waste collected during Free Clean Up Week

From May 10-14, residents in Whitecourt could head to the Regional Landfill and rid themselves of anything they desired without cost as part of the Free Clean Up Week offered by the Town of Whitecourt. For the last few years, the initiative has been for drop-off rather than pick-up and has proven successful both ways, with the most significant difference being cost.

In 2019, the program’s first year, residents placed refuse at their curbside and crews were dispatched through the community to pick it up. The cost that year was nearly $62,000. Given the cost of fuel today, that number would be substantially inflated if still offered.

In 2020, still wanting to offer residents the opportunity to clean up for free, the Town of Whitecourt tweaked it so that Whitecourtians could drive to the landfill and drop things off without a fee as they do at the Transfer Station, except without the limitations there. The cost of doing so was just under $20,000. Given the success of the free week, the Town of Whitecourt decided to keep that going. The 2022 campaign that happened last month cost $23,567.90.

“It has been a very successful year again,” said Kamruz Zaman, Director of Infrastructure Services. “This year, the quantity was almost the same compared to last year, and the participants were almost the same compared to last year. The cost was only slightly increased due to the fuel charges, but overall it was very successful. They were eager to go there and dispose of their unwanted materials.” Zaman provided the breakdown during a recent Whitecourt Town Council meeting.

Mayor Tom Pickard, who sits on the Regional Landfill Committee, spoke in favour of the program and said Woodlands County offered a similar program too. “Theirs and ours have been so popular that we have to separate them. It becomes a logistics problem where it’s too busy, so it’s been a popular program. I don’t know what their (Woodlands County) numbers were, as we had separate weeks, (but) it’s well run and a great opportunity for our community.”

Councillor Tara Baker asked about the materials disposed of, specifically metal. “When a stove is taken out, or a big large metal item is brought out to the landfill, is there anything done with it?” Zaman said there were separate locations for the metal to be placed. He also explained that they collect revenue from those sellable items, including metal. CAO Peter Smyl added that the Town of Whitecourt recently signed a metal contract. “It’s $35 per metric ton, so it does help out for sure.

Deputy Mayor Paul Chauvet said he was proud of the program. “As I recall, when we started it, we had an increase in tonnage, and you’re saying it’s the same as last year. So, we are still above the mark from where we used to be, and we are doing it for a third of the cost. It’s a very, very successful program. I’m really proud of that.” He thanked the admin and Zaman’s team for a job well done.

Councillor Braden Lanctot asked if there is a trend of more tonnage of electronic recyclables or if it is less. “Whitecourt has a high percentage of electronic gadgets being recycled. So, I don’t know if we go out and buy the latest and greatest and best all the time and throw the old ones out, but our percentage is quite high. That was a comment from whoever is collecting it for our community,” explained Smyl.

Councillor Lanctot said he utilized the Free Clean Up Week program this year and had a great experience. “There was an incredible support cast when I pulled up in there. It was so fast. I went there by myself in my flip-flops, and I almost didn’t have to get out of my vehicle. Maybe they saw me in my flip-flops and figured they better help this guy, “he laughed as those in attendance joined him in the chuckle. “It was smooth, quick, in and out. Logistics were spectacular.”

Councillor Lapointe asked what could be done to help those who do not have a truck or means to get larger refuse out to the landfill. She said there were numerous messages online from people saying they couldn’t get out there and wondered if there was a way to link them to people willing to help. She asked if next year it could be mentioned on the poster that anyone willing to help community members without the means to get to the landfill to post their offer of help in the comments of the posts leading up to the event. The idea being that those needing help could then communicate with those who comment, helping bridge the gap.

During the 2022 Free Clean Up Week, 456 Town residents, averaging 91 per day, took part and brought refuse to the landfill. Four 30-yard bins were provided to collect the waste, and the four bins were emptied ten times. In total, 55,810kg of waste was disposed of by Whitecourt residents, including 67 mattresses, 27 propane tanks, 24 batteries, 50 tires, twelve thousand kilograms of metal, and nearly 6,500 kilograms of wood. For electronics, they collected 1,135kg and received things like televisions, printers, vacuums, microwaves, and computer towers.